When another summer barbeque in the yard’s been ruined by pests, you would be forgiven for vindictively thinking about how the colder temperatures are sure to kill them off. You might imagine blankets of snow, icicles hanging from your building and panicked pests, unable to survive in extremely cold conditions. However, like many people, you may have misplaced that wintry outlook.

In today’s article, we’re going to look at whether or not the cold and snow affect pest populations. We’ll look at how cold it has to get for pests to start disappearing. We’ll also look at how pests prepare for winter in order to give themselves the best possible chance of surviving. If they do it well, then you might require the services of pest control experts – even in the dead of winter.

The Cold Doesn’t Remove Pest Problems

We’ll cut to the chase with this one: until it gets super-cold, the winter temperatures and snow won’t affect pests anywhere near as much as you think. Contrary to popular belief rodents, insects and other common pests will have already prepared for the frosty season ahead.

In fact, relying on the cold weather is a particularly ineffective way to get rid of your pest problems because it won’t kill off any bugs until thing get extreme. One thing to remember is that as soon as the temperatures begin to plummet in fall, pests will be looking for ways to get inside your home. If they haven’t already made their way inside your home by the time the snow falls, then they died long ago.

The snow also isn’t as much of a killer as you might think. Rats and mice, for example, have been known to make tunnels under layers of snow which lead all the way to enter into your home. The pests that do hibernate are doing so in sheltered, hidden and warmer locations. Unless the temperatures very suddenly fall or remain below 0° for a considerable amount of time without snow falling, the elements won’t affect hibernating pests too badly.

How Pests Adapt for Winter

The truth is that many pests will have already prepared for the cold temperatures. They’re not as stupid as you might think, and will start planning their winter home and supplies during fall. By the end of fall, stink bugs, ants, flies and queen wasps will probably have already made their way into your home. They’ll find their way into your attic or behind your walls. Some of these insects will enter a form of hibernation for the season, and they’ll rest with some shelter and warmth.

Termites, cockroaches and other insects will sneak through cracks and crevices so that they can find a warm, moist and hidden place inside your home for winter. Rodents, on the other hand, will sneak into your home or garage during fall and start building their nest. For as long as the temperatures allow, they’ll scurry back and forth building up their food supplies in their nest so that they have a greater chance of seeing spring.

Truly Nolen Can Help – Even in Winter

Instead of spending your precious time learning about how different pests behave in winter, why not leave it to the experts? We’ve already done the learning for you and our proactive Truly Nolen Four Season’s approach means that we’re prepared for pests in every season.

We take pest control seriously – even in winter – so that you don’t have to worry. Once we’ve removed the pests from your home, we’ll make sure that the access points they used are sealed as well. You can get back to enjoying the snow without worrying about any pests crawling around underneath.