With another summer in the books, it’s time to look forward to another majestic Connecticut winter. One of the greatest aspects of living in New Haven is getting to experience all four seasons. However, that doesn’t mean each season doesn’t come with its own particular set of problems. One such problem that comes every winter is the rise in winter pests making their way inside of homes and properties. The reason for this is, like us, many pests cannot survive outside when the temperature drops too low. As such, they often attempt to seek shelter inside our homes. That’s why you need to know the best ways to keep these pests out of your New Haven home this coming winter.
Identifying Common Winter Pests
While there are a number of winter pests throughout the country, here in New Haven, some common winter pests that you might encounter include cluster flies, stink bugs, and rats and mice.
Cluster Flies
Cluster flies like to make their way into homes in the late fall and early winter before the weather gets too cold for them to survive outside. While cluster flies are mostly a nuisance pest, they will infest in large numbers which can make getting rid of them challenging. Cluster flies are larger than common house flies and also lack the metallic coloring of house flies.
Stink Bugs
Stink bugs are nuisance pests that enter homes to escape the cold weather. They have shield-like bodies that are a mottled brown and gray color. Although they are nuisance pests, stink bugs can cause damage to plants as they feed on them. Additionally, as their name suggests, stink bugs will emit a foul odor when threatened or squished.
Rats and Mice
Of all the winter pests, rats and mice are some of the worst to encounter as they spread a wealth of diseases if they gain access to a home. Some of the diseases rodents spread include hantavirus, leptospirosis, rat-bite fever, salmonellosis, and tularemia. Additionally, rats and mice can introduce other pests into homes such as mites, fleas, and ticks.
Issues Posed By Winter Pests
As previously stated, many winter pests are simply nuisances. However, there are those, such as rodents, that can do quite a bit of harm. Not only can they spread a variety of diseases and bring other pests with them, but they can cause damage to property as well. Rodents have front incisors that grow constantly throughout their lives which means they must chew on objects to keep them from getting too long. Oftentimes, the objects they choose to chew are inside our homes. Wires, drywall, and furniture are just a few of the things these pests can damage inside of a home.
Winter Pests Prevention Tips
When it comes to winter pests, the goal for prevention is to both remove possible entry points as well as to take away other factors that might attract them into your home. To accomplish these, you should:
- Store all food in air-tight containers or the refrigerator.
- Wipe up any spills from counters and floors immediately.
- Store trash in bins with tight-fitting lids.
- Take out the trash regularly.
- Fix any leaky pipes or fixtures.
- Use dehumidifiers to keep moisture levels low.
- Install weather stripping around windows and doors.
- Install screens in windows and exterior doors.
- Seal any cracks in the foundation of your home.
- Fill in any cracks or holes around the exterior of your home.
The Best Form Of Winter Pest Protection
While you can, and should, take all the necessary precautions to keep winter pests out of your home, the best solution for winter pest protection is ongoing professional assistance from the experts here at Connecticut Pest Elimination, LLC Our trained pest technicians have the experience and the expertise needed to help keep your house pest-free year-round. Don’t let any pests make your home their home this winter. Call us now.