Do you know what are the top 3 pests expected this winter?
With winter weather around the corner, Canadians will start heading indoors to escape the cold. Similarly, pests also look to seek refuge indoors for food and water due to cold weather.
In order to prevent a potential pest infestation from occurring on your property throughout the winter, we have put together a comprehensive list of the top 3 pests expected to trend in the winter of 2024. In today’s post, Vanquish Pest Control will be looking at top 3 pests that home and business owners should be on the lookout for during Winter 2024. If you suspect any of these pests are on your property, contact us today and we will give you the professional pest control help you need.
What Are The Reason For Potentially Increase Pest Activity In The Winter Of 2024?
Going into the 2024 winter time, the growth in pest populations that survived throughout the previous winter and experienced robust growth in spring and summer time may result in high number of pests starting to look for shelter to escape the cold weather. This may result in a potential increase in pest sightings throughout the winter season.
The top 3 pests expected this winter season are as mentioned below:
Cockroaches
Cockroaches are found all over the world, including here in Canada and Ontario. With over 4000 different cockroach species across the globe, you might be worried about them invading your home or business.
The good news is that only a handful of species are found in Ontario.
These are:
- German Cockroach
- Brown-Banded Cockroach
- Oriental Cockroach
- Pennsylvania Wood Cockroach
The reason why cockroaches are common winter pests in Ontario is due to our cold climate.
Although many varieties of cockroaches are very hardy and some are even capable of producing their own type of antifreeze, they still enjoy the warm indoors. With temperatures regularly dropping below freezing and a sudden lack of food, cockroaches will seek to invade your home for food and shelter. They typically enter through human transport, such as a bag or garbage bin, or they manage to enter around windows and doors. At times they also hitchhike in your groceries, specially produce.
The problem with cockroaches in winter is that they are highly social pests. This means that once you have identified one in your home or business, you are quite likely to find more very soon. Cockroaches are prolific breeders and can produce nearly 300 offsprings in just one year, meaning pest control is a must even if you can only see just one inside your property. Ignoring them could result in them contaminating your food and spreading illness to others.
Learn more about cockroaches here, including what to do if you spot one inside your property.
Bed Bugs
Bed bugs are a commonly known indoor pest that infests many apartment and condo buildings across Greater Toronto & Hamilton Area (GTHA).
Keep an eye out for these 6-legged creatures if you can. However, at less than ¼ inch long and generally nocturnal (active at night), adult bed bugs can be difficult to identify until you have been bitten. Fortunately, bed bug bites do not transmit disease, but they will leave with itchy, red and sore marks on your skin.
Bed bugs feed on human blood and will prefer to bite during the night, which is why they are called bed bugs. They do not always live in your bed and can be found in all sorts of hidden nooks in your home, including picture frames, wallpaper and in your car.
Learn how to exterminate bed bugs here.
Mice/Rats
The reduction of pandemic related restrictions created opportunities for many commercial businesses, especially food service businesses, to return back to regular operations.
This created increased food sources and lower competition for rodent populations who moved back to pre-pandemic migration patterns. These conditions also allowed for a growth in rodent populations. As colder weather starts to set in, these populations will look to establish colonies close to commercial areas with easy access to food. This will potentially result in an increased number of rodent sightings within commercial properties.
What Makes Rodents Dangerous?
Some rodent species, such as mice/rats, can carry and transmit Hantavirus, a rare respiratory disease, in their saliva, urine, and droppings. This disease can be fatal in humans and there is no known cure.
Mice can also transmit diseases like tularemia, lymphocytic chorio-meningitis, and murine typhus, while rats can transmit bubonic plague, Weil’s disease, toxoplasmosis, and trichinosis.
Rats and mice both contaminate food and water with their droppings, urine, and saliva, making it inconsumable, they can also introduce parasites, such as fleas, mites, lice and ticks into your home or business. Rodents can also cause major structural damage to your home or business when they burrow through walls and gnaw through electrical wiring, creating a serious fire hazard and expensive repairs.
Learn more what to do if you find mice/rats infestation here.
Keep Your Property Well Protected During Winter 2024
Despite spending more time indoors, the Ontario winter can bring many outdoor pests, especially the top 3 pests mentioned in this blog, inside your home where they are likely to cause more damage. However, they can be prevented and even exterminated with the help of an experienced exterminator in Toronto.