How Does Winter Weather Affect Pests in the Home?

When winter rolls around, temperatures have an obvious impact on the amount of pests we see around the home. Insects are cold-blooded. That means they can’t produce their own body heat. As the temperatures cool down, bugs seek warmer areas to survive. It’s a common misconception that insects die during the colder weather.

It’s true that insects will die if the temperature gets around 0 (temperatures vary by the type of insect). Obviously, that does not happen in Texas. Most insects in our area will go underground, others will get into trees and shelter for the winter.

Insects especially start looking at indoor solutions to stay warm during the winter. While some insects will find outdoor solutions mentioned above, others wait until our homes become the new warm spot and invite themselves in. The more comfortable we are, the more cozy and inviting our homes become to insects.

The most common insects that you’ll see coming inside the home during the winter are spiders and cockroaches. Fleas are also a year-round nuisance, although they do diminish in numbers when the temperatures drop below 37 degrees. Termites will also try to come indoors during the winter.

We’ve discussed previously how active termites are, but that pace is affected by temperatures. If it gets too cold, whole colonies can die. So they will look at your walls for shelter for the winter months. Ants also have nesting sites they choose for winter, although invasion is not out of the question. Even ticks are still present during the winter. This didn’t used to be the case, however American ticks in particular are adapting and learning to live in environments further north where the temperatures are much colder.

Remember that in warmer winter seasons, these pests can appear earlier than when they normally emerge in the spring.

The best advice to keeping pests out of the home in the winter is a regular pest control maintenance. Contact us today for a free consultation and we’ll keep your home protected no matter what the season!