Winter Pests

Winter Pests

Pests may go dormant in the winter, but that doesn’t mean you’re in the clear from dealing with all types of insects and rodents. When it’s cold outside, winter pests look for cozy places to hide and eat food, including in your home or business.

This guide will teach you about the most common winter pests you might still encounter during the winter in New York. The best way to prevent an infestation this winter is to know what signs to look for.

Winter Pest Management Guide

Most Common Winter Pests in New York

Whether you want to protect your company’s reputation or your family’s health and safety, you need to guard your property against winter pests in NY.

You may want to look out for these New York winter pests that could try to make a home in your residential or commercial area.

Learn more about pest-proofing your home for the winter.

Rodents

Mice and rats end up on your property looking for warm places to hide with plenty of food and water. Since they can fit through tiny openings, they can squeeze through any cracks or gaps in your windows, doors and walls. Once they enter your home or business, rodents might gnaw on the wires, wood framing and insulation, leaving your property vulnerable to structural damage. Aside from the physical threat, rodents can carry bacteria and diseases that can contaminate your food and valuables. Blocking entry points, cleaning up food and keeping wood piles away from your house can help you reduce the risk of a rodent infestation during the winter.

Cockroaches

Even though cockroaches are prevalent in New York all year long, you may notice them in the winter months when you turn on the heat and unintentionally bring them out of hiding. These creepy crawlers enjoy areas near food and moisture, such as the kitchen or bathroom. They tend to spread bacteria, contaminate food sources and worsen symptoms of allergies and other respiratory conditions.

Cockroaches are incredibly resilient pests that show unique survival tactics. Cockroaches are likely to be attracted by the warmth of your home during the winter. There are ways to prevent cockroach infestations that will keep them out during the winter. Cleaning your kitchen, for instance, is one of the best proactive ways of keeping cockroaches away

Boxelder bugs

You may notice these pests with black and orange marks in the winter, but they’ve most likely wandered into your home in the fall. Since they like warm weather, they might have thought it was spring when you turned your heat on for the winter. Even though boxelder bugs aren’t dangerous, they tend to have an unpleasant smell and stain upholstery and other fabric items.

Stink bugs

These pests release an extremely potent and unpleasant odor if you crush or intimidate them. They usually infest homes or businesses in the fall, but they enter a dormant phase and spend most of the winter hiding in crawl spaces, walls or attics. However, if you have an unusually warm day in the winter, stink bugs may come out of hiding prematurely.

Yellow and brown stains on your walls and furniture are signs of a stink bug infestation, as these stains are caused by their secretions. Smells similar to rotting vegetables or skunks are a sign that you have a lot of stink bugs in your home or business. These are some of the signs of a stink bug infestation that you will need to keep an eye out for during the winter.

Winter Pest Management Services

Reducing the clutter around your property and repairing broken openings can help keep critters away in the winter, but ultimately the best solution against winter pests in NY is proactive pest management services.

At Pestech, we specialize in seasonal pest management. In the winter, that mainly means insects and rodent control. We help you lock down pest entry points in your home or business so that winter pests can’t take up residence there.

Our pest control specialists inspect the areas where pests tend to hide while conducting our residential pest control services. We also prevent future bugs and rodents from coming into your house by sealing openings and treating your outside property. With our monthly or quarterly visits, we’ll make sure the pests are out of your property for good.

Consider some of the reasons you might want to invest in winter pest control services this year:

  • Sealing your pest entry points: We get rid of the gaps around your house or business so rodents and other pests can’t come inside. This treatment protects your property from an infestation, and it can also lower your monthly energy bills by reducing air leaks.
  • Preventing an infestation: If you notice winter pest activity on your property, there are probably more bugs and rodents hiding around than you think. Our team of qualified professionals knows where these pests like to hide. We can analyze the damage and put measures in place right away to prevent an infestation.
  • Knowing your high-risk areas: Crawl spaces, cracks and crevices, as well as areas with excess moisture, can be vulnerable places for thirsty winter pests. With a home or business inspection, we’ll point out all of the “danger zones” where winter pests like rodents and insects are more likely to hide.
  • Using safe, effective treatments: Pest exclusion is the most economical and safe solution for pest control. Once pests have established themselves in your home or business, it’s going to take a lot more than trapping and removing to get rid of them.

Integrated Pest Management Solution From Pestech

Consider Pestech’s integrated pest management (IPM) services to prepare your home or business for winter. With our year-round pest control services, we’ll stop pests in their tracks and ensure they don’t return each year.

IPM is not a single solution — it’s a comprehensive combination of applications and pest control solutions that work together to eliminate problems and prevent future issues. Our IPM program is based on our knowledge of pest life cycles and their interactions with the environment. Each program is customized for the residential or commercial client.

With a four-step process that includes making an action plan, identifying pests, controlling the pests and preventing future infestations, we deal with your pest problems safely. Your pets and children will not be at any risk with the effective and environmentally friendly methods we use to keep your home or business pest-free. We also make sure that businesses and supplies remain free from poisons and harmful substances. Our only focus is on the pests themselves.

Contact us to schedule your residential or commercial inspection.

Year-Round Pests

Since pests can come into your house at any point, year-round residential or commercial pest management is essential for keeping your property safe.

Keep an eye out for the following seasonal pests on your property:

Bed bugs

Bed bugs hide in your bed and bite you in the middle of the night. They tend to survive all year long, and they can go for a long time without feeding. You may bring these critters into your house through your luggage while traveling or if you get secondhand furniture. You might want to invest in professional bed bug control to keep you and your family safe and healthy.

Termites

These wood-loving insects have large colonies that can quickly destroy your property. They tend not to be as active when it’s cold outside, but if you have an unusually warm day, you may find them in your garden. Since they eat at rotten wood from your building’s walls, framing and foundation, you can save money on renovating your house by investing in termite control services.

Spiders

You might not notice spiders right away because they tend to hide in quiet places, especially ones with cardboard boxes and window moldings. Spiders tend to eat mosquitoes and flies, so you may want to have a few of them around your house. However, they also multiply quickly, leaving your home more vulnerable to undesirable debris. Certain types of spiders, such as the brown recluse and black widow, inject poison when they bite.

Carpet beetles

These insects enjoy eating fabric, especially on your carpets, clothing, bedding or curtains. Their prickly hair can cause allergic reactions when they walk on you, resulting in itchy, red bumps. You may notice these pests at any time of the year, chewing through your fabric or crawling around your windows.

Fruit flies

Fruit flies are usually already on the fruit you’ve purchased from the store. They start breeding once the fruit becomes ripe. They can contaminate your food supply when they touch and eat your fruits and vegetables. Since they can reproduce quickly, one little fly can become a large infestation without the proper treatment.

Carpenter ants

If you see flying ants in your home or business, you may have an infestation on your hands. Carpenter ants may wind up on your property looking for food, water and shelter, and when they find what they’re looking for, they’ll most likely create a nest underneath the building or in the yard. Carpenter ants excavate moist wood to make their colonies inside, leaving your residential or commercial space vulnerable to structural damage.

Trust Pestech for Reliable Winter Pest Control

Pest control in winter is just as important as during the rest of the year. Pestech is a leader in the pest control industry, and we use our years of experience to provide pest solutions safely. We have a 100% satisfaction guarantee, proving we can handle the most difficult pest issues you might face. We will continue service if the problem returns for no additional charge.

Pestech is GreenPro certified by the National Pest Management Association. With our dedication, skills and experience, we will keep your home or business pest free during the winter and all year round. If you would like to find out more about our services and methods, please contact us today to schedule an inspection.