While summer is often considered “prime pest season,” winter can have its share of problems, too. Some pests do go into hibernation; but others remain active, seeking out shelter, warmth, and food supplies. The very things that make our homes so inviting to us in winter can also attract unwanted guests (like rats and mice, raccoons, or other invasive species). Winter is not always free of insect and furry invasions; homeowners need to be alert and take precautions to protect their homes from a potential infestation.
Here are some common issues that pest control experts handle, the signs to look out for, and what you can do to make your problems go away and stay away.
- Rats and Mice
Spotting a rat or a mouse creeping around the house can be unnerving. These rodents are the most commonly encountered house invaders during the winter months. They shelter in dark, secluded areas, particularly basements and attics.
Rats and mice have the ability to squeeze themselves through very small openings, like cracks in mortar or improperly sealed doorways. Once inside, they can cause serious property damage and create health hazards. They often chew on household wiring, which could spark an electrical fire.
Rodents can nest in some forms of insulation, compromising your house’s R-factor. Additionally, their dried droppings can contaminate our food and water supply, and spread life-threatening diseases like hantavirus and leptospirosis.
How to tell if you have rodents in your house:
Droppings: These are the calling cards that let you know you have rats or mice in your house. Droppings are often found in places where food is stored, like cabinets or pantries. Look at the baseboard areas near food storage; rodents commonly sneak along walls rather than cross open spaces.
Chew Marks: These little monsters will chew through various materials (wood, plastic, wires) while searching for food. If you see tiny bite marks, call a professional pest control service.
Greasy Rub Marks: Rats, in particular, repeatedly travel the same pathway and leave greasy rub marks behind.
Scratching Sounds at Night: Rodents are usually active at night. They scurry around your cupboards, cabinets, and under the sink, seeking for food.
Solutions:
- Use caulk or steel wool to pest-proof your house by sealing structural cracks and crevices on the outside and inside of your house.
- Keep your basements and attics clean and dry at all times. If possible, store things away from the walls, so that the rodents do not have a safe path to hide.
- Dispose of garbage properly, and cover trash bins securely.
- Do not leave pet food out overnight. Keep it in an airtight container.
- Store piles of wood at least 20 feet away from the house.
- Cut off overhanging tree branches near your house. This will also help discourage other pests, like raccoons and skunks (below).
- Raccoons
Of all the pests that can invade your house, raccoons are frequently the most destructive. They scavenge for food in your garbage cans and compost piles at night, leaving a huge mess in their wake. Although they look like cute little bandit creatures, they have sharp teeth and claws. They can easily enter a house by prying open a gap in your roofline or climbing down the chimney; once inside, they will find a secluded spot and set up a nest.
When raccoons take shelter in your home, it can cause serious problems. In addition to structural damage from nesting, they can pose serious health risks, such as rabies, salmonella, and roundworms. Raccoons will urinate and defecate anywhere, endangering household members, especially children or people with suppressed immune systems. While they tend to avoid humans, raccoons may attack pets. However, they may harm people if cornered.
Signs to watch:
Extensive Damage – Raccoons are big pests that can cause more major structural damage than smaller animals. Their sharp teeth and claws can easily harm flooring material, drywall, wooden support beams, roofing tiles, HVAC components, wires, and insulation.
Distinguishable Loud Noise – Raccoons are much bigger in size and weight when compared to other invasive pests. They make loud stomping noises (eerily similar to the sound of a human walking) when heard from below.
Presence of Nesting Materials – Unlike other pests, raccoons usually use outdoor materials (eg: twigs, leaves, and other organic materials) for a nest. They will also use paper, shredded cloth, and pieces of torn insulation.
Evidence of Food Scraps – Raccoons are omnivorous creatures that virtually eat any food available. They can expertly open trash bins and organics containers and ransack their content, leaving scraps behind.
Solutions:
- Inspect potential access points. Repair broken vent covers, loose siding and shingles, and other small access points. Remove overhanging branches.
- Stow garbage, wood scraps, etc. away from your house, and keep the surrounding areas clean.
- Use metal trash cans with tight-fitting lids — or if your municipality issues plastic bins for home or commercial use secure the lids with bungee cords.
- Spray ammonia on top of the trash lid to repel raccoons.
- Install a conventional fence around your property.
- Use sprinklers at night. Raccoons hate getting wet. It’s also a better time to water your lawn, as more will soak into the ground and less will evaporate.
- Skunks
The damage caused by skunks goes well beyond any residual smell. During winter, skunks do not technically go into hibernation. They will retreat to their dens for extended periods, surfacing occasionally to feed and mate.
Skunks are skillful burrowers, and often find weak points in a basement foundation for a point of entry. Like other pests, they can also chew or claw their way into a house and damage electrical or plumbing systems. Skunks can tear through ventilation screens to enter a crawl space.
If a female skunk takes up residence on your property, she may eventually give birth to a litter of four to seven kits. Mother skunks are highly protective of their young, and will spray at any sign of danger or a perceived threat.
Evidence of skunks in your house:
Strong Pungent Odour – Skunks are well-known for their powerful odour, which you can often detect even if they are burrowed underneath the house, deck, or garage pad.
Holes – Holes in your outdoor areas may suggest the presence of skunks. In addition to digging burrows under patios, decks, and other concrete, skunks also dig up worms and grubs in lawns and gardens.
Tracks and Droppings – Skunk tracks are particularly distinguishable because both the forefeet and hind feet have five toes. Their droppings usually measure about 0.25 to 0.50 inch in diameter, and are one to two inches long. Fecal matter often contains undigested insect parts.
Barking Dogs – Skunks are nocturnal creatures that hunt or search for food at night or late in the evening. If dogs in the neighbourhood frequently bark at night, it may be because skunks are roaming around.
Solutions:
- Keep your backyard clean and dispose of trash properly. Remove piles of wood and other debris from your yard.
- If you have fruit trees, dispose of any fallen fruit in tightly sealed garbage cans.
- Cut overgrown grasses and shrubs.
- Use metal mesh to seal openings in your porch, sheds, and other parts of the house.
- Do not leave pet food out overnight. Store it inside the house in a sealed container.
When to Seek Pest Removal Services
Do-it-yourself pest control methods (like the ones listed above) can be effective when dealing with pest problems. However, if they fail to resolve an infestation, it is time to call the professionals.
Pro-Pest Animal Removal and Pest Removal Services provides long-term results using the right expertise, tools, and equipment to provide humane pest removal. Some pests are smart, and it takes an experienced and trained professional to assess the situation and find the right solution for your problem.
Call us at (416) 487-4179 for safe and quick pest control in Toronto. Let us help keep your home pest-free not just in winter but all year round.
