WINTER PEST PREVENTION TIPS TO KEEP 2019 PEST FREE

It’s that time of year again where people are rushing about in preparation for the holiday season. However, gathering food items, family members, and decorations is not the only thing that should be on your mind as we conclude this year and move on to the next. Some of the problems that come with the cold weather include several fall and winter pests, which enter homes during this part of the season in several different ways. To get inside, bed bugs hitchhike on clothing and bags, spiders follow their insect food source through cracks and crevices, and rodents such as mice and rats find ways through gaps in your foundation and small holes in your roofing.

How to Prevent Winter Pests in Your Home

There are many reasons why winter pests invade homes, but one of the preventative steps people don’t think about is simply keeping the interior and exterior of your home free of clutter. Winter clean-up shouldn’t wait for the weather to change and the season of spring cleaning to arrive. Instead, cleaning all areas of your home just might do the trick to keep bed bugs, spiders, rats, mice, and other pests away from your home—or at least reduce the number of pests that invade.

Other ways to keep fall and winter pests out of your home include:

• Repairing broken window screens.
• Sealing gaps and cracks in your foundation or exterior walls.
• Bringing pet food inside rather than letting it sit outside overnight.
• Installing door sweeps.
• Replacing loose shingles or roofing.
• Covering chimneys when they are not in use.
• Making sure ventilation entrances are properly sealed.
• Trimming trees and bushes away from your home and mowing the lawn frequently.
• Placing all food items into plastic containers or in the refrigerator.
• Keeping trash bins covered.
• Checking clothing and bags before going inside.
• Vacuuming regularly.

Winter Pests That Pose Threats to Your Health and Safety

Rodents such as mice and rats are capable of chewing through furniture and wiring, as well as tearing up insulation to create nests. These rodents are often carriers of diseases and other parasitic pests, which can contaminate your food and countertops.

Spiders, while most aren’t particularly dangerous, can be a threat to you if they are poisonous spiders such as the black widow or brown recluse spider.

Bed bugs multiply quickly and are capable of staying out of sight behind wallpaper, in clothing, or in blankets and sheets. These tiny insects feed on the blood of humans, making them highly irritating. While bed bugs are not dangerous, some people may have minor allergic reactions to their bites. Bed bugs are considered more of a nuisance pest.

No matter what pest you’re dealing with as we head into 2019, Viking Pest Control has the solution you need. The professionals here at Viking are trained in all aspects of pest management, from inspections to implementing home pest control treatments.

Whether your home is dealing with a few mice here and there, or a full on bed bug infestation, your home is protected when your local New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, and Eastern Shore of Maryland pest management experts from Viking Pest Control are on your side. Get professional treatment for bed bugs, spiders, rodents, and other pests from Viking Pest Control by contacting us for help!