This winter as temperatures drop, you’ll be staying home more than ever. After all, it’s warm and cozy at home and why would you want to leave? The problem is, your home will be the perfect place for pests to come and get warm and cozy, too. What pests may try and get into your house this winter, and how do you prevent them? Here’s everything you need to know.
- Rats
Rats are a very common house pest in North Carolina and one that you’ll probably come across this winter. As temperatures fall, they will be looking for somewhere that offers a regular source of food and water, as well as shelter. You’ll know if you have rats if you start finding greasy marks along the baseboards in your home. Rats like to stick to the walls, and they’ll leave those marks behind. You may also find chew marks in furniture or in walls where they’re coming in. They’re well known for spreading illnesses that can affect humans, so ensure you’re keeping an eye out for them.
- Bed Bugs
You probably already know about bed bugs and are worried about them. After all, you’ve heard all the stories about how hard they are to get rid of. These small bugs hide in cracks and crevices during the day and come out at night to suck on the blood of their mammalian hosts. They prefer to feed on humans, so you may find you get raised, itchy welts in the morning. These often come into the home on used furniture, especially soft furnishings like sofas, mattresses, and box springs. This is why you should be especially careful when buying such furnishings second hand.
- Raccoons
Raccoons are another very common pest in the Asheville area. While they look very cute and cuddly, they’re actually a risk to you and your home. Much like rats, they’ll start making their way in if they’re able to access a food source in your home. They also like to hang out in your attic, as it offers excellent shelter from the cold winter weather. If you were to come across one in your home, they may well attack unprovoked. As they are known to carry rabies, that’s something you don’t want to happen, so it’s important to get rid of raccoons the second you notice their presence.
How to Prevent Pests in Your Home
As the days grow colder and it becomes harder to find food, your home will be an excellent place for pests to come into your home and start making themselves comfortable. If you don’t want to deal with them, you can always find a pro for help or spend some time preventing them from getting in. Luckily, it’s not too difficult to put them off. Here are some ways you can prevent pests from getting into your home.
Keep your home clean: Firstly, you’ll need to keep your home as clean as possible in order to prevent pests. You want to remove as many sources of food as possible, so pests won’t have a reason to keep coming in. This is especially important in the kitchen, as errant crumbs are more than enough for most pests.
Seal up any cracks: Your home’s exterior may have cracks and holes that don’t look that big but are large enough to allow many pests inside. Take a look around your home, looking especially at the exterior of your attic and basement. Caulk any cracks you find to seal them up. Use steel mesh in larger holes before you seal them, to ensure that nothing can chew its way through.
Pay attention to your yard: You’ll need to keep your yard in good condition, in order to avoid pests making their way indoors. If you use firewood, keep it stacked outdoors as it’s a great place for pests to hide and get inside. Maintain your yard to make it less appealing to them, too. Clean up piles of leaves quickly, and trim tree branches so pests can’t climb up them and into your home.
This winter there are plenty of pests that may want to get into your home and find shelter. For your safety, you need to keep them out by taking some preventative measures. If you keep the house and your yard clean, you shouldn’t have to worry about them getting in.
clean, you shouldn’t have to worry about them getting in.