Know the pests that enjoy your home

Do You Have Pests in Your Home?

Many pests lay eggs in safe places before dying when the weather cools, or they hibernate under tree bark and rocks like wasps and roaches. But here we’ll look at the five most common offenders that do in fact seek warmth like we do—inside our homes.

Here are the most common offenders and what to watch for:

Wildlife

Do you hear gnawing and scratching in the walls at night? Mice are nocturnal and will leave droppings around. They will chew through wires, spread disease and damage your property. Squirrels, raccoons and mice do not hibernate outside during the winter. Instead they seek shelter and can damage your home by tearing through insulation, leaving their business behind, and birthing their young.

Stink Bugs

Stink bugs emit a foul odor, not unlike a dead mouse, and become a nuisance to homeowners. Although they are more of a problem for farmers in that they attack crops and plants, they do get inside of homes and multiply.

Cluster Flies

Flies, while annoying, seem harmless. Wrong. As their name implies, Cluster flies gather in groups inside your walls, forcing their way in during this time of year because of the cooler temperatures. Then they hibernate and come out in full force come spring.

Ants

Watch out for those carpenter ants that love to nest in wood, especially windows and doors. These insects do enjoy warm homes, but will destroy yours. Little black ants tend to nest in cracks around your foundation and in your walls. If you see them out during a warm winter day, you have a nest in your home.

What to do?

The best defense is offense. Stay on top of pesky insects and critters this fall. Look out for entry points to your home and keep up with a regular pest control schedule. Having a service in place will ensure that nothing is multiplying inside your walls, ready to take over in force come spring.