winter pests Archives | Northwest Exterminating

Winter Pests to Lookout for in Florida

Dec 28, 2023 | Florida Pest Control

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
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.

5 Tips For Holiday Pest Proofing

Dec 15, 2023 | Pest Control

The holiday season in Georgia brings joy, warmth, and festive cheer. However, it also marks the arrival of unwanted guests – holiday pests that can disrupt your celebrations. As temperatures drop, pests seek refuge indoors, making pest-proofing your home a crucial step in ensuring a pest-free holiday season. In this guide, we’ll explore common winter and holiday pests, along with effective tips for holiday pest proofing and elimination.

Common Holiday Pests in Georgia

Rodents: Mice and rats are notorious for seeking shelter in warm, cozy homes during colder months. They can squeeze through tiny openings and cause havoc in your pantry.
Cockroaches: Cockroaches are resilient and can survive harsh conditions. They are attracted to warmth and food, making your home an ideal destination during the holidays.
Spiders: While most spiders are harmless, some can pose a threat. They often enter homes in search of prey and shelter.
Ants: Even in winter, ants can be a nuisance. They may venture inside seeking water, warmth, or food sources.

Pest Prevention for a Joyful Holiday Season

Seal Entry Points: Inspect your home for any cracks, gaps, or openings. Use weather stripping and sealant to close gaps around windows, doors, and foundations. Pay special attention to areas where pipes and wires enter your home.
Proper Food Storage: Keep food items in airtight containers to deter rodents and insects. Clean up crumbs and spills promptly, and store garbage in tightly sealed bins.
Outdoor Maintenance: Trim trees and shrubs away from your home to eliminate pest highways. Regularly clean gutters and remove debris to prevent pest harborage.
Inspection and Monitoring: Regularly inspect attics, basements, and crawl spaces for signs of pests. Set up traps and monitor them to catch any intruders early. Inspect decorations and other holiday items before bringing them indoors.
Professional Pest Control: Consider hiring a professional pest control service for a thorough inspection and treatment. Professionals can identify potential problem areas and implement effective pest prevention strategies.

Eliminating Holiday Pests with Expert Pest Control

If you find yourself facing an infestation despite your best efforts, it’s crucial to act promptly. Our expert pest control services are tailored to address the unique challenges posed by holiday pests. We utilize advanced techniques and environmentally friendly treatments to ensure a safe and pest-free home.

Don’t let holiday pests dampen your festive spirit. Take proactive steps for holiday pest proofing and enjoy the season without unwanted visitors. Contact your local pest control company today for a free pest control quote, and let our experienced team safeguard your home for a joyful and pest-free holiday season.

Wishing you a happy and pest-free holiday season!

Top 3 Winter Pests to Lookout for in Laurens, S.C.

Feb 16, 2023 | Pest Control

Laurens Pest Control: Common Winter Pests

During the winter season, we don’t typically see a lot of pests around, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t present! Certain wildlife pests tend to look towards our Laurens home to escape the cold, causing damage and posing a health risk in the process. For homeowners, it’s important to understand the types of winter pests that could invade and the winter pest control methods needed to keep them out. Check out our top 3 winter pests to look out for in Laurens, South Carolina.

Cockroaches

During the winter, cockroaches enter our homes to search for heat and humidity. Common roaches found in homes are American roaches, oriental roaches, and brown-banded roaches. These pests can pose a serious health risk to humans, as they’re known to transmit diseases and trigger allergies and asthma. Roaches will utilize any open gap or hole to find their way inside homes. These pests will also hitchhike on grocery bags, boxes, and used appliances. You will often find them in areas where food and water are available, such as our kitchens and bathrooms.

Termites

Termites are year-round pests and will destroy the structural integrity of homes. The damage termites can cause will often cost billions in repairs. Termites, such as subterranean termites, will eat the wood from the inside out, usually staying hidden until the damage is done. These termite types need soil to live, creating mud tubes to search for a food source. Firewood and mulch are two major attractants to termites and will provide a way inside your home. If they’ve infested, you can often find them in the home’s baseboards, crawlspaces, and wooden beams.

Silverfish

Silverfish prefer to live in damp, colder places. These pests are quite common in the winter months and are often found in basements or bathrooms. If they’ve gained access to your living space, it’s usually because they’ve hitched a ride when you’ve taken items out of storage in your garage or attic. While these pests are harmless to humans, if they infest in large numbers, they can become a nuisance. Silverfish will feed on your books, glue, wallpaper, and boxes.

Preventing Winter Pests

There are several methods and preventative measures you can implement to keep these pests from invading your home! Consider these winter pest control tips when you want to keep these pests away:

Seal any holes, cracks, or gaps around your home
Avoid leaving your pet food and water out overnight
Clean up leftover food crumbs and spills
Fix any leaky faucets or pipes found as soon as possible
Avoid leaving your dirty dishes in the sink overnight
Take your garbage out on a regular basis and utilize a trashcan with a tightly secure lid
Remove old newspapers, mail, and cardboard that is laying around your home
Inspect boxes, groceries, and used furniture before entering your home
If you utilize mulch, place it at least 20 feet away from your foundation
Consider reaching out to your pest control company to get a customized plan to prevent pests year-round

14 Tips for Winter Pest Control

Jan 20, 2023 | Pest Control

Despite our best wishes, pests don’t just disappear when the weather gets cold. Winter pest control becomes critical to keeping your house protected during the season. Overwintering pests will make their way indoors to escape the cold and have access to a plentiful food supply. Common overwintering pests include roaches, spiders, and rodents.

Overwintering pests pose a threat to both you and your home. They can chew through wires and insulation, contaminate surfaces and food, spread diseases, and trigger allergies and asthma.

Help protect your home with these 14 tips for winter pest control:

Seal any cracks, crevices, and holes on the exterior of your home.
Seal around utility pipes that enter your home.
Replace or repair weatherstripping and screens.
Elevate your firewood and store it at least 20 feet from your home.
Declutter, especially in the basement, garage, and attic.
Repair any leaky pipes to reduce moisture.
Keep gutters free of debris.
Install doorsweeps.
Install chimney vents.
Keep attics, crawlspaces, and basements dry and ventilated. Consider crawlspace enclosure.
Keep floors and counters clean daily.
Dust, sweep, and vacuum regularly.
Empty the trash regularly.
Invest in routine pest control throughout the entire year.

If you have a problem with winter pests, contact your local pest control company for a complete evaluation and treatment plan.

You May Also Be Interested In:

How to Prevent Bed Bugs While Traveling

How Do I Prepare For Termite Treatment?

Rodents to Lookout for this Winter

Why Identifying Spiders is Important for Prevention

Do Roaches Die Off In Winter?

Are Spiders More Common In Winter?

Jan 6, 2023 | Pest Control

It’s a common myth that spiders come into our homes to overwinter until spring. In actuality, they most likely were already there to begin with. These household pests are more active in fall and early winter for two main reasons: they are preparing winter and the upcoming scarcity of food and they are mating and in search of a partner to reproduce with.

House spiders take up residence in your home year-round. Spiders can be beneficial to have around as a form of natural pest control as they eat other insects (even other spiders) found around your house.

One exception to this is the brown recluse spider. They will seek warmth and food indoors in the winter by hiding out in dark, unused areas of your home. Brown recluses are identified by the distinct violin-shaped mark on their back. They will bite and are considered harmful to humans.

You can prevent spiders in your home by:

Checking your foundations for cracks and repairing them immediately.
Checking windows and doors each season. Repairing any cracks and check seals.
Decluttering, especially in basements, attics, closets, and pantries; this limits the places they can hide.
Vacuuming and dusting frequently, especially in rooms that are seldom used.
Checking any items before bringing them indoors, including pets, firewood, plants, boxes, decorations, etc.).
Investing in routine pest control. Eliminating other pests limits food sources for spiders, leaving them to search other places for a meal.

If you have an issue with spiders, contact your local pest control company for an inspection.