Winter Pests

Rodents Are Most Active in Winter in Massachusetts

Winter is a busy season for pests. Rodents are most active, and insects come in the house to find warmth for the cold months.

• Rodents, like Mice and Rats are still coming in and are active. Listen for noise in the walls and look out for droppings or chewed food wrappers found in rooms where you didn’t leave food.
• Areas most likely to have mice are the kitchen, basement near the furnace or the garage, where they can stay warm.
• A mouse only weighs about one ounce, so it loses its body heat fast. Because the furnace and the kitchen are often only a few feet apart, it’s easy for a mouse, with its short range of about 10 feet, to grab food in the kitchen and go scurry back near the furnace.
• Winter is not insect free! You will find spiders, roaches, winter moths, western conifer seed bugs (stink bugs), and let’s not forget pavement ants.
• Centipedes prefer to live in damp environments, like your basement or bathroom. Earwigs are typically outdoor pests, but as the weather cools, they may migrate inside.
• Insects that were coming into your home will have already found their way in and wait out the winter season inside your home (over winter).