There’s a chill in the air and the leaves are turning colors, so it’s only natural to think about retreating into your warm, cozy home — although you aren’t the only one eyeing your home for comfort. There are plenty of insects out there who are looking for a comfortable winter hideaway, and they’re more than happy to invade your home for the duration.
“Summer may be over, but that doesn’t mean you can afford to ignore your pest control needs,” says Rocco A. Cambareri, the owner of Insecta X, “Bugs moving indoors can be just a nuisance, but they can also transmit diseases through their bites and cause structural damage.”
Here are the top six bugs that tend to cause problems in the fall and winter:
1. Stink Bugs
These bugs will creep through the tiniest cracks to look for a warm spot to hide. While mostly harmless, they emit a noxious odor when they’re frightened or killed, so it’s easier to keep them out of your house than try to remove them.
2. Ants
Ants don’t stop gathering food or expanding their reach in the winter. They may, however, decide to move their entire colony into the walls of your home or beneath its foundation, and that can cause serious problems later.
3. Spiders
Fall is the mating season for spiders, and the females will typically look for a warm spot to shelter and lay their eggs. If you see one spider in your home, you can bet others are hiding somewhere out of sight.
4. Silverfish
If any bug ever made human beings squirm on sight, it’s probably the silverfish, with its long antenna and super-fast movements. These slick little bugs love damp spots, like basements, and they’ll happily invade your books and papers to dine on the starch in the paper.
5. Flying Insects
Bees, wasps, hornets, and flies all start to wander indoors at this time of year as food supplies dry up and the temperatures drop. That can leave your family exposed to painful stings.
6. Fleas
Fleas are a year-round problem, especially if you have pets. Those little bugs love to embed themselves deep in carpets and floorboards, and you can’t usually eradicate them without professional help.
Fortunately, there are plenty of steps you can take now to get control over these invasive bugs. Preventive maintenance on your home and some routine pest control can keep your home pest-free all winter long.