Don't drop your guard!
You might be more aware of pests in summer, when open windows lead to buzzing flies in the kitchen, but winter has its own problems. Cold weather will make your home an inviting prospect for many creatures which spend the summer out of doors. It's good to know how to identify and deal with the invaders.
Mice
In the UK there are three species of mouse. In addition to house mice, which will make their permanent home under your floorboards or in your wall cavities if they can, other mice will find refuge indoors in the winter months. Long-tailed field mice (also known as wood mice) are recognisable by their chestnut fur and large ears. In rural districts they are a more common pest than house mice. Yellow-necked mice are also a problem in some parts of the UK, especially in cold weather.
Rats
You are more likely to see rats in your garden in the winter, but in general they will make their winter homes in sheds and garages rather than the house itself. However, they will be looking for food sources such as bird feeders. The foxes that also venture into winter gardens will catch rats if they can.
Bed bugs
Bed bugs are small red-brown insects which are difficult to see; you are more likely to be aware of them because of their itchy bites, or the brownish smears their droppings make on bedclothes. You will need professional help to deal with this nasty pest, which came close to extinction in this country, until reintroduced as a result of international air travel.
Carpet beetles
Carpet beetles (woolly bears) are also on the increase nowadays, as they love central heating and fitted carpets. They will feed on your woollen fibres and then hibernate until they pupate in the spring and then start hatching and returning outdoors in summer.
Moths
Summer cotton clothes laid up for the season are a perfect hiding place for the larvae of the clothes moth. By the time the flying insects emerge the harm is done, as it's the larvae that eat the fibres. In a warm wardrobe, the moths will continue breeding throughout the year.
Silverfish
If your books, papers, and even wallpaper show signs of damage, you may have silverfish. They get their name from their silvery conical bodies, which are covered in tiny scales.
Woodworm
Tiny holes drilled in your solid wood furniture are a sure sign that woodworm have been around, but the damage may have happened long ago. You can check if they are still busy by covering the holes during the winter, when, if present, they are in residence; and then checking to see if the holes reappear in the spring, when they need to emerge to breed.
Spiders
Are spiders a pest? It depends on your point of view. Some people may find them scary, which is why they are considered a pest. They will catch and eat all sorts of flying nuisances, but if you can't bear to stay in the same room as a spider you will want to get rid of them anyway.
You might be more aware of pests in summer, when open windows lead to buzzing flies in the kitchen, but winter has its own problems. Cold weather will make your home an inviting prospect for many creatures which spend the summer out of doors. It's good to know how to identify and deal with the invaders.
Mice
In the UK there are three species of mouse. In addition to house mice, which will make their permanent home under your floorboards or in your wall cavities if they can, other mice will find refuge indoors in the winter months. Long-tailed field mice (also known as wood mice) are recognisable by their chestnut fur and large ears. In rural districts they are a more common pest than house mice. Yellow-necked mice are also a problem in some parts of the UK, especially in cold weather.
Rats
You are more likely to see rats in your garden in the winter, but in general they will make their winter homes in sheds and garages rather than the house itself. However, they will be looking for food sources such as bird feeders. The foxes that also venture into winter gardens will catch rats if they can.
Bed bugs
Bed bugs are small red-brown insects which are difficult to see; you are more likely to be aware of them because of their itchy bites, or the brownish smears their droppings make on bedclothes. You will need professional help to deal with this nasty pest, which came close to extinction in this country, until reintroduced as a result of international air travel.
Carpet beetles
Carpet beetles (woolly bears) are also on the increase nowadays, as they love central heating and fitted carpets. They will feed on your woollen fibres and then hibernate until they pupate in the spring and then start hatching and returning outdoors in summer.
Moths
Summer cotton clothes laid up for the season are a perfect hiding place for the larvae of the clothes moth. By the time the flying insects emerge the harm is done, as it's the larvae that eat the fibres. In a warm wardrobe, the moths will continue breeding throughout the year.
Silverfish
If your books, papers, and even wallpaper show signs of damage, you may have silverfish. They get their name from their silvery conical bodies, which are covered in tiny scales.
Woodworm
Tiny holes drilled in your solid wood furniture are a sure sign that woodworm have been around, but the damage may have happened long ago. You can check if they are still busy by covering the holes during the winter, when, if present, they are in residence; and then checking to see if the holes reappear in the spring, when they need to emerge to breed.
Spiders
Are spiders a pest? It depends on your point of view. Some people may find them scary, which is why they are considered a pest. They will catch and eat all sorts of flying nuisances, but if you can't bear to stay in the same room as a spider you will want to get rid of them anyway.
About the Author:
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