Winter Pest Proofing Tips

When it comes to pests, Summertime is definitely the prime season. Bees and Wasps are out in vast numbers, ants and many other insets are extremely active, and you’re more likely to spot mice and rats roaming around than at other time of the year.

When the temperature drops and the nights start to lengthen all of these pests don’t just vanish. In fact, as many people will have experienced, they can become more of a nuisance in winter than they are in summer.

When the weather starts to get worse lots of pests will look for warmth and shelter and our homes can present the perfect winter hideout for them.
In this post, we highlight some of the common pests that are most likely to cause you problems over the winter months. We’ll also provide hints and tips from our experts on winter pest proofing measures you can take to stop them.

Rats and Mice

Rats and mice will both seek out warm, dry spaces during winter. Our homes and businesses, with their central heating and plentiful food sources, provide the perfect environment.

Their preferred locations are areas where they are less likely to be disturbed, so garages, sheds, outbuildings and lofts, are all popular choices.

Both rats and mice can be very destructive and have been known to knaw through wires and cause structural damage.

Winter Pest Proofing Against Rats and Mice

The first, and easiest, way you make your home less attractive for mice and rats is to remove any potential food sources. If you keep cereals or biscuits in their packets, then consider switching to reusable plastic or metal containers. Ensure all spilt food, crumbs and food waste is disposed of quickly and that there is no easy access to your rubbish.

If you own a pet, try not to leave food down for prolonged periods. Once your fluffy friend has finished eating pick up their bowl and clean up any mess they’ve left behind.

The second tip to deter rats and mice is to seal up any entry points around your home. We’re not talking about boarding over the front door, but much smaller holes in brickwork or gaps around windows. There are plenty of ready-mixed fillers on the market for such tasks. Simply work around you home blocking up any hole, even very small ones.

Squirrels

It’s a pleasure to see Squirrels in their natural environment, but it’s much less appealing if they enter your home. They will most likely enter a property in the roof space, and if left untreated, they can cause huge amounts of damage with their gnawing.

If you do enter your loft and you know Squirrels have been or are in there be very careful. They will happily knaw through electrical wires and wooden beams and can cause significant structural damage. They have also been known to be aggressive so don’t pop your head through the loft hatch unless you know what you’re doing!

Winter Pest Proofing Against Squirrels

Squirrels are expert problem solvers and are very good at finding any weakness in a property to gain entry. All holes need to be blocked, and any loose mortar or tiles should be repaired.

If Squirrels do gain entry to your property, then the best advice is to call in the professionals. Once a squirrel has set up home, they can be hard to get rid of. A professional pest controller will have the right equipment to deal with the infestation effectively.

Cluster Flies

Cluster flies are a member of the blowfly family. They are dark or olive in colour and measure between 6mm to 8mm in length.

Cluster flies pose no risk to humans as they do not lay eggs on human food, but that doesn’t stop them being a pest you want to avoid.

Also known as Attic Flies, they look for dry, sheltered spaces to spend the winter. When they find a spot they like they gather in huge numbers. One cluster can contain several thousand flies. In early to mid-spring they will leave the safety of the cluster to lay their eggs. However, they leave behind pheromones, which can attract flies back to the same spot year after year.

Winter Pest Proofing Against Cluster Flies

Due to the size of cluster flies, they can squeeze through very small holes. This makes preventing entry almost impossible. Many modern homes are built with ventilation to aid air circulation. It’s often through these gaps that the flies gain entry.

Cluster flies require specialist treatments that can only be administered by pest control experts. A standard, off-the-shelf fly killer will be far from adequate to deal with such a large infestation.

Summary

Winter pest proofing your home is relatively simple and will help protect your property from the majority of pests that want to move in over the winter months. Unfortunately, it’s impossible to fully pest proof your property.

If you have a pest issue and need expert help resolving it, Confirm A Kill is here to help. Our pest controllers have years of experience, and all the work we do is backed by a full guarantee.