Top 5 Pests on Long Island Active in Winter

Many outdoor pests die off or hibernate during the winter. But there are others that adapt to cold weather and worse – find their way into your home or business. Once they have settled into a safe, climate-controlled structure… what season it is won’t make much of a difference to these invaders.

Let’s consider some of the common pests we find on Long Island during the winter.

What Kind of Bugs Come Out in Winter?

Long Island residents may find a wide range of bugs in their homes during cold weather months. From spiders to silverfish and flies to fleas, if it has found its way into a warm building with a source of food and water then it can thrive. When we’re listing winter pests, we can’t forget about rodents like rats, mice, and squirrels as well.

Here are the Top 5 pests active in winter on Long Island:

1. 1. Bed bugs are primarily indoor pests, so they aren’t impacted by chilly weather. In fact, bed bugs spread during the cold weather months. This frequently happens during the holidays when people travel for vacations (or to visit family) and then come home with tiny stowaways in their luggage. Additionally, bed bugs may catch a ride with students coming home from college or boarding school during the winter break. Bed bugs can end up almost anywhere in your home but are most often found in mattress crevices and in the folds of couches or other soft furniture.

 

1. 1. Cockroaches don’t die off during the colder months. Instead, they mass-migrate indoors when the weather cools. Once inside, they proceed to nest and reproduce. These hardy pests seek out sources of food and moisture, and tend to nest in or near under-cupboard pipes, basements, crawl spaces, sewers, and floor drains.

 

1. 1. Termites are highly adaptive, and they are more or less unfazed by cold weather. Termites that live underground burrow more deeply, don’t forage as far for food sources, and are somewhat less active than they are in warm weather. Unfortunately, termites that have taken up residence in or near heated structures go about their business as usual. They continue tunneling into your home’s frame, joists, sills, window frames, and more all winter… while termite queens lay eggs at a steady pace.

 

1. 1. Spiders and some other arthropods won’t come into your home seeking warmth. They experience biological processes that harden them to cold weather and they experience a state called diapause – where they become dormant between periods of activity. So why do so many people find spiders in their homes during the winter? Easy – because they were there all along! Having found a comfortable, predator-free zone with access to a food source.

 

1. Rodents are notorious for slinking into warm buildings when the weather cools down. They can exploit surprisingly small entry points in search of food, water, and shelter. Depending on the type of rodent, they may take up residence anywhere from your attic to your basement and can bring the potential for serious diseases into your home.

Can You Spray For Bugs in Winter?

Not only can we spray for spiders and other bugs during the winter months, but we also highly recommend making comprehensive pest control a year-round priority for your home or business. At Twin Forks Pest Control®, we also specialize in wintertime termite and rodent abatement as well as bed bug treatments. Whatever pests have taken up residence in your home this winter, we can evict them and prevent them from returning.

Twin Forks Pest Control® Eliminates Pests Year-Round

Twin Forks Pest Control® eliminates troublesome pests, no matter the season. If you find any of these (or other) pests overwintering in your home or on your property, contact us online for a free estimate. You can also give us a call at (631) 287-9020 in the Southampton area, (631) 324-9020 in or around East Hampton, or (631) 298-0500 near Southold. We look forward to hearing from you and taking care of your seasonal or year-round pest problems.