As summer comes to an end and the weather turns colder, homeowners in Montgomery County, MD, may celebrate the disappearance of stinging insects like hornets and yellow jackets.
Unfortunately, there are more unwanted pests to come in the fall and winter that you should look out for.
With the dropping temperatures, critters and insects are in search of warm shelter where they can survive the fall and winter months. So, what does this mean for Montgomery County homeowners?
You should take preventative pest control measures to ensure your home is safe from these common fall and winter pests in Montgomery County, MD.
By the end of this article, you’ll know the most common pests to keep an eye out for during the winter and how to prevent them from entering your home. If they do pass your prevention methods, Brody Brothers has a guaranteed 100% effective pest control solution for you.
Rodents
Having mice or rats crawling in your walls is not only scary but can pose a threat to the health of you and your family. Often carrying contagious diseases, wild rodents should never be welcome in your home.
During the Maryland winter, mice and rats will come into your home to nibble on food on your counters and embrace the warmth from your heating.
To identify if you have rodents in your home, you may notice droppings on the counters, hear scratching within the walls, and even smell ammonia.
How to Prevent Rodents
Rodents, especially mice, can squeeze into very small cracks to enter your home. Before the weather becomes too cold, inspect your home for any potential openings.
Food and scraps also attract rodents, so you’ll want to store food properly in covered containers. This includes pet food.
Spiders
These eight-legged arachnids usually are not harmful to humans, but they definitely are not pretty to look at in your home. Just like rats and mice, spiders need a warm place to live through the winter months.
So, they crawl into your home and build a spiderweb in the corner of your basement or garage, and await other insects to feast on. While spiders do assist in getting rid of some pests, it doesn’t mean you want them as a roommate.
How to Prevent Spiders
The best way to prevent spiders is to seal up cracks in windows and doors and get rid of any pests that they may prey on that are living in your home. However, if you already find spiders in your home, clean up any cobwebs and make sure they don’t feel comfortable.
Stink Bugs
A very common fall and winter pest in Montgomery County are stink bugs.
Originating in Asia, the brown marmorated stink bug (Halyomorpha halys) invaded North America in the 1990s when it hopped on board a shipping container.
The good news is that stink bugs are harmless. The bad news is that they carry an odor and move in large swarms.
If you see one in your home, then there’s a likely chance there are many others crawling around.
How to Prevent Stink Bugs
The easiest way to prevent stink bugs from entering your home during the fall and winter is to ensure there are no spaces or cracks between your doors and windows. Keep screens on your windows if you tend to leave them open during the sunnier days, too.
It’s also important to keep the plants in and around your house trimmed, as stink bugs are attracted to the sap.
Cockroaches
Unfortunately, cockroaches aren’t solely confined to infesting apartments in large cities. They are also common fall and winter pests in Montgomery County, Maryland.
Cockroaches aren’t just ugly to see, but they can also carry harmful diseases. Children are also prone to asthma attacks and allergies when cockroaches are infesting the area.
You will often find them in places where water and food are available, such as garages, basements, kitchens, and bathrooms.
How to Prevent Cockroaches
Preventing cockroaches from coming into your home is simple, but not always easy. The key is to keep your home free from open sources of food, water buildup from leaking faucets or clogged drains, and take out the trash often.
Box Elder Bugs
Box elder bugs are more of an unsightly annoyance than anything else. These pests will crawl into your home and take advantage of its warmth, but they are harmless and do not carry diseases.
You will mostly notice them gathering in your garage or laying in the sun either on the side of your house or in your home to keep warm.
We recommend not squishing them as they also have a strong odor that can attract other box elder bugs into your home.
How to Prevent Box Elder Bugs
The most effective way to prevent box elder bugs from entering your home is by sealing cracks in your windows, doors, or screens. Avoiding female boxelder trees is also a good idea because they attract these bugs to the area.
Ladybugs
While cute and harmless to humans, ladybugs often travel in swarms and can be a nuisance when they infest your home. You’ll notice them mostly on your walls or window screens.
Ladybugs are also poisonous to small animals and pets. They will leave behind a yellow secretion if frightened, which can be harmful if ingested by other animals.
How to Prevent Ladybugs
To keep ladybugs from entering your home this winter, try placing cloves and bay leaves around the premises. These herbs tend to repulse ladybugs and keep them away.
However, ladybugs are attracted to the pollen from plants like cilantro, dill, angelica, and scented geraniums. So, if you have these growing close to your home, they may attract more ladybugs.
The Ultimate Fall and Winter Pest Prevention Solution
If you are concerned about pests like mice and rats entering your Montgomery County home this fall and winter, then you may want to call in professional Montgomery County pest control experts.
Brody Brothers Pest Control has served the area for more than 30 years with expert local knowledge and integrated pest control management solutions in Montgomery County.
With our popular quarterly Home Protection Plan, you can make sure your home stays pest-free all year round. If a critter does bypass our methods, we’ll come out and fix the problem for free.
Request a quote and see how you can keep your home pest-free this fall and winter!
