Winter months can cause doors and windows to remain shut for longer periods of time. Homes turn into sealed sanctuaries intended to keep the heat in and cold out. Unfortunately, this also creates a cozy shelter for pests.
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Winter pests can be sneaky. There aren’t many signs of pest activity during winter like there are during the summer months. By the time you notice an issue, it’s likely become bigger. Small signs such as scratching noises, smelling something foul or discovering droppings in your holiday decorations can indicate a problem is growing behind the scenes.
Most pests that make it into your home during winter aren’t just trying to ride out the season. They’re already preparing to stay, here’s what you need to know.
Why Winter Is Prime Time for Indoor Pest Problems
Don't be fooled into thinking that pests settle down for winter. Melbourne Pest Control Experts know that when the weather cools down, many creepy crawlies are just looking for a warm place to call home.
Searching for shelter from the cold, insects and rodents will make their way into your home through tiny cracks and crevices, finding refuge in roof voids, wall cavities and other secluded areas. Out of sight, pests can multiply quickly without you even knowing you have a problem.
Here are seven pests you can expect to find during winter:
1. Rodents
Cold weather means mice and rats are looking for a warm, dry place to nest with ready access to food. And that place could be your home. They can slip through tiny openings around doors, vents, pipes and roofs, turning one unsealed entry point into many nests in just a few days or weeks.
Look out for scratching noises behind walls or ceilings, droppings in your pantry or garage, gnawed food packaging, and nesting material like shredded paper or insulation. Rodents are mostly nocturnal creatures, so you may not realise you have a rodent problem until it's well and truly underway.
Rodents can cause damage to your property by chewing through wiring, insulation and timber. They can also contaminate your food supply and cause health problems by spreading disease with their droppings and urine. Large-scale rodent problems do happen in Australia (just ask anyone living in the rural areas of our state dealing with the risk of a mouse plague ) but even a few mice can turn into a much larger issue if you don't take action soon.
2. Cockroaches
Although cockroaches are a summer pest most people think about, many species can remain active throughout winter by finding shelter indoors. Your warm and humid home becomes the ideal environment for them to survive the cold temperatures outside and continue to breed.
They hide during the day in dark, secluded spots behind fridges and cooktops, in cupboards, under sinks and in bathrooms, laundries anywhere there’s moisture. Leftover water from small leaks or damp areas provides the perfect home for them to thrive.
While you’re likely thinking of the common cockroach species found in Australian homes, don’t forget that exotic cockroaches can also become a pest problem if they are accidentally brought in with products from overseas or inadvertently transported from one property to another. All cockroaches can cause issues by contaminating food, spreading bacteria and causing allergies.
3. Spiders
We tend to notice spiders more during winter but this doesn’t mean they have suddenly increased in number. Most spiders seek refuge indoors when the weather gets cooler. Indoors they can find warmth, shelter and hopefully plenty to eat like small insects.
Look around your roof void, garage, shed, storage boxes, wardrobe, window frames and behind furniture. Spiders are usually found in undisturbed locations where they can quietly go about their business. Outside, spiders may even spin webs around doorways, eaves and windows where insects will inadvertently fly into them, waiting for supper.
While most spiders you encounter in Australian homes won't cause any real harm, they can still be quite a shock and an unpleasant surprise for the typical resident. Frequent cleaning, coupled with less clutter and blocking cracks and crevices will help prevent spiders from easily hiding indoors.
4. Silverfish
Winter is the perfect time for silverfish to invade your home. Our houses are shut up tight to keep the cold air out which often results in increased moisture buildup in dark spaces silverfish love to inhabit.
They are small wingless insects that love damp areas. They can be commonly found in bathrooms, laundries, kitchens, roof spaces and cupboards where boxes of books, cardboard boxes or clothes have been stored for some time. Silverfish may also live behind skirting boards or in cavities within walls.
Silverfish do not cause any direct harm to our health but they can certainly cause some damage to things we cherish. Silverfish eat things that contain starches and sugars so books, wallpaper, important documents, photos and clothing made from natural fibres are all on the menu for these little critters. The damage they cause will be greater the longer you leave them.
5. Ants
Some ants may appear to die off in winter, but many survive by nesting near their food source closer to water and warmth. Houses provide heated access to food year-round and ants will continue to venture outside when given the opportunity. Cold weather doesn't spell doom for ants trying to enter your house either.
They usually get inside through small cracks around windows, doors or foundations when searching for sweet foods, grease and moisture. After discovering the goods they will leave scent trails so other ants can follow them inside, resulting in just a few ants becoming a constant flow. Cleaning up trails, storing food correctly and stopping leakages will deter ants but more severe cases require some spot-treatment. This is particularly important for invasive ants as they can build up larger nests and become difficult to manage.
6. Possums
Roof spaces provide possums with the warm dry and sheltered environment they desire during cooler months. Once inside your roof, they can stay undetected for weeks, using your roof space as a predator-free, weather-protected nesting area.
Possums making their home in your roof is easy to identify by the thumping, scratching and scurrying sounds you hear coming from your ceilings at night. Other signs include droppings, bad smells and damaged roof tiles, insulation or electrical wiring.
As they’re native Australian wildlife, possums cannot be harmed or trapped. If you do have unwanted visitors in your roof, professional pest removal will safely relocate the animal and deter it from coming back through the same entry points.
7. Termites
Winter can slow termite activity but doesn’t stop it. Termites continue feeding year-round because temperatures underground or within timber structures don’t change much. So while your termite activity may slow down during winter, it certainly won’t halt.
Termites are different from other pests because they operate secretly. Termites can consume structural timber from the inside out and leave a thin shell of timber intact which can go unnoticed by homeowners. Signs of termites, such as mud tubes, bubbling paint or timber that sags or sounds hollow, are often only discovered once the damage has been done.
Routine termite inspections are one of the most effective ways to uncover termite activity before serious structural damage takes place. If there are no visible signs, regular inspections can uncover early termite infestations and pinpoint areas around your property that may attract termites in the future.
How to Make Your Home Less Inviting This Winter
You can't prevent pests from searching for a warm place to live during winter. But you can discourage them from making your home their new hangout. There are plenty of easy preventative measures you can take to help avoid having uninvited guests move into your house this winter.
Firstly, inspect the outside of your house for gaps around doors, windows, vents, rooflines and places where pipes enter the home. These are all very common access points for rodents, insects and other pests. Inside, ensure all food is stored in sealed containers. Clean up crumbs and spills as soon as possible, and avoid leaving pet food or bowls of water out overnight. A small leak under the sink can also attract certain pests due to the small amount of moisture it provides.
Also consider spending some time clearing out common pest hiding spots. Garages, sheds, roof spaces and storage cupboards that are full of cardboard boxes or items you no longer use. Create a clean space and have regular pest inspections to help eliminate any issues before they become costly.
Don't Let Winter Pests Settle In
When pests invade your home, they often like to hide. You might not always see evidence of pests, but they could be hiding in your walls, ceilings and crawling around throughout the less-trafficked areas of your home. Many types of pests will also enter homes during the winter months to enjoy the warmth and shelter your home provides.
If you catch these problems early, pest problems are much easier to treat. But if you wait until you see the damage they’re causing, hear movement in your attic or begin spotting them around your house regularly, you could be well into the nightmare that is a full-blown infestation.
Don’t wait for the damage to be done, protect your home this winter.