Where the Wild Things Are When They Shouldn’t Be: Spotting and Preventing Winter Pests

When left unaddressed, a pest infestation could result in major damage to your home and serious health problems with your family. Luckily, most of those issues can easily be avoided as long as you keep an eye out for common winter pests.

Norway Rats

The Norway rat—commonly known as the brown rat, house rat, barn rat, sewer rat, gray rat, or wharf rat—is one of the most common household pests, and can carry a wide variety of diseases including typhus, trichinosis, and salmonella.

Droppings between one-half and three-fourths of an inch long and gnaw marks are two common telltale signs that you have a rat problem.

One of the most effective ways to keep Norway rats out of your home is to clean up after yourself. Most Norway rats won’t stay in a home unless they have a constant supply of food and water.

If you find yourself in need of help, research the best ways to get rid of the infestation for you and your home.

Brown Recluse Spiders

While some pests come into your house during the winter to escape the weather, brown recluse spiders usually head indoors looking for food. Brown recluse bites rarely result in death, but they are extremely painful. Many victims end up with huge wounds that don’t heal for months.

Much like rats, the best way to get rid of spiders is to make sure that they don’t have any food or shelter. These spiders primarily eat small bugs like crickets and cockroaches and like to hide in spots with a lot of hiding places. Clearing clutter and frequent cleanings can help you stay spider free.

Keeping Pests Out Your Home
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Cockroaches

Homes are an ideal habitat for cockroaches, and that is one of the reasons why so many people struggle with these bugs. Cockroaches are notoriously difficult to kill, and a few stray insects could turn into a huge colony within a matter of weeks.

A pest management specialist can help you come up with a long-term plan to prevent cockroach infestations throughout the year. That plan will most likely include a combination of bait stations, glue strips, and follow up visits to catch infestations in the early stages.

Mice

In addition to spreading diseases, mice also cause a tremendous amount of damage. These small rodents will chew a wide variety of materials in your home including wires, insulation, walls, flooring, and clothes.

Sealing up cracks and small holes around your doors and windows is the best way to keep mice out of your home. You should also keep an eye out for any signs that mice might already be living in your walls or crawlspaces like urine odors, gnaw marks, scuffling noises, and droppings.

The most effective way to keep pests out of your home is to schedule preventative service calls with a pest control expert and making sure that stray pests never have a good source of food or water inside your home. As you settle down in your home for the winter, be on the lookout for early signs of infestations.

Image Credit: Pixabay

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