Blog

How to Pest-Proof Your Home for the Winter

By Pestech Pest Solutions
Share:

Brrrr.. It’s getting cold outside


When the leaves die and cold weather begins, you may assume that bug season is over until the spring. Unfortunately, this assumption is incorrect. Even though you no longer have to deal with bees and mosquitos, the winter months can force other unpleasant visitors indoors where it’s warm. Your home may turn into a winter safe haven for insects and rodents if it isn’t pest-proofed.

Invasive creatures are susceptible to extreme cold and seek warmth and shelter during the winter. But that doesn’t have to be your home. Pests are annoying and can threaten your health and the condition of your home. Most pests carry disease, and some even carry other pests. In addition, rodents can chew through wires and woodwork, potentially causing power outages and even fires.

Call Pestech

Pest-Proofing Your Home

This winter, make sure that you and your family are safe from unwanted visitors by pest-proofing your home. The sooner you protect your home against winter pests, the better — but it’s never too late to start the process.

There are many techniques you can implement both inside and outside to prevent pests from moving into your living space and wreaking havoc in the winter. To get started on pest-proofing your home inside and out, check out these pest-proofing suggestions.

Pest-Proofing Outside Your Home

Pest-proofing your home’s exterior for the winter is an important step in protecting your home from harmful critters. Since pests enter homes from outside, you should always pest-proof your home’s outdoor areas, including your yard.

To pest-proof the exterior portions of your home, take the following steps:

  • Look for crevices and cracks around your home’s foundation and other exterior surfaces. If you find even a hairline crack, it’s important that you seal it as soon as possible so even the smallest insects can’t find their way inside. The best method for sealing cracks and crevices is using steel wool and caulk. Weaker sealants can break off during the winter and require multiple reapplications.
  • Screen your vents and chimney to prevent pests from crawling in. These are very common entry points for rodents.
  • Make sure you don’t have vines or shrubbery growing too close to your home, which can act as a bridge for small animals and insects to access your home. Ensure that any firewood is stored at least 20 feet away from your home.
  • Repair any damaged insulation around your windows so nothing can crawl in.

Pest-Proofing Home Entry Points

Home entry points such as front doors, sliding glass doors and even crawlspaces need to be pest-proofed for the winter. To do so, complete these three steps:

  • Make sure all of your doors’ insulation features are in good condition and properly installed so no insects or rodents can crawl through any crevices.
  • Repair any damage to your doors, including damaged door screens.
  • Install a door sweeper with a brush strip to sweep away any debris or small insects that could crawl in.

Pest-Proofing Inside Your Home

Even though you may have sealed off your home’s exterior from insects and rodents, you still need interior defenses in place. At a minimum, take these steps:

  • Check your home for clogged drains and leaking pipes, as these sites generate moist areas that could harbor mold and bacteria.
  • Always keep food in airtight containers and away from the floor. Make sure that you sweep the floors and clean any food off of tables and countertops to avoid attracting pests that could potentially contaminate your food.
  • Repair any floor, wall or insulation damage in your basement and garage, as these are usually the first areas pests will enter. This is particularly true of mice and rats.
  • Make sure that you take your household garbage out frequently and keep your dumpster as far away from your home as possible.

The Most Active Winter Pests

Many of us may not think of the winter months as a time to be vigilant about pest issues. But certain types of pests can be relentless when it comes to finding a warm space in your home or business. It’s especially important to take preventative measures to avoid contact with the following common winter pests:

Spiders

The fall and winter months are common times for spiders to move their webs indoors. Spiders are commonly seen in basements, crawlspaces and attics, but they can be found in any part of a house. Spiders also lay eggs in the warmth of the indoors, which is an incredibly unpleasant surprise for an unprepared homeowner.

Rodents

You don’t have to live in an urban area to experience rodent infestation problems. During the wintertime, rodents often find their way into homes through tiny cracks and crevices in a home’s exterior or entryways. Rodents are especially serious problems because they can be difficult to trap once they’re inside your home, and they are notorious for harboring diseases and other types of parasites such as fleas and ticks.

Contact Pestech Pest Solutions for Cold Weather Pest-Proofing

You can’t choose when or where a pest will try to get inside your home. But you can choose to protect your home from the unpredictable side of nature. If you want to learn more about how to pest-proof your home this winter and protect your family and property from harmful critters, Pestech Pest Solutions has you covered.

Get in touch with our expert team for reliable winter pest control services in Dutchess County, Orange County, and across New York.