Winter has officially arrived and while you may be nestling by the comfort of your warm home, there are other guests “left out in the cold” waiting to make their way into your home this season. Below are some common indoor pests during winter and ways you can effectively rid your home of them:
1.      Spiders. In addition to being terrifying with those eight legs, spiders can easily slip into your home and quickly out of the way of indoor pest control. While they won’t die unless the insecticide comes in contact with their abdomen, regularly using it to ward off other insects they feed upon is one way to get them out of your home. The best way to prevent this problem, however, is to locate all openings to outside and seal them, along with any holes, cracks, and loose door jams. Once all are sealed, use your vacuum cleaner in all areas of your home, especially hard to reach places. If any spider eggs are found, promptly remove them.
2.      Rodents. These pests can also easily enter your home as well as avoid traps set to kill. Make sure windows, doors, and chimneys are adequately sealed. Caulk any openings around pipes entering your home. Keep your kitchen clean and store all food, including pet food, in sealed containers.
3.      Squirrels and raccoons. These love entering homes through attic spaces. Before sealing any openings found in your attic, however, inspect the area to make sure you won’t be trapping any pests in the space. If you find a squirrel or raccoon already taking up residence, you’ll need an effective trap (squirrels prefer nuts of course, while raccoons can easily be caught with tuna). Regularly check the trap to avoid starving the animal when caught. Once you’re certain the space is pest-free, seal all openings. Vents and chimney openings can be covered using hardware cloth screwed or stapled into place.
4.      Bugs. Lady bugs can become quite the pesky problem that can multiply in a matter what seems of to be seconds. First there’s one, then before you blink, there’s ten inside of your home. Make sure all cracks are sealed and windows/doors are shut and sealed properly. Termites, stink bugs, and Boxelder bugs love “snuggling” into wood piles to seek cover from the harsh winter weather. Those of you with fireplaces can easily bring them into your homes through transportation of wood, especially if it’s not immediately burned. Keep all wood away from your home and stored off of the ground. Platforms that are plastic and raised will prevent them from entering the wood supply and covering the wood with plastic sheets will ensure they won’t even make it to an extended stay, as plastic raises the temperature and will overheat the bugs. To be safe, inspect all wood before bringing indoors for tunnels and holes.