Winter Pest Control
“Do I really need to worry about pest control in the winter?” We get asked this question a lot by customers. Notably, Iowa Winters are pretty barren when it comes to pests; not much of anything grows outdoors, as you know!
That gives people the sense that winter is a bug-free season. While it’s true that many pests slow down or completely disappear in the frigid months of winter, it’s also the perfect time for us to have an opportunity to get your home protected from the coming spring, summer, and fall pests from the inside out. Beyond that, there are also a few bugs you should still be worrying about.
Winter is the Calm Before the Storm
We’ve all experienced it; that first sunny, warm day in early spring. It seems that everyone has the same wake-up call at once, even the bugs. The truth is, it doesn’t take any time at all for your favorite pests to wipe the sleep out of their eyes and get back to business once the days get warm again.
Pest Inspection
Winter is the perfect time to take proactive pest control measures. We typically use this season to inspect the interior of your home for signs of infestation. While many bugs are dormant, we can safely eliminate the reason why your home is a favorite gathering spot and seal your house up so they can’t re-enter.
Two Pests that Love Winter: Mice and Carpenter Ants
Two particular pests don’t care what the season is. On the contrary; winter will commonly bring them into your home where they might stay forever once they realize how lush they have it.
When temperatures cool, mice will leave their respective grass and hay fields and find their way into the comfort of your home. From there, they
feast on the perishables in your pantry while you sleep, accidentally chew on a wire or two, and make your attic into their master bedroom. When things are this comfortable they can’t help but multiply. Come spring, you find 20 generations living in your home, with Grandpa mouse telling old stories about last November.
We get frequent mouse calls in the winter. That’s when we go into the attic, lay out traps, and seal your home to ensure no more mice can find their way in.
Another pest that will grind away (literally) through the winter is the carpenter ant. They love old, wooden homes. While this type of ant doesn’t eat wood like a termite, it chews it up all the same for its nesting purposes. All in all, a bad carpenter nest can have just as much impact as a termite colony on your foundation. Winter can bring them indoors and, if what they find is good, they might stay. We use a special bait for carpenter ants that will kill their colony, and we’ll also help you route out and inspect ant existing structural damage while we’re looking. Like always, we’ll then seal up your home to keep out any other intruders.
Pests Don’t Stop, So We Don’t Stop
We hate to tell you, but the kinds of pests that bother you in your home are typically not deterred by winter. Even then, every other pest you find in the spring and summer months is simply lying in wait. Use winter to protect yourself from that onslaught, and we’ll also help you with infestations that last all year.
