As winter really sets in around the Kitchener-Waterloo area, you probably feel relieved that insect pests like wasps and ants are ready to either die off or hibernate until the warm spring weather arrives again. However, while some nuisance insects and mammals go dormant, others remain active all winter long and may see your home as the perfect winter refuge. At Truly Nolen, our methods for residential pest control in Kitchener can help you identify winter pests and defend your home from their intrusion once the weather turns cold.

Mice

Mice are intelligent creatures that have evolved to live comfortably near people and, in some cases, with them. As the cold weather arrives and their natural food sources run low, they may see your house as a source of food, warmth and security. They may squeeze under your garage door or through an unpatched hole by a side door and begin to help themselves to food scraps, your pet’s food and whatever they might find on a shelf or in a pantry. The whole ordeal is a walk in the park for them since even though they have poor eyesight, their exceptional sense of smell more than compensates. They may even nest in a variety of places like your attic or behind walls, where they could breed and give birth to large litters.

You can secure your home against a mouse invasion by sealing up cracks and holes around the exterior of your home, storing your pet food in metal or thick containers with snap-on lids and keeping your counters and floors free of scraps and crumbs. If you spot any signs of mouse activity, such as droppings, our pest control team can help you identify the root of the problem and resolve it quickly and easily.

Squirrels

Much like mice, squirrels might try to make their way into your home to find refuge from freezing temperatures and frigid winds. Young squirrels born in the spring of the same year might be driven out of their mother’s territory once they mature and are likely looking for a winter bolthole. These rodents have powerful gnawing teeth and can chew their way into your attic by prying up damaged roofing shingles. Once inside, they can cause a lot of damage to wiring and insulation as they make their nests.

Having your roof inspected during the fall and making any necessary repairs before winter arrives can keep squirrels out of your attic and walls. Ask our technicians which plan for residential pest control might best work for you when it comes to protecting your home from these enterprising rodents.

Cockroaches

While cockroaches tend to go dormant in the winter, they may awaken on warmer winter days, especially later in the season. Those already hiding in your home may show themselves to find food, or you may find one or two already dead on your floor during the winter months. This may be a sign there are more specimens hiding behind your walls, in crawl spaces or under kitchen appliances.

Our teams specialize in residential pest control in Kitchener and can target these insects wherever they hide. They are adaptable insects that know how to hide from people and pesticides, especially those sold at home and garden stores. Our techniques reach hiding spaces that exist deep in your home so that when spring comes, there is no new generation of roaches to trouble you or your family.

Spiders

Like roaches, the spiders you see during the winter are likely the offspring of parents that lived in hiding. Your attic, crawl spaces and other dark, quiet places make fine breeding places for arachnids, and while most species are harmless, there are several in Ontario that could deliver a painful or dangerous bite if startled.

You can discourage spiders from making your house their home by reducing clutter, wiping away webs wherever you find them and keeping your home free of anything that might attract insects, which are most spiders’ main prey.

Winter pests can be difficult to handle, but you do not have to face the problem alone. Contact us today for further information about our pest control services.