Winter Pests to Lookout for in Florida

Just because it’s winter doesn’t mean pests can’t invade your home! Unfortunately, there are several overwintering pests looking to your home to provide them with food, shelter, and water. Let’s breakdown the most common winter pests to lookout for at your Florida property.

Roaches

Cockroaches are common household pests seeking a warm environment to provide them with food and water. These pests can pose a serious health risk to humans as they transmit diseases and trigger allergies and asthma. Roaches will utilize any small hole, gap, or cervices to enter your home. They are also known to hitch a ride inside grocery bags, boxes, and used appliances.

Rodents

Rodents, including rats and mice, are year-round pests but they can become a major problem as the winter season approaches. Rodents will seek out warmth, food, shelter, and water inside our homes, squeezing through small holes and gaps to get inside. Mice and rats can cause damage to our homes and be a health risk to humans as they are known to chew through insulation, wiring, wood, and contaminate surfaces through their droppings.

Silverfish

These pests will look to your basements and bathrooms to seek a damp, cold place to live in. While silverfish are harmless to humans, they can invade in numbers, and cause them to be a major nuisance to remove them. These pests will often gain access to your home by hitching a ride through the items you’ve taken out of storage in your garage or attic. Silverfish will also feed on your books, glue, wallpaper, and boxes.

Preventing Winter Pests in Florida

It might seem impossible to deter wildlife creatures from your home during the winter but by placing certain preventative measures throughout your property, you can avoid their infestation! Check out these winter pest control tips when you want to keep these pests away:

• Inspect the exterior of your home for any cracks, gaps, and holes, seal them as soon as possible.
• Avoid leaving your pet food and water out overnight.
• Fix any leaky faucets or pipes found as soon as possible.
• Take your garbage out on a regular basis and utilize a trashcan with a tightly secure lid.
• Declutter your home by removing old newspapers, mail, and cardboard laying around your home.
• If you’re using mulch in your landscaping, place it at least 1 foot from your foundation.
• Consider reaching out to your local pest control company to get a customized plan to prevent pests from invading your home.