There’s a common misconception that spiders migrate indoors when temperatures drop. Since spiders have a sort of innate “antifreeze,” they can adapt to a variety of winter temperatures.
However, spiders still enter your home, but for different reasons. For starters, they look for safe places to hide their eggs until spring. This could be your chimney or other hidden place inside your house.
Although a lot of house spiders are nothing to worry about, you don’t want them in your space. This is why you need to winterize your home before temperatures drop. This can also prevent other bugs in the winter; bugs that spiders come indoors looking to eat.
If you don’t take steps to winterize your house, you may find yourself Googling “residential pest removal near me” when an influx of creepy crawlies invade your home.
When Should You Winterize Your Home?
You should begin to winterize your home as soon as temperatures drop. You don’t want to wait until after pests have made their way indoors, so late September or early October is ideal.
However, if you notice unwanted bugs and rodents in your home, you can follow the steps in this guide any time throughout the year.
Tips for Winterizing Your Home on the Inside
Always cover all food and wipe crumbs from the counters. This makes your home inhospitable to pests. Get your pets on a feeding schedule and don’t keep dog or cat food out for bugs and rodents to dine on. Always store pet food in sealed containers.
If you have leaks, fix them. Leaks offer pests a source of clean water, so take care of leaking spigots or faucets as soon as you notice them.
Keep your home clean and clutter-free. Vacuum regularly (at least twice a week)
and dust, as this all works to prevent pests.
When it gets below 65 degrees, bed bugs go dormant. This means that if you have them, they’re sticking around for the foreseeable future. Always inspect your bed for signs of bed bugs. This includes reddish or dark spots on your sheets or mattress. Additionally, pay attention to any itchy bites.
How to Winterize Your Home’s Exterior
If you want to know how to prevent bugs from coming into the house, start looking at your home’s foundation when outside doing
fall cleaning. If you see any cracks or gaps, you can assume pests will enter — rodents included. Mice can enter your home in holes as small as a quarter of an inch, so seal any holes you notice.
You should also look for mouse holes. If you have any unsealed doors or windows, pests can enter this way, too. If you see chew or scratch marks near pantries or mouse droppings near food sources, you may already have a rodent infestation.
Seal gaps around doors and windows using weatherproof stripping. This will also work to
keep energy bills lower.
Keep your gutters clean and free from dirt and debris. You should aim to reduce the number of bugs in and around your home, as they’re spider food and can draw these critters inward when temperatures drop.
Look for cracks in your walls or floors. If you notice any, seal them. Additionally, install mesh screens over attic vents to keep larger pests out.
Invest in Professional Pest Removal Services
Although you can winterize your home using this helpful checklist, you may not find every pest’s entry point. However, Serene Property Services can help. We know what to look for and can spot various pest access points, sealing them as soon as we see them. We can also work to prevent pests from entering your attic. If we find any pests, we can safely and humanely remove them.
The best kind of pest removal service is the preventative kind, so
contact us today. We service all of Sussex County, NJ, and Warwick, NY.
