As the weather begins to get colder, a pleathora of insects and rodents are keen to seek shelter, so it's important at this time of year to ...
Case Studies
About this time of year, people begin to pay more attention to wasps, which are more prone to attack after the Summer Bank Holiday. Ants continue to build nests in the lawn, mosquitoes and moths circling the front porch light dart inside when the door is opened, along with numerous other insects whose days are numbered.
A hard freeze will take care of many, but thousands more, not to mention fast-moving rodents, will have already found a comfortable hideaway in wood piles, bird houses, attics and basements.
It's hard to escape this natural cycle of bugs invading the home; it's been happening for eons. We are only more aware of it because myriad pest control companies remind us with a blitz of advertisements.
Bugs are not all bad; they serve a purpose in the natural ebb and flow of life. It's just when they get inside the house people raise a fuss, high-pitched or otherwise.
In many cases, a little preventative work in the autumn greatly reduces bug-borne angst once cold air settles in. You've got a good solid month to seal all the places insects and rodents get in, especially on the southwest side of the house. Homes have a lot of openings for pests to enter; if you had an infrared camera at night, the house would glow in the dark.
More than two dozen types of insects move indoors in autumn, triggered by shortened days and cooler nights. Common invaders include cluster flies, ladybirds and paper wasps, commonly the queen looking for a place that can guarantee survival through spring.
Hornet colonies are busy producing a group of new queens, who, after mating, go into hibernation. Come spring, they are well-rested to start new colonies.
People see insects around windows and assume that is where they are getting in, but that is not necessarily the case. Often, they will gain access through holes in exterior brickwork, which then allows entrance to the wall void. Insects are very attracted to light and so once the wall void warms up, they will endeavour to find a way to that window.
A common – and overlooked – point of entry are attic vents, exhaust vents for bathroom fans and any other type of louvered vent that opens and closes. Insects come in from the cold and once the sun warms the house, usually a southwest exposure, they try to get back outside, assuming spring has arrived.
Then there are those who can't figure out how to make it back out, so the thing to do now is to seal the home. Pay attention to attic vents and rooftop vents. Most people assume they have window screening, and it is intact, and most of the time, they don't. Common window screening available at DIY stores and should be placed over attic vents and bathroom exhaust vents, but not in the way that will obstruct airflow. Inspect screened vents in winter to make sure they are not obstructed by snow and ice.
A lot of people have been complaining about what seems to be an inordinate number of ants crawling about. You've got the winter of '07-08 to blame for that. The winter was perfect for bugs as the temperatures failed to dip much below 0°. There was a lot of moisture and a cool spring.
Common ant sprays are not necessarily the answer. If the queen senses her workers are dying off, she sends other queens out to start a new colony. It just magnifies itself. You have to use baits and know when and where to place them.
Speaking of baits, don't forget about the furry rodents who like to overwinter in wood piles and gas grills. Although it is difficult to eliminate rodent populations entirely, you can reduce their numbers by providing a less welcoming atmosphere. Start outside by getting rid of leaves, weeds and tall grasses around the perimeter of your house. Stacked firewood, a favourite nesting site, should be stored away from the house. Mice can squeeze through a crack or hole 1/4-inch or larger, or about the width of a pencil, so check the foundation where utilities enter the house and seal any gaps.
A tube of caulk may be all you need to achieve a troika of results: lower energy bills, fewer insects and a few disgruntled mice left out in the cold.
SDA Pest Control, "Long Acre",
Bluntisham Road,
Needingworth,
St. Ives,
Cambridgeshire
01480 465684