What Are The 5 Most Common Winter Pests?

common-house-spiders.jpgAnts, bed bugs, birds, cockroaches, flies, rodents, spiders, termites….is your skin crawling yet? But rest assured, in the winter, some of those pests magically disappear into the great wilderness of not-in-my-house. However, it is important to note the word some here, mostly because it is not the word all. That’s right, they aren’t all gone. This means right now, buzzers and crawlers could be moving through the fabrics in your carpet or in your kids’ bedsheets. You should be able to experience the peace and comfort of knowing that you are safe. Knowledge is power and you should certainly keep your home safe. So here are the 5 Most Common Winter Pests and how you can identify them.

  1. Firewood pests usually enter through wood used in certain stoves and fireplaces. Wood which hasn’t been left in the summer to kill insects is prone to harbor insects. Wood which has been stored near a building, or on the ground can harbor rodents which can ride their way into your kitchen. If you brought any sticks or chop wood into or within fifty feet of your home in the last six months, did you look over every piece to visually inspect for insects and rodents? There’s something to think about. The best tool to fight these pests is with professional treatment.

  2. Overwintering insects are basically bugs that are hibernating. In Tennessee, they are adjusted to a long period of cold, brittle temperatures. When these particular insects take up residence in your home, they will come out of hibernation and emerge into the warmth of your winter home, thinking they have arrived at spring. So go ahead, turn it up to seventy-two.

  3. The house mouse might be two to two and a half inches long and carries a hairless tail twice as long as its body. If you see a light brown or gray ball of fur streak by you on the floor, it’s time to call the exterminator. They will eat through any food container, leave droppings all over the house or carry anyy of 35 diseases.

  4. Rats are not mice. They are usually brown with a gray underbelly. Your rat can grow up to 16 inches long from head to tail. Because of their size, they can cause real damage when they burrow in your backyard or climb up into the attic space and begin chewing on wires.

  5. The dreaded bed bug is not just a fair-thee-well when putting the kids to bed. Bed bugs have exploded back into American mattresses in the last few years. They were practically non-existent before World War II, but the swell lately is certainly worth watching. You can put on a mattress cover, but if you don’t have one now, read on. Bed bugs are very small (about 5 millimeters) and brown. They look a lot like ticks. Bed bugs feed on human blood and can live a year without a host. The good news is that they do not transmit diseases to humans, but they will crawl all over your skin and keep you awake. Every. Single. Night.

How to get rid of rats

Image courtesy of Wikipedia

Keeping yourself safe is not a difficult thing to do in the home. When you have a good pest control professional like Absolute Pest Control, you can rest assured that these pests as well as dozens of others will be cared for without you having to worry. Our Platinum Plan offers safety, security and affordability. See the plan here.

Take a moment today and look through your house for these 5 Most Common Winter Pests. Check the headboards, around the trashcans and take a peek at the baseboards. Make sure you are safe and enjoy the peace of a protected home. If you find a problem, call our professional technicians at 615-220-1933.