You may assume that most household pests hibernate during the winter and that you, therefore, do not need residential pest control until spring. Unfortunately, that isn’t necessarily true. While some pests go dormant during the winter, others remain active during the colder months. Here are some reasons why pest control is as valuable to you during the winter as at other times of the year.
The Warmth From Your Home Is Attractive
Pests that do stay active during the winter need to find shelter from the cold, or they could freeze to death. Rodents such as rats and mice can feel warm air from inside your home leaking out through gaps or cracks in your home’s exterior. These openings may be so small that you do not even notice them, yet they may be big enough for a rodent to fit through. Many homeowners find they have to call for rat removal during the winter because the rodents have found shelter indoors and are actively looking for food.
Some pests, such as spiders and insects, normally go dormant during the winter when they are living outside. As the temperatures drop, they go through a process called cold hardening that makes their blood more resistant to freezing. However, if these pests are already in your home before winter, they don’t experience the change in temperature, and their bodies do not go through the process that would cause them to become dormant. Therefore, these species may also remain active all winter and make nuisances of themselves even though this would not be the case if they were living outside.
Pests Can Pose Health and Safety Hazards Inside Your Home
Household pests are not only annoying, but they can also be dangerous. The biggest danger is rodents and insects that can spread diseases directly by biting you or indirectly through their excrement. Many people are afraid of spiders, believing their bites to be venomous, but while there are a few species of spiders in Canada that can harm humans with their bites, this is a rare occurrence. Bed bug bites aren’t venomous, and bed bugs don’t spread disease, but their bites can be itchy and extremely irritating. Not only that, but some people are allergic to bed bug saliva. A severe reaction could potentially send a person into anaphylactic shock, a life-threatening scenario.
Pests can also pose safety hazards that could prove just as dangerous. For example, rodents are notorious for causing structural damage by chewing on support structures and creating fire hazards by chewing on electrical wires, stripping them of their protective insulation.
Winter Pest Control Can Help Prevent Future Problems
Having pest control during the winter can help prevent an existing infestation from becoming larger and more difficult to manage. For example, say you have an infestation of carpenter ants. These insects rarely bite, but they can cause extensive property damage by hollowing out wooden structures to make nests. Carpenter ants would normally go dormant during the winter, but warm temperatures inside your home can keep them active. If you have them taken care of in winter, they won’t be able to do as much damage as they would if you waited for spring.
There may also be pests in your home that do go dormant during the winter. An inspection can reveal the infestation, and residential pest control can resolve it before it has an opportunity to cause a bigger problem.
Find Out About Truly Nolen’s Four Seasons Approach to Residential Pest Control
Pests behave in different ways at various times of the year. We understand seasonal behavioural variations and incorporate them into our pest control strategy. Learn more about the advantages of pest control at all times of the year.