PESTS THAT HANG AROUND FALL AND WINTER
Although we think of winter as a time when we don’t have to deal with the pesky pests, many of them remain active in the winter months and are a continual problem for many home and business owners. Keep an eye out for any of the following pests and call us to remedy the situation before they decide to become an unwelcome guest in your home!
ANTS: Ants stick around during the colder months and look for prime locations to lay eggs. They enter through very tiny cracks, crevices and holes and love your warm, tidy (or untidy) home. They aren’t picky houseguests if you let them in. They are usually looking for easily accessible food sources such as food crumbs, unsealed packages in pantry, drops of soda, dog or cat food, and other miscellaneous food sources.
MICE: The mice coming into the home during the cold months are not as fun and cute and the famous Mickey and Minnie. They are warm blooded and do not like the cold. They can get in a hole the size of a dime and if they can get in, they will and they will invite the rest of their family. They are very prolific and reproduce rapidly so it is important to call us as soon as possible once evidence of mice are found. Do not wait. They contaminate food, counters, floors, and chew wiring and insulation. They are very destructive and carry disease.
SPIDERS: Spiders are active all year long. Although most spiders are harmless, most of us do not like the idea of them coming into our homes during the colder months. Call us if you are seeing them in or around your home.
BEETLES, LADYBUGS AND OTHER FALL PESTS: These are the pests that rely on your home for warmth as it starts to get cold. We get a lot of calls for ladybugs and beetles during these fall months. These pests usually park on the sunnier side of your home where they warm themselves in the afternoon sun. They are not harmful but are definitely a nuisance. You will want to call us if you see them because they can multiply and leave stains on your home. Unfortunately, they don’t have a nest or hive to treat so sometimes they tend to take to one house and you may find yourself treating again in order to avoid having them entering the home or basking in the sun on your warm siding!
FLEAS: It seems like this would be the time of year that flea calls would stop in our business but it actually increases! Many of our callers do not even have pets! If you are experiencing fleas then it is most likely they were there all along but was not creating any issues until the colder weather. Call us…we do excellent flea treatment!
BEDBUGS: Bedbugs, similar to mice, are very prolific and reproduce rapidly as well. They are known as the hitch hikers because they do not crawl in from the outside…they hitch a ride from anyone entering your home. Bedbugs are not discriminatory bugs and will hitch a ride with anyone from any lifestyle whether they are rich or poor, overweight or underweight, dirty or clean, and any racial background. They don’t even care about our political orientation like everyone else does!! They hitch a ride and then silently find a place to wait for their dinner and that dinner is you! They are around all year long, fall and winter is no exception.
ROACHES: Although cockroaches are more of a warm weathered pest, they are likely to enter the home for warmth during the cooler seasons. Cockroaches are often like to hang around in cardboard. If you are a person that receives several packages through mail rather than buying locally, you might want to use caution when and where you open your packages. If you see ONE cockroach it is important to do a preventative before the problem gets out of hand.
As initially stated, keep an eye out for any of these pesky critters and call us immediately if you happen to see them around your home. All of these pests will be out of hand before you can blink and then they are much more difficult to get under control. Remember State Termite and Pest Solutions for your exterminating and pest control needs. We were voted Best of the Best in Stark County for a reason…our staff and our service is top notch!
Stay warm and bug free this season!