The in-laws aren’t the only unwanted guests you could encounter over the holidays. Pests often see your home as a pretty attractive place to go to get out from the cold, too. The Triangle area of North Carolina has some pretty unpredictable winters, one minute it’s snowing, the next you’re tempted to pull your shorts out from storage. But, winter animal behavior is relatively predictable and knowing what you’re up against can keep your home full of guests rather than pests.

Keep an eye on the crawl space

During the colder months, many animals look for a place to lie low. They want an area that is dry, away from cold winds, dark and maybe a little warmer than the surrounding temperatures. If you have a crawl space then you have somewhere that matches their goals perfectly. Raccoons, foxes, opossums, rats, mice and many other animals would love nothing better than to hole up in that prime real estate. Don’t let them. They can cause damage, spread waste and bacteria and possibly gain access to the rest of your home.

If walls could talk

Every want to be a fly on the wall? What about a cluster fly inside a wall? Some species of insect (like cluster flies) have a habit of “overwintering” between walls. They find a warm place, reduce their movement and just hang out. They may not come out from behind there, but it can also be disturbing to realize thousands of insects have infested the space between your walls. If a few dazed, lethargic bugs (usually ladybugs, box elders, stink bugs and cluster flies) wander out from time to time, you may have an infestation behind the walls.

Rodents, especially mice, sometimes will take up residence in between walls too. The danger here is that they can spread disease as they come out to find food. Also, they are known to chew on electric wires, causing damage and power outages.

Loft apartment in the attic

Another common place for animals to enter and live for the winter is the attic. Although many bat species leave for warmer areas in the winter or go underground to caves, some hibernate all winter in homes, especially big brown bats. Squirrels, rats and other rodents also enjoy attics as a place to make nests. If you hear scratching from above, that’s a good sign of unwanted guests in the attic. Chewed boxes, nests, droppings and strong odors are an even better sign.

Critter Control of the Triangle can pest-proof your home for the winter

If you would rather not have pests as holiday guests, Critter Control of the Triangle can set up your crawl space, attic and other areas of your home to be unwelcoming for the holidays. We serve the greater Triangle, including Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, Cary, Carrboro, Wake Forest, Garner, Morrisville, Fuquay-Varina, Apex and the surrounding areas. Give us a call at (919) 382-0651 with questions or to make an appointment.