As you’re preparing to welcome holiday guests to your home, you should also think about preventing unwelcomed ones. Winter is a time when certain pests seek shelter in your lawn and could find a way into your house. Learn about identifying winter lawn pests and how to help keep them away from your holiday gatherings.

Identifying Winter Lawn Pests

You may think that most insects die off in the harsh winter weather. While there are fewer signs of certain pests, others are currently looking for warm shelter. Here are a few that wouldn’t mind spending the season with you.

Boxelder Bugs. At only about a half-inch in size, these bugs can be found living off grass and flowers until the cold drives them to the warm, dark corners of your basement, attic, or garage. They’re not as destructive as some pests. But they’re known to gather in large groups which could mean an infestation if they approve of your accommodations. They’re also known to secrete a substance that can stain your fabrics and upholstery once inside.

Spiders. Whether small or large, skinny or fuzzy, black or tan, spiders come in a range of colors, sizes, and levels of danger. They also come in through small cracks in windows, door frames, or hitch a ride on firewood and other outdoor items. While one spider may be manageable, that one may be carrying a sack full of babies ready to hatch in your home. Females look for warm, dark areas to lay their eggs and these babies then scatter throughout the area. While some are harmless, others are known to bite people and pets.

Rodents. Mice, rats, and even voles are looking for a warm spot to spend the winter. Given the opportunity, this could end up being in your basement, attic, garage, or even between your walls. Not only will their chewing and burrowing damage your wood, carpet, and wiring, but they carry multiple diseases that can spread through your food supply.

Winter Pest Control

There are ways to help prevent pests from finding a way into your home. Your first line of defense is to focus on the outdoors. Pests will typically find a place to hide in layers of mulch, leaf piles, tall grass, and wood piles around your yard. Properly maintaining your lawn by keeping the grass short and free of debris is one way to send pests packing.

There are also pesticides formulated for perimeter protection against pests. Pre-treatment sprays and granular products create a barrier around the foundation, windows, and doors of your home where these pests are likely to enter.

For more tips on how to identify and prevent pests from ruining your winter, contact Cardinal Lawns today.