Unknown to many, winter is actually a major pest season. Just because you don’t have flies and mosquitos buzzing around your head, doesn’t mean your home is pest-free.
We may have just had the winter solstice (the shortest day of the year), however, the damage pests can do in winter is not over yet. What damage do pests do over winter? Why are they even in your house during winter? We will discuss why pest control is just as important in winter as it is in summer.
Pests seek warmth
When the temperature starts to drop outside, especially overnight in Sydney, the bugs and rodents get worried. They seek shelter from the harsh temperatures. Where do they go? Well your home becomes their prime winter sanctuary. Your home is warm and is full of food, just perfect for pests.
Overwintering Pests
Overwintering essentially means to survive the winter. So, overwintering pests are the pests that are seeking warmth, and/or also enter a type of hibernation period.
Overwintering pests may be spotted during winter in your home by venturing into the higher traffic living spaces. Keep an eye on the west side of your home, as the bugs are likely to sunbathe in Sydney’s warmer winter afternoons.
However, those bugs in a hibernation state are most likely to stay hidden. The bugs will emerge in the spring when the temperature warms up. At this stage, you may have an infestation on your hands. A dramatic increase in bugs in your home during spring means they were most likely hiding out during the winter.
If you notice an influx in pests, you need to call a qualified pest controller. If not treated the situation will only worsen, which further damages your home and puts your family’s health at risk.
Insects that commonly ‘overwinter’ include:
- Ladybugs
- Caterpillars
- Moths
- Flies
- Crickets
Prevent an infestation
By calling a Sydney pest control expert, your home can be inspected and any overwintering, present pests can be identified and exterminated accordingly. As they say, it is much easier to prevent a problem rather than fix a problem. The same is true with pest control.
No matter how many pests you have, Pestige Solutions can get rid of them.
However, damage to your home may have already occurred (which is obviously not desirable).
Common winter household pests
Rodents
Rodents, like humans, seek warmth and comfort in the colder Sydney months. Where we may light a fire, mice and rats find a nice cosy hiding place in your home. Rodents commonly make their nests in wall cavities, ceiling cavities, and any other warm, dry places they can find. Sometimes their nests are obvious, sometimes you never find the nest but you see them flash along the floor at night. Or worse, you begin to see the damage they are causing before you even set sight on the little devils.
Whilst rodents are famous for getting into the food in your cupboard (which is gross and a complete nuisance), they can actually cause more severe damage than that. As you may already know, rodents’ teeth continue to grow throughout their life. This means that they chew on things to keep their teeth shortened. What they chew on, then becomes your problem. Rodents aren’t picky when it comes to chewing, so will gnaw away at anything including timber, cladding, electrical wiring. Now it becomes particularly dangerous when electrical wiring is chewed through because that can cause a house fire. House fires are more common in winter than in summer, so keep that in mind.
Termites
Heads up, white ants (termites) don’t hibernate in winter. In fact, they remain just as active and like in every other month, they can do serious damage to your home. We have a past article on, 4 Reasons You Need to Clear Your Property of Termites Immediately, which will highlight for you the damage termites can cause.
German Cockroaches
German cockroaches are a big problem across Australia. They love living in kitchens because that’s where they have a constant source of food and water. Due to their sneaky nature, cockroaches often go undetected as they find many hiding places. Winter is an important time for cockroaches as it is when they breed. So, where you may have a couple cockroaches at the start of winter, by spring you may have a very big problem on your hands. Your best course of action is to call Pestige Solutions in order to control your cockroach problem before it turns into an infestation.
If you are worried that your house has become home to some pests this winter, please complete an enquiry form to receive a Pestige Solutions quote. We will be in contact within one business day, ready to discuss your individual pest problem. If reading this article has made you a little jumpy about what pests could be hiding in your house, we can perform a swift pest inspection, just give us a call on 1300 850 751.