Cold weather pest problems
Summer is the time for gnats and mosquitoes, when flying insects will invade your home through open windows. However, winter brings its own pest problems, which in some ways can be worse than the summer ones. In addition to the vermin that like to live in your home on a permanent basis, there will be others seeking a retreat from the cold weather outside.
Mice
Confusingly, the mouse most often found in houses in many suburban and rural areas is actually the long-tailed field mouse, also known as the wood mouse. In cities, the house mouse (which has smaller ears and a shorter tail) is more common. In some parts of the country you will also find yellow-necked mice , whose appearance is as their name suggests. In any event, colder weather will trigger attempts by many mouse families to find winter quarters indoors.
Rats
You are more likely to see rats in your garden in the winter, but in general they will make their winter homes in sheds and garages rather than the house itself. However, they will be looking for food sources such as bird feeders. The foxes that also venture into winter gardens will catch rats if they can.
Bed bugs
Bed bugs were nearly eliminated from Britain in the 1940s, but more recently, international travel has led to a recurrence. They are small reddish brown insects whose bites cause irritation. They can lie dormant for months, and are hard to eradicate without professional help.
Carpet beetles
Carpet beetles (woolly bears) are also on the increase nowadays, as they love central heating and fitted carpets. They will feed on your woollen fibres and then hibernate until they pupate in the spring and then start hatching and returning outdoors in summer.
Moths
Clothes moths also feed on your textiles, and if your house is warm enough their life cycle will continue through the year. It's easier to spot their silken webs rather than the larvae which do the harm. By the time the flying insect emerges, the damage will have been done.
Silverfish
These weird-looking little insects, so named because of their tapering scaly body shape, enjoy moist dark conditions. They will eat books and wallpaper, and any other soft starchy material.
Woodworm
Tiny holes in your wooden furniture indicate woodworm infestation, but the damage could have occurred many years ago. Covering the holes during the winter will trap the woodworm inside, if they are still around, so in spring you will see the holes reappear if and when they emerge to breed.
Spiders
Spiders are only a pest if you find them scary, or if you believe that cobwebs are an unbearable nuisance. Otherwise they will help you to control many of your flying insect invaders, and no British spiders are harmful to humans.
Summer is the time for gnats and mosquitoes, when flying insects will invade your home through open windows. However, winter brings its own pest problems, which in some ways can be worse than the summer ones. In addition to the vermin that like to live in your home on a permanent basis, there will be others seeking a retreat from the cold weather outside.
Mice
Confusingly, the mouse most often found in houses in many suburban and rural areas is actually the long-tailed field mouse, also known as the wood mouse. In cities, the house mouse (which has smaller ears and a shorter tail) is more common. In some parts of the country you will also find yellow-necked mice , whose appearance is as their name suggests. In any event, colder weather will trigger attempts by many mouse families to find winter quarters indoors.
Rats
You are more likely to see rats in your garden in the winter, but in general they will make their winter homes in sheds and garages rather than the house itself. However, they will be looking for food sources such as bird feeders. The foxes that also venture into winter gardens will catch rats if they can.
Bed bugs
Bed bugs were nearly eliminated from Britain in the 1940s, but more recently, international travel has led to a recurrence. They are small reddish brown insects whose bites cause irritation. They can lie dormant for months, and are hard to eradicate without professional help.
Carpet beetles
Carpet beetles (woolly bears) are also on the increase nowadays, as they love central heating and fitted carpets. They will feed on your woollen fibres and then hibernate until they pupate in the spring and then start hatching and returning outdoors in summer.
Moths
Clothes moths also feed on your textiles, and if your house is warm enough their life cycle will continue through the year. It's easier to spot their silken webs rather than the larvae which do the harm. By the time the flying insect emerges, the damage will have been done.
Silverfish
These weird-looking little insects, so named because of their tapering scaly body shape, enjoy moist dark conditions. They will eat books and wallpaper, and any other soft starchy material.
Woodworm
Tiny holes in your wooden furniture indicate woodworm infestation, but the damage could have occurred many years ago. Covering the holes during the winter will trap the woodworm inside, if they are still around, so in spring you will see the holes reappear if and when they emerge to breed.
Spiders
Spiders are only a pest if you find them scary, or if you believe that cobwebs are an unbearable nuisance. Otherwise they will help you to control many of your flying insect invaders, and no British spiders are harmful to humans.
About the Author:
If you are looking for pest control Croydon, visit the site. Envirosafe offer quick and effective service at a great price.
No comments:
Post a Comment