Cold weather is here on Long Island, and just like you, pests like mice, rats, squirrels, raccoons, and more are looking for warm shelter indoors throughout the next few chilly months. Despite the common myth that pests die off during the winter, on the contrary, you may see an increase in pest activity as these critters look for warmth and food.
Fall and Winter Pest Control Tips
To help you keep pests out of your home this winter, we’ve compiled a list of fall and winter pest control tips to help you best protect your home, family, and pets from New York’s common household pests.
Seal up any cracks on the outside of your house.
One of the easiest ways to prevent winter pest control issues is by thoroughly checking your home’s exterior for any vulnerabilities. Keep in mind that even the tiniest cracks, gaps, or holes can be plenty big enough for pests to make their way inside your home.
Seal cracks and crevices on the outside of the home using caulk and steel wool. Pay close attention to where utility pipes enter the structure. Some rodents can fit through a hole the size of a dime.
Keep tree limbs cut back away from your roof.
Tree branches often serve as bridges for pests who simply make their way from the tree right into your home! Keep those limbs trimmed back year-round to prevent a variety of common household pests and wildlife intruders.
Be Careful with Outdoor Wood Piles
Do you have a wood pile for a fireplace or fire pit in your yard? It may be a magnet for wood-destroying pests like termites and carpenter ants, or even non-wood-destroying pests like earwigs, cockroaches, crickets, and centipedes.
Firewood causes the biggest problems when stored close to your home and when it sits directly on the ground. Wet wood is especially tempting to termites and carpenter ants. When homeowners find that their wood is infested with these wood destroying ants, it is best to get rid of the wood. You might also notice small piles of sawdust on or near the woodpile, which also signals insect activity.
We recommend making sure you always use your wood as soon as possible and don’t allow it to remain in the same place for more than a week. It can sometimes take pests as little as a few days to become active in wood piles. Don’t spray your wood with insecticide either, as it can create a major health hazard when you bring it inside to burn. If you must keep a wood pile outside, keep it as far from the house as possible.
Screen attic vents and openings to chimneys.
Make sure your attic vents have screens to prevent unwanted intruders such as squirrels and identify and close off any other areas where homes may be open to the outdoors. Check to make sure that you have a chimney cap.
Replace weatherstripping on your doors.
It can be an overlooked home maintenance task but replacing worn or missing weatherstripping on your home’s doors can be a major help in preventing pests from gaining entry inside your New York home.
Avoid leaving pets’ food dishes out for long periods of time.
Pests don’t discriminate between human food and cat food. Pet dishes that have been left sitting out are enticing for all kinds of insects and rodents.
Protect Your Home from Pests Year-Round
Unfortunately, pests are a year-round problem for New York homeowners and the cold weather doesn’t actually mean they’ll die off. To make sure you’re taking all the correct precautions when trying to protect your home, family, and pets from pests, a year-round pest management plan, such as Suburban Exterminating’s PestFree 365+, is always the best course of action.
5 Winter Pests Found on Long Island
Each of the following pests carry diseases which are easily transferred to people. While you might see one of two mice or rats or roaches, there are many that you wouldn’t see. And when raccoons and squirrels make a home, offspring are not far behind. How many offspring does each of these pests produce in a year?
- Mice have 5 to 10 litters per year. There are 5-6 mice per litter. Offspring could total 25 additional mice in one year.
- Rats usually have 6 to 8 litters each year. Litters of 6 to 12 young are born 21 to 23 days after conception. Offspring could total 36 additional rats per year.
- Cockroaches produce a new generation every 60 to 70 days. One roach can create an infestation of thousands of roaches fairly quickly – a population of millions over the course of a year.
- Raccoons mate in the late winter or early spring. Females give birth to the annual litter of 1-8 (average 2-5) in the den.
- Squirrels have litters of 3-5 young twice a year.
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