4 Winter Pests That Invade Warm Minnesota Homes

Minnesota has gained fame for many of its distinguishing characteristics, including its tendency to get extremely cold in the winter. Although you may find the season more than bearable in your warm, comfortable home, bear in mind that various kinds of pests may invade your residence for the exact same reason.

Whether you struggle with pest infestations winter after winter or you'd just like to avoid such scenarios in the future, you can benefit from a knowledge of which pests to watch out for this time of year and what to do about them if you experience trouble from them. Get ready to tangle with any of the following five winter pests.

1. House Mice/Deer Mice

House mice and Deer mice are the two most common commensal rodents you could deal with in your house this time of year. As fall and winter approaches these pests are sometimes looking for a place to call home. They need 3 key elements to survive food, water and shelter.

Food they can eat most anything. Mice can go for days without having any water. Shelter is what your house sometimes provides when they go into our homes.

These rodents are very prolific breeders. And in a short period of time populations can get out of hand. Calling a licensed pest professional can help. With a thorough inspection and a plan, the problem can be solved.

2. Brown Marmorated Stink Bug

These insects spend their time outdoors during the warm months of the year. It isn’t till fall when the temperature outside starts to drop that they seek a place to ride out the winter months. This term is referred to as WINTERING OVER. They can fit into very small cracks or gaps behind siding on a house.

Sometimes during the winter, when the temperature outside is above freezing. When the sun is warm and beating down on the side of a house, and the interior temperatures of a structures are set to be warm. This will cause the insects to wake up from its slumber and crawl out from where they’re wintering over.

They pose no threat and once spring arrives the ones that survived the winter will emerge and return outside. Calling a Pest professional, they can help setup a service. Spraying the exterior in the early fall months will help reduce the numbers that might get in.

3. Asian Lady Beetles

Is another common pest found throughout Minnesota that will WINTER OVER in your home. During the warm months these insects spend their time feeding outside. Where you live sometimes can determine whether you will deal with these beetles.

Just like the stink bug, Asian lady beetles also will WINTER OVER in homes. The scenario played out with the stink bug. The Asian lady beetles will do the same thing. They pose no threat other than to be annoying. The only remedy is to vacuum them up as they come out.

Your Pest Professional can provide a service to help reduce the numbers seen during the winter. A service preformed in early fall from middle of September to the middle of October is the prime window for treatment. Treating the exterior of a house will reduce in some cases 85% of the activity that would try and get in to WINTER OVER.

4. Boxelder Bugs

Last but not least Boxelder bugs. They get their name because they live and feed on Boxelder trees during the warm months of the year. Did you know there are male and female boxelder trees, and the boxelder bug spends its time on the female tree most of the time. The tree is a very important piece of the puzzle as to why you might be dealing with them. The frustrating thing is the tree could be in your yard or your neighbors that are causing the problem. Suggestions as to what to do about that is all up to you.

You can probably see where this is going again. As mention in the last two insects add Boxelder bugs to the list. The three insects and a few more depending on where you live, are referred to as FALL INVADING INSECTS. In the fall they are all looking for a place to WINTER OVER and survive the winter. Mother nature has a way that some will perish and some will survive to start the process all over again next spring.

Timing of a fall treatment is very important to the success of this service. The treatment window depending on the insect in question, falls between middle of August to middle of October. Treating the exterior of the structure is the key to controlling these insects from getting in.

Paffy’s Pest Control can help you safe guard your home against common pests like these. Contact us today to schedule a pest inspection or treatment. Servicing the Twin Cities and Alexandria area.