Winter Pest Prevention: A Checklist For Your Home

Brown Mouse

As a homeowner in or around Idaho Falls, you may not think too much about pest control in the winter, after all, our frosty winter weather here does a pretty good job of keeping the pest population very low outdoors. 

The low temperatures drive away the pesky outdoor pests such as mosquitos, stinging insects like bees and hornets, and houseflies. However, many critters you see in the spring, summer, and fall really love to overwinter inside of your house, to include rodents like mice, spiders, roaches, and assassin bugs. They especially love garages, basements, and dark warm areas behind appliances. Mice make disgusting messes over the winter, can damage food storage and tear up items in your garage for bedding, not to mention they can potentially carry disease. Some spiders can cause nasty bites, and cockroaches are just plain unnerving. These pests also lay eggs and have babies right under your nose, all winter long.

Fortunately, there are a plethora of things you can do, as a homeowner, to prep your home for winter pest control.  Use this checklist to winterize your home against the common pests who are looking for a way in from the cold.

Checklist For Pest Control During Winter

  • Inspect the exterior of your home for holes, cracks, and other points of potential entry for small rodents and insects.  Seal these breaches up tight with caulk, or other sealers to keep the unwanted guests out.
  • If there is any loose weatherstrip around windows or doors, repair or replace it to keep out pests as well as cold drafts.
  • Examine home foundation for loose or broken mortar, and patch it if there is any that needs to be fixed.
  • Keep firewood stacks or piles a good distance away from entries to your home.  At least 20 feet if possible.  Spiders, mice, and other creatures love woodpiles and can make a quick dash inside of your home and not be noticed if it’s close.
  • keep clutter off of floors in garages and basements.  If pests are inside already, or somehow get in, this is where they will make their base camps.  The less clutter and piles of junk, the less hiding places pests will have to spend their winter in.
  • Check your doors for damage to door sweeps, or install them if they aren’t there.  This will save on energy costs while keeping creepy crawlies from sliding under doors.  
  • Repair any damage to window screens to keep pests out of window frames.
  • If you have chimneys, make sure the vents are screened to deter pests from making entry.
  • Monitor your attic, and basement, and any crawl spaces for humidity.  You want them to be as dry and well ventilated as possible, especially against cockroaches, they love dark and humid spaces.
  • Replace or clean filters in your heating and ducts to watch for any pests trying to make a home in them.
  • Apply insect spray around doors every few months if needed.
  • Sweep and vacuum regularly, especially in kitchens where crumbs and food particles can attract and feed insects like roaches.

If you feel like you have done all of these checkpoints and you still have a winter pest problem, or if you spend holidays or winters away, be rest assured you can always seek pest control services for your home with Star Pest Control as well.

Featured photo by David Hablützel