We hope you’ve started preparing for the pests that may take up residence in your house with the cold weather fast approaching. From dust mites to rodents, there are a lot of dangerous creatures that can cause damage to your home. These pests need special attention, and it is best to get started early on. This article will help you identify some of the common winter pests and how you can prepare yourself for their arrival.

Bedbugs

Bed bugs are pesky critters that infest many homes each winter (and summer). Bed bugs come in various colors and hues, depending on the species. Female bedbugs can live several weeks off of one blood meal, giving these critters quite a bit of time to wreak havoc in their homes.

Bed bugs will crawl out of concealed hiding spots when during winter. But if bed bug activity is slow, it’s still wise to keep an eye on your home for signs of their presence.

Precautions against bed bugs:

Bedbugs are proficient in finding clutter and hiding to thrive quickly. The ideal means to prevent bedbug infestation is to ensure that your home is clutter-free. Use protective covers for mattresses and furniture when applicable to eliminate hiding or breeding spots for bedbugs.

Rodents

Rodents are one of the common pests that can be more active during winter. The cold climatic condition can make it difficult for rodents to survive outdoors and this would compel them to find a shelter with warmth and food and this could be your home.

Mice get used to living in close quarters with humans, where they may acquire a taste for your food and the warmth of the shelter.

If you live in a coastal region or near a body of water, the chances are good that you’ve been affected by a few unwanted guests during the winter months and rodents can be the most common pest.

Precautions against rodents:

Get rid of any unwanted kitchen items you have. Use mouse snap traps or steel wool. Bait and snap traps can be highly effective at getting rid of rats and mice; use peanut butter and sesame oil combination as bait.

Cockroaches

Cockroaches are somewhat of an interesting bug when it comes to pest control. Cockroaches have adapted to survive cold temps through increased body temperature (one unique trait). That’s why these pests become more active in frostier months, helping them get away with their crimes of the day.

Precautions against cockroaches:

To get rid of roaches, eliminate food sources like pet bowls and trash cans in kitchens, and be sure you keep all wet places clean. Using cockroach traps can also help you capture the infestation at its root.

Spiders

Well, spiders do better in colder weather. While spiders do not immediately threaten humans, their presence and web can be annoying.

Spiders can adapt their body structure, metabolic rate, and behavior to survive winter. Spiders use stored fat reserves alternatively as food when it’s too cold. During winter, spiders also tend to move indoors without undergoing any changes in their body structure or behavior.

Precautions against spiders:

Accessories, cabinets, or appliances can be a good place for spider eggs to lay. Keep food and water out of the kitchen as much as possible. Moisture is where almost all arachnids will thrive, keep this in mind to eliminate any presence of moisture around your home.

Ants

Ants, who do not thrive in cold weather, may still cross over the lower bars on windows and doors when temperatures are mild. Their existing colony will quickly expand with the warmth of your house and the unattended food scrapes.

In cold seasons, ants can shift over the higher elevations for survivable weather conditions with little energy expenditure on their body parts that requires less oxygen supply, such as wings and hairs.

Some of the ant species’ winter ways to survive may include traveling indoors, reducing activity levels and exposure time so that their body’s survival mechanism is on standby mode or stowed in a few days into months, such as when winter is coming.

Precautions against ants:

The best way to get rid of ants is to prevent ant colony formation. Ants are attracted to all forms of human foods with a hint of sugar, from syrup to sweet rolls. You can prevent ants by cutting out the source or making sure that there is no food spillage in your kitchen or other indoor areas.

Winter is one of the most dreaded seasons of the year. The weather becomes colder, and it gets harder to deal with pests that can make your life a nightmare. Many pests cause havoc during winter, so you have to be prepared for them. It would help if you prepared yourself by making sure that you do not leave any space around your house to allow these pests to enter. You should also make sure that you have covered all the places where they could contact food or water.