It’s official, fall is here. No, really. You may not be able to tell by the thermostat, but summer is over, and you know what that means? Winter is coming.
How Pests Survive the Winter
While we do recommend that you pest-proof your home in the fall, it’s true that many insects die off in the winter. However, there are some pests that survive year round. If they are not year-round pests, to continue the species, they leave behind their eggs to hatch in the spring. (Unfortunately, the past few winters have been unseasonably warm; this means that some pests that shouldn’t live through an Ohio winter end up doing so.)
Many other adult insects, however, survive the harsh temperatures of winter. There are three main strategies that these pests take to make it until spring: migration, diapause, and overwintering.
Migration
This winter survival tactic involves simply escaping the cold temperatures. Some insects, like birds, fly south for the winter and return to the Northern Hemisphere in the spring.
Insects that migrate include monarch butterflies and dragonflies.
Diapause
This strategy functions much like hibernation does for warm-blooded animals: the insects enter a dormant state and “”awaken” in the spring. However, the way that diapause works is far weirder: the insect stops developing and becomes partially frozen and dehydrated. (The insect is able to prevent itself from being completely frozen because its blood is filled with glycerol, a natural sort of antifreeze.) When spring comes, the insect thaws, re-hydrates, and crawls out of its hiding place.
Some species of mosquitoes, the woolly bear caterpillar, and the emerald ash borer are just a few of the insects that enter diapause in the winter.
Overwintering
This winter survival strategy involves finding a warm place to spend the winter. Pests will enter buildings and burrow under leaves, mulch, and soil to keep warm.
Ants and termites, for example, wait out the winter underground in their colonies. Other pests—like rodents, spiders, ladybugs, stink bugs, moths, and cockroaches—may decide to set up camp in your warm, inviting home.
Unfortunately, winter could also mean pests are coming (into your home). Believe it or not, winter is prime time for a slew of pests and creepy crawlies to invite themselves into your house. These uninvited guests are coming into your home in an effort to find food and shelter during the lean and cold winter months. Let’s take a look at the common pests you may encounter this winter….
Cockroaches
Our homes provide an ideal environment for roaches year-round, so it isn’t just the winter that you need to worry about them. Food such as dirty dishes, overflowing trash, and crumbs on counters, as well as moisture from wet towels left on the floor, is what attracts them to our homes in the first place.
Cockroaches can enter your home in a variety of ways. They can come in through cracks, pipes, and vents. However, they can also hitchhike their way in on boxes, shoes, bags, and second-hand items such as used appliances.
Roaches are nocturnal so you probably will not see a live cockroach until you have a pretty serious infestation; however, there are other signs such as:
- Droppings
- Dead roaches
- Egg casings
- A musty smell in your kitchen or bathroom
To prevent cockroaches this winter:
- Wipe your counters after every meal.
- Take out the trash on a regular basis.
- Keep food securely stored.
- Seal up cracks and crevices.
- Vacuum and sweep frequently.
If you believe you have a cockroach problem, it should be dealt with ASAP as they can contaminate food and spread diseases. For more information on roaches read:
- How cockroaches spread disease and what you can do about it.
- What brings cockroaches into your home?
Spiders
As the weather begins to cool, you may start seeing these eight-legged creepy crawlies in your home. They come in to find a warm place to wait out the winter. Fortunately, most of the spiders in the Ohio and Kentucky area are harmless… not that that makes them any less frightening! However, one poisonous spider you may encounter is the brown recluse.
Spiders can enter your home in a variety of ways, including through cracks and crevices, in potted plants you’ve brought in for the winter, and in firewood.
Spiders, including the brown recluse, typically like to avoid humans and will make their home in low-traffic areas such as attics and basements. You’ll find them hiding out in cardboard boxes, along window sills, up in the rafters, and in infrequently used items.
Tip: This means when you go to get out the Christmas decorations, there’s a pretty good chance you’ll encounter a spider or two. Be prepared!
To prevent spiders this winter:
- Vacuum, sweep, and dust frequently.
- Keep trees, bushes, and other plants cut back from your home.
- Seal up cracks and crevices.
- Store items in plastic bins.
- Inspect items you are bringing into your home, especially potted plants.
Here are some other tips for bringing your plants indoors.
Termites
Many homeowners believe that termites are only a problem during warmer months. While it is true that they are more active from March through November, they are a problem year-round. And boy, are they a problem! Each year, subterranean termites cause approximately $5 billion in property damage.
Termites come into your home to feed. Unfortunately, they are pretty sneaky and can go undetected for long periods of time, especially subterranean termites. This type of termite lives underground and builds its colony in the soil around your home before tunneling in.
Signs of a termite infestation include:
- Discarded wings
- Damaged wood
- Mud tubes (small tunnels constructed from mud)
- Hollow sounding wood
To prevent termites this winter:
- Keep wood (such as firewood) stacked away from your home.
- Keep soil away from your home’s siding.
- Remove debris such as old boxes and scrap lumber from your home.
You should also consider having your property inspected on a regular basis by a trained professional (like those at Scherzinger). These proactive inspections can help you catch the signs of a termite infestation early on.
For more information on termites read:
Stink Bugs
As the temperature drops, you may see strange-looking creatures gathering on the exterior of your home. These are (probably) stinkbugs, and they’re looking for a place to overwinter. If they can, they’ll be glad to come on inside where the “weather” is even warmer!
Luckily, stinkbugs are not at all dangerous to humans or pets. However, that doesn’t mean they’re welcome in the house! They can be a startling discovery, and if you should be unfortunate enough to crush one, they can emit a pretty foul odor.
Stinkbugs can get into your home through:
- Holes in screens
- Cracks and crevices (such as around doors and windows)
- Vents
You can prevent stinkbugs this winter by:
- Replacing or repairing screens.
- Closing up cracks and crevices using caulk, weatherstripping, etc.
- Not decorating with pumpkins this fall – stinkbugs love to snack on pumpkin juice, so having pumpkins around your home is almost sure to attract them.
- Installing insect screens on vents.
Learn more about stinkbugs by reading Get Ready for a Stinkbug Invasion.
Mice and Rats
While the first frost of the year can effect pests differently, both mice and rats may enter your home during the winter months in a search for shelter, warmth, and of course, food. While the idea of this pest may not be as shudder worthy as say cockroaches, they do pose many threats to both you and your home. For example they can:
- Bring other pests with them. For example, mice can bring in fleas, ticks, and lice.
- Spread diseases including salmonella.
- Contaminate food.
- Cause property damage by chewing through wires, burrowing in your home, etc.
Signs of mice and rats include:
- Droppings
- Gnawed objects
- Nests made of torn paper and other refuse – this is probably a mouse
- Tunnels – this is probably a rat
- Torn open food containers
In addition, if you have mice in your home, you may actually see them. They tend to be curious and bolder than rats.If you’re trying to determine if you have a rat or a mouse in your house, check out I Smell a Rat…Or Is That a Mouse? Mice Vs. Rats—Telling Them Apart.
Keep your home rat and mouse free this winter by:
- Sealing up cracks and crevices that would allow them to get into the house.
- Keeping clutter (ex. boxes) off of the floor in your basement, garage, and attic.
- Keeping food put away in tightly sealed containers.
- Keeping your home tidy (ex. wiping down counters after each meal).
Here are some more tips on rodent proofing your garage.
Since both rats and mice reproduce quickly and cause damage to your health and home, if you think you have an infestation, contact a professional, like Scherzinger Pest Control, immediately.
Firewood Bugs
Pests like stinkbugs, termites, and Boxelder bugs can take up residence in wood and be carried into your home. Most of these bugs are harmless; however, not all of them. Termites for example can cause structural damage to your house.
You can prevent “firewood bugs” by:
- Storing firewood off the ground (such as on a raised platform on a plastic tarp).
- Storing firewood away from your home.
- Storing firewood under a plastic sheet.
- Inspecting wood carefully before bringing it into your home.
You can prevent termites specifically by following the steps above as well as by:
- Cleaning out your gutters and directing moisture away from the home.
- Keeping mulch and soil away from the siding.
- Cleaning out the crawl space – especially wood, boxes, and other paper products.
While prevention is preferred, what if you already have termites? Here are some tips on spotting this pest in your home: Would You Recognize Termite Activity in Your Home?
Tip: In addition to bringing in bugs with the firewood, you may be bringing in bugs with your plants. When it comes time to bring your plants in for the season, check out this article to know what you may be bringing in with them: Bring Plants In, Leave Pests Out.
Bed Bugs
The winter does not mean you’re safe from bed bugs. These pests are great hitchhikers and may enter your home via clothing, luggage, etc. When traveling during the winter, you may pick up bed bugs from a hotel or even an airplane and bring them back to your own home. Bed bugs are great at hiding and once they get in to your home they’re difficult to get out. To get a sense of where they may take up residence, refer to this article, Hide and Seek: 5 Unexpected Places Bed Bugs May Be Hiding.
While bed bugs are not known to transmit diseases to humans, they can cause skin issues and stress and cost families lots of money.
You can prevent “catching” bed bugs in hotels by:
- Checking hotel mattresses for signs of bed bugs before settling in.
- Avoiding unpacking your clothes at the hotel.
- Storing luggage away from the bed and off of the floor.
Here are some additional tips for avoiding bed bugs while traveling: Prevent Bed Bugs From Traveling Home With you.
Asian Lady Beetles
This pest was originally imported to the U.S. in order to help control crop pests like aphids. Unfortunately, Asian Lady Beels soon became a nuisance for many home owners.
These insects aren’t a fan of cold weather, so they seek out warm homes to spend the winter in. They first land on the exterior of buildings and then set about finding a way inside such as through vents.
Typically, Asian Lady Beetles hibernate through the winter, and they only become a nuisance in the spring when they wake up and begin looking for a way outside. However, if there are warm winter days or it is especially warm in the house, they may wake up early and make their way into the living space.
Asian Lady Beetles are not as detrimental to humans as some other winter pests like bed bugs and cockroaches but they can still cause problems. For example, the dust produced from dead Asian Lady Beetles can cause allergies. In addition, these insects can bite although their bite does not cause serious injury.
To prevent Asian Lady Betters gaining access to your home, inspect your house for any potential entrances. Seal up cracks and crevices, keeping in mind that even the smallest entrance will be like rolling out a welcome mat for these pests. Insulating your home may also help as these pests are attracted to warmth.
Where Do All the Bees Go?
We’d bet you’ve never seen bees buzzing around during the winter. So where do they go?
Well, it depends on the bee!
Bumblebees
Except for the new queen, the entire bumblebee colony dies off come winter. The queens “overwinter” (similar to hibernation) by digging themselves into small holes in the dirt. They might also overwinter in empty bird’s nests, compost piles, or hollow logs. This helps to keep them warm. When spring arrives, they start the difficult task of building a new colony from scratch!
Mason Bees
Like bumblebees, mason bees die off in the winter. However, by the start of winter, mason bees have already mated and set up the next generation of bees to emerge in spring. A solitary bee each mason bee sets up its nest in an available hole or tunnel (like in a woodpecker hole, insect tunnel, or hollow stem). The egg in the nest grows into an adult mason bee, which overwinters in the nest and emerges in the spring.
Honey Bees
In the winter, the male drones in honey bee colonies die off, leaving only the female workers and the queen. The surviving bees retreat to their hive, where they huddle together to keep warm (with the queen at the center) and live off the nectar they gathered during the fall. The worker bees vibrate their bodies to keep the group warm—at the center where it’s warmest, it can reach temperatures of 100 degrees Fahrenheit!
Given what you now know about where bees go in winter, it should come as no surprise that bees aren’t generally a big concern this season.
Bees—whether they are bumblebees, mason bees, or honey bees—aren’t very active in the cold months. You don’t need to worry that swarms of bees could enter your home in search of food or warmth this winter.
However, that doesn’t mean you’ll never find a bee in your home in winter. If, for example, a honey bee colony set up a hive in your attic in the summer or fall, they’ll still be there in the winter. That’s why it’s important to take action before the summer (when bees set out to find a place for their hive) to make your home unattractive and impenetrable to bees.
Need Help with a Pest Problem?
Once the holidays are over, refer to this article to ensure you store decorations using “best practices” to prevent pest infestations Storing Holiday Decorations the Right Way to Prevent Pests.
Follow the tips in this article to help prevent unwelcome winter guests. Prevention is easier than removal, so taking these steps now may save you time and money later.
If you do have a pest problem, contact a professional immediately so that the problem can be resolved efficiently and effectively, and you can get back to enjoying your holidays!
Need help with any of these winter pests? Contact Scherzinger Pest Control, a trusted pest control company in the Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky areas, including Dayton, OH, and now Columbus, OH. We’ve been pioneers, engineering new standards for ways of eliminating and controlling bugs and pests. Contact us by phone at 1-877-748-9888 or through our website, Facebook, or Twitter.
