Fall. Autumn. Harvest time. Sweater weather. This time of year brings with it some very distinct changes. Lattes turn pumpkin spice. Flannels come out of the dark recesses of people’s closets. Football begins. The days get shorter and our time spent under blankets gets longer.
While most of the changes are fun ones, that doesn’t mean they all are. New pest problems are never fun. Unfortunately, some pests find themselves particularly inclined to seek shelter inside your property during this time of year. We’ll list the pests most inclined to seek shelter during fall below and the best ways to keep them out.
Rodents
Rats and mice are warm-blooded mammals. They need warmth and access to regular food in order to survive the winter. As soon as temperatures start to turn, they’re biologically motivated to seek shelter.
The best way to protect against rodent infestation is to make sure you’re on top of perimeter maintenance. These creatures can squeeze through holes as small as a quarter. Make sure the outer perimeter of your buildings don’t have any openings they could use to get inside. Seal up any drafts, cracks, or crevices with caulk.
Bees and Wasps
Stinging insects like bees and wasps don’t actually build nests during the fall. Unfortunately, even though they’re not seeking shelter during the fall, they’re still more dangerous than usual. All the bee and wasp larvae that were too small to do anything other than grow in summer are adults by fall.
With all these new adults buzzing around, hives are overflowing, food is scarce, and entire colonies are on edge. If you notice a bee or wasp hive during the fall, do not approach it! Call a professional pest removal company immediately and stay as far away as possible. Wasps aren’t looking to sting you, but they’re more willing now than ever.
Ants
Ants operate within colonies, which means ant problems are never small or easily contained. During fall, ant colonies have only one thing on their mind: food. In order to survive the winter, ants have to stockpile as much food as possible. Come September and October, the colony kicks into overdrive to make absolutely sure they’ll have enough food to survive. In their zealous pursuit of food sources, ants may even begin to venture inside.
The best way to protect against ant colonies entering your building is to keep things as clean as possible. Wipe up spills as soon as they happen. Take out the garbage on a regular schedule. Vacuum, mop, dust, do the dishes, clean up messes, and never let food sit out. The harder you make it ants to find food near you, the less likely they are to look for it near you.
Cockroaches
Many pests hibernate or migrate during fall. Cockroaches are not one of those pests. Roaches are so hardy, that they manage to make themselves a problem all year. Just because roaches can withstand cold weather better than most pests doesn’t mean they like it, however. As soon as they feel temperatures start to fall, roaches start seeking warm, dark, and humid shelters. Unfortunately, this quest for warmth often brings them indoors.
Roaches sneak into basements, crawl spaces, and storage areas by exploiting small cracks and breaches around your building’s perimeter. They crawl through gaps in window frames, sneak through cracks in the foundation, and follow utility lines through the wall. Keeping out cockroaches means finding and sealing all of these access points as thoroughly as possible. Roaches are also attracted to garbage. Make sure you seal your garbage containers at all times and dispose of garbage bags regularly. Clean out your bins at least once a month.
Pest control is always important, but it becomes absolutely crucial in fall. The pests trying to get inside your building right now will bother you all winter if you can’t stop them now. We want to help.
If you suspect you have a pest problem this fall, give Assured Environments a call right away. We’ll make sure you don’t have to deal with any unwelcome winter guests this fall or this winter.