Winter Pest Control

The warmth and humidity of Auburn and Opelika, Alabama summers produces the ideal habitat for many pests that homeowners don’t want invading their living space.

Though winter normally does bring a bit of a respite from pests like mosquitoes and termites, because of Alabama’s mild winters, we are not able to have a completely pest-free winter. Additionally, cooler outdoor temperatures drive many pests indoors.

Alabamians still need to be vigilant in preventing pests from overtaking their homes.

Common Winter Pests In Alabama

Although pest populations are often more at bay during winter months than during the summer, there are certain pests that still make their presence known regardless of whether or not it’s a cooler or warmer winter season.

Stink Bugs

Stink bugs are medium-sized, dull-brown insects that emit a foul odor. These bugs commonly live in the sides of homes in order to stay warm during the winter. They especially love walls that are exposed to direct sunlight for prolonged periods during the day. 

Lady Bugs

During the spring and summer months, lady bugs happily and harmlessly dwell outside among gardens, in bushes, and in the trees. However, whenever the temperatures begin to decline, lady bugs overcome their fears of humans and seek warmth in our homes.

They have little ability to harm our homes or us, but they can be unsightly and smell whenever they are crushed.

Pests That May Be a Problem This Winter

The National Pest Management Association predicts that this winter, the Southeast United States will see higher populations of mosquitoes, ticks, ants, and cockroaches. This is due to what meteorologists believe will be a warmer winter season than normal.

How Can I Protect Against Mosquitoes?

Mosquitoes love standing water. So, if you want to dissuade them from infiltrating your home, then be sure to remove any standing water that you notice. A proactive approach to removing standing water from your home is to invest in a durable and functional drainage system, design your landscape to drain well, plant plants that will help to hold soil in place and prevent unnecessary pooling, and plant plants that are natural mosquito repellants like lavender, rosemary, mint, sage, and marigolds.

How Can I Protect Against Ticks?

Tick prevention in a yard is very dependent on landscaping. Some of the easiest ways to improve your homes landscaping in order to prevent a tick infestation are:

• Clearing tall grasses and bushes around the home and keeping the grass cut.
• Keep wood, debris, and trash from piling up anywhere in or around the yard. This actually discourages rodents, but rodents are one of ticks main food sources. In keeping this tip, you will kill two pests with one stone!

How Can I Protect Against Ants?

Since ants are colonizing insects, in order to keep them out of your yard and home in any substantial way, you have to destroy the colony.

A couple of ways to do this include:

• Pour boiling water into each ant hill in your yard. This method of exterminating ants is ideal for homeowners who are concerned about the negative environmental effect that some chemical pesticides can have.
• Additionally diatomaceous earth is a natural ant pesticide. Merely sprinkle the powder along ant trails, mounds, and inside the mounds.
• To prevent ants in the home be sure to keep a clean home. Do not leave food opened or uncovered for too long because this provides a perfect food source for ants.

How Can I Protect Against Cockroaches?

Cockroaches are always looking for an easy source of food, so be sure to keep food items sealed, keep all surfaces in your home clean, take out the garbage regularly, don’t leave food or dishes in the sink overnight.