Why Overwintering Pests Love Your Home in Little Silver

Every fall, like clockwork, the leaves turn brilliant fall colors, nights have that crisp chill, and you can see your breath, white and chalky in the cold air.

And while you might think most insects die off in the winter cold, that’s not how it works. This is when pests start looking for their winter hideaway to wait out the cold until spring.

In pest control, this is called overwintering. And it refers to the way insects and rodents find a protected, tucked away place to survive the colder months. Because they wouldn't do well with the winter chill outside, they move into your wall voids, attics, crawl spaces, garages, and other sheltered places to wait out winter.

While many overwintering insects aren't really causing damage, they are present. As soon as spring hits, they'll start to move around in large numbers. And this is exactly why winter pest prevention is important. In Little Silver, pest control might not be the first thing on your list. But, it’s an important step in halting the overwintering process before it even starts.

Common Fall Invaders to Watch For

Not all pests are seeking to nest, damage your home, or eat your food. In fact, most overwintering pests are only looking for a place to crash for the winter. They're looking for warm, small crevices to rest in.

Here are the most common overwintering pests in Little Silver:

• Stink bugs: these brown, shield-shaped insects gather on warm exterior surfaces in large numbers before squeezing through gaps around siding, windows, and utility openings. Once inside, they shelter in wall voids and attic spaces until spring.
• Asian lady beetles (a.k.a. ladybugs): these cluster on south and west-facing walls to gather warmth on fall days before finding ways to enter your home. They gather together in large numbers inside attics and upper wall voids.
• Boxelder bugs: these critters love box elder, maple, and ash trees, which are common throughout the Little Silver area. In fall, they migrate from these trees to your home's warm exterior and then find a place to enter.
• Cluster flies: these overwinter in attics and wall voids. They tend to come out on warm winter days, leaving you wondering how they got there.
• Western conifer seed bugs: these are a possible fall invader in areas with pine and other conifer trees. They're large, slow-moving bugs that squeeze through gaps around doors and windows to find shelter.
• Mice and rats: while they are not insects, these pests are among the most destructive overwintering pests. They enter your home looking for shelter, water, and food resources to sustain them for the winter. And when they get comfy, they can be difficult to remove without professional help.

How Overwintering Pests Get Inside

Your home might have more gaps and crevices than you realize. And when pests find them, they use them.

Here are the most common entry points in your Little Silver home:

• Cracks around siding and trim
• Gaps at door and window frames
• Deteriorating weatherstripping
• Soffits pulling away from the roofline
• Unscreened vents
• Utility penetrations
• Gaps around garage doors

The goal here is closing as many access points as possible before winter sets in. Little Silver winters don't ease in gently, and once temperatures drop, fall invaders are already on the move.

What Homeowners Can Do Before the First Frost

Here are a few tasks you can do before the first frost in Little Silver:

• Replace damaged screens and weatherstripping
• Caulk visible gaps around windows, doors, and utility lines
• Inspect your roofline and soffits before temperatures drop

What to Do If Pests Are Already Indoors

If overwintering insects are already emerging inside your home on warm winter days, a vacuum will be your best friend. Collecting and removing them rather than crushing them (especially stink bugs) reduces odor and cleans up the insect clutter (ew). 

Keeping track of activity helps you understand where they enter. Also, this information can help your trained technician spray targeted areas. 

Also, keep in mind that indoor treatment doesn't solve an exterior entry problem. If pests keep appearing through winter, their entry points are still open for business.

Professional Fall Pest Control in Little Silver

Once overwintering pests are deep inside wall voids and attic spaces, they're much harder to address.

So, schedule your Fall Invader Home Shield Treatment this fall before the winter chill sets in.

Mosquito Squad of Central New Jersey serves your area with winter pest prevention treatments designed to stop overwintering pests at the exterior before they become an indoor problem. And, if you aren't 100% satisfied, we always stand by our satisfaction guarantee and make it right.

Ready to stop those pesky fall invaders before they settle into your home this winter? Call Mosquito Squad of Central New Jersey at (732) 313-3932 or request a free quote online.