As the warm weather diminishes in Tupelo, Oxford, and New Albany, MS, you're not alone in preparing for fall and winter tasks.
Pests and rodents are becoming active; they’re not wasting time—they’re on a mission. With the cooler weather setting in, pests see it as a cue to find shelter, and they aren’t particular about where they hide. That makes your home a likely target.
And you want to make sure you do what you can to keep these pests out.
Let’s discuss pests that enter homes in cold weather and how to keep them out of your house in North Mississippi.
In Tupelo, Oxford, and New Albany, MS, our first home pest invaders appear when nighttime lows fall into the 40s and 50s Fahrenheit. When temperatures drop into the 30s, rodents like mice may start entering homes.
Here's what to watch out for:
Rodents struggle in cold weather without shelter, which helps them stay warm and reproduce—something you definitely want to prevent in your home, garage, basement, or attic.
Additionally, they seek food just like we do. Mice can detect food from afar, and your home-cooked meals and pantry items are more appealing to them than anything outdoors.
Rodents only need a small space to squeeze into, and then they’re in. Your job is to find a way to get them out.
Lady beetles, stink bugs, and kudzu bugs might appear harmless. While they rarely cause significant damage to your home or pantry, they can still be a nuisance.
As temperatures drop, these pests seek ways to enter your house for shelter and warmth, often coming in large groups and multiplying quickly.
Cockroaches invade your home and make your personal spaces their own. They are dirty, move fast, and multiply like crazy. The thought of cockroaches near your food or personal space can give you nightmares.
Ants can be unpredictable, often appearing suddenly and rarely alone. Before you realize it, you've got a full-blown ant infestation.
They are usually drawn to sugars, crumbs, and open foods.
Keeping a tidy home and landscape helps to discourage ant infestations by removing the sources of food they're looking for.
For example, you might be searching for a larger home for your expanding family, a better neighborhood, or a place closer to your child’s school.
Meanwhile, insects are also looking for shelter.
They seek the safety, warmth, security, and food supply your home offers, and they don’t need permission to invade your basement or nest in your walls.
To prevent larger infestations as the weather cools, here are some tips to keep pests out of your house.
To insects or mice, imagine how good your home smells and feels. Fresh food, water, and crumbs – it’s like a smorgasbord.
This is made worse if food is continually left out or spills aren’t cleaned up, this is a bigger draw for bugs.
One effective way to prevent pests from entering your home is to maintain cleanliness. Regularly clean crumbs and spills from floors; store all food, including pet or bird food, in sealed plastic containers. Additionally, dispose of trash frequently and ensure it is contained with a sealed lid.
Since bugs often come from outdoor environments and tend to gather in debris, outdoor maintenance is necessary. Rake and trim piles of leaves, branches, and twigs, as well as overgrown plants. Additionally, relocate firewood stacks to at least 20 feet away from your house.
To keep pests out of your house, you can also make sure bug superhighways into your home aren’t left wide open.
Sealing cracks and crevices around your foundation, windows, basement, siding, and insulation can keep bugs outdoors where they belong.
A professional pest inspection can help uncover these entry points, ensuring your pest control plan effectively targets the areas of your home that most need treatment.
In addition to the tips above, outdoors, a perimeter pest control treatment can help prevent pests from entering your home in cold weather.
These applications typically last about three months, effectively preventing any intrusion. This is especially important as temperatures fall and pests look for shelter, and again in spring when rising temperatures lead to increased pest activity.
The best way to keep pests at bay is to embrace professional pest control.
For instance, Lawn & Pest Solutions offers a Pest 360 service that establishes a barrier around your home and ensures a technician is on-site at least once every 3 months. You remain on call with your pest professional should pests come inside.
That technician can then come inside to address the issue at no additional cost.
As the weather gets colder and pests become more mobile as they seek shelter and safety, keeping rodents, ladybugs, stink bugs, roaches, and ants out of your home is admirable.
We understand if you’re busy and don’t have time to inspect every corner and crevice. Life gets busy.
Hiring a service for professional pest control in Tupelo, Oxford & New Albany, MS can help.
A pest control technician will conduct a general pest inspection and look for common entry points. Since they always see pests, they know exactly where to look. They can even alert you to problem areas. After that, they can do a perimeter pest control treatment that acts as a barrier to keep bugs out.
Signing up for a recurring service that includes inspections, any necessary treatments, or replenishing this barrier is important. This means a professional checks for pests regularly, which can be reassuring, keeping your worries at bay. Your pest barrier is only as sound as its weakest spot, so keeping that treatment up regularly means pests can’t sneak through.
Noticing any pests in your home? Want to learn more about our pest control services in North Mississippi? Get started today with a free quote. We’ll review your options together so you can make a great choice. Then you can sit back and enjoy your home -- without the unwanted visitors.