Why Pests Swarm Crozet Homes Before Winter

Autumn brings lots of beautiful weather and changing leaves, but it can also affect pest activity in Crozet. While pests may be more active outside during the summer, cooling temperatures, precipitation, and changing food sources & shelter in the fall can push them into other areas, like—uh-oh—your home.

That’s where Mosquito Squad Plus comes in to help by providing professional Crozet pest control to residents and homeowners like you. We know pests inside and out, and are adept at managing them even when outside factors (like the changing seasons) push them into areas that belong to you and your family. 

Which Pests Become More Noticeable Around Homes

As fall shifts to winter, rodents are commonly found around homes, and other overwintering pests also make their presence known: think stink bugs, ants, and spiders. Cold weather, snow, and ice can reduce outdoor pest activity and available food, water, and shelter, pushing some pests toward more protected areas. 

Houses like yours become their respite because they offer safe, warm, secluded shelters, and easy access to food and water. While rodents will squeeze inside through any possible space they can find, other pests like stink bugs will rest on sunny, south-facing walls and doors come fall, eventually getting inside through small gaps they find. 

Why Garages, Attics, and Exterior Gaps Matter

Most homeowners like to think of their homes as fortresses, but in reality, many homes have entry points for pests that the homeowner may not even notice. After all, pests don’t need a doorway or an open window to get inside; they can enter through tiny gaps, like a damaged door seal or a hole in the eaves. 

Pests can use sheltered structural spaces and small exterior openings as fair game, since they offer places to hide or move indoors as conditions change. Therefore, keeping these areas secure is crucial to keeping pests out. 

Fall Property Conditions That Can Increase Pest Pressure

Most pest infestations don’t start with an entry point. They usually start with something in your yard or around your property that brought them there to begin with. In the fall, conditions that can increase pest pressure include leaf litter, clutter, standing water, dense vegetation, trash, pet food, firewood, and other practical attractants.

Luckily, most of these are easy and relatively inexpensive to address.

Simple Steps to Reduce Fall Pest Problems

Now, let’s get to how you can help reduce fall pest problems around your home. Here’s a simple checklist of items we recommend completing before the fall so you’re prepared for incoming pests:

• Check exterior sealing for damage or gaps
• Check screens and door sweeps
• Tidy up your yard 
• Be sure to store food and trash in tightly-sealed containers 
• Eliminate standing water

While these steps can’t guarantee a pest-free home come fall, they can certainly help mitigate your risk of attracting pests. 

When to Call for Pest Control in Crozet

If you’re seeing persistent activity, repeated indoor sightings, or suspect hard-to-identify entry points around your home, you may need a professional inspection. Mosquito Squad Plus of Charlottesville can complete your first treatment within 48 hours, or it’s free! We’ll always begin by inspecting your home for entry points we can seal to help prevent further issues. 

Then, we’ll apply a core barrier treatment to your perimeter to help keep stubborn pests out. Along the way, we’ll offer upfront pricing (free of contracts) and back all of our work with a 100% customer satisfaction guarantee. 

Call (434) 363-9274 or request a free quote online.