Cold Weather Pests 

The weather is cooling.  Some pests are moving away, some are hibernating, some are dying off, but some are becoming more active to protect themselves and maintain a food supply.  A perfect spot is your home and/or business.  We’ve been acting as Rochester’s resource for commercial and residential pest control for decades, and we’d like to share some information about the pests that are most active at this time of year and through winter.   

Boxelder Bugs 

You’ve seen these guys around—oval black bodies with red or orange markings and long antennae.  They don’t pose a physical threat, but they come in numbers into our homes and businesses and have no problem flying into your papers, your face, your hair, your food.  Their feces is bright orange, and the insects smell bad when crushed.  The best thing to do is to vacuum up the boxelders already in your space and call us. 

Stink Bugs 

Stink bugs are a yearly nuisance in this area of the world.  Squat, gray-brown, and shaped like shields, they also arrive in numbers.  They don’t bite or sting, but they buzz around, stink when crushed, and leave their corpses everywhere.  Vacuum those up and call us.   

Cockroaches 

The awful classic.  Cockroaches eat your food and spread diseases, parasites, and contaminants.  They also reproduce rapidly, and by the time you see one roach, you can be sure that there are more.  Always keep food put away in sealed containers or frozen, and don’t leave organic garbage or compost piles against the sides of your structures.    

Carpenter Ants 

Carpenter ants look like an extra-large version of the common black ant.  Carpenter ants will damage structures made out of wood and wood products, like walls, furniture, beams, and floors.  They do not eat the wood but they chew through it to make tunnels, as they like to hold on to a secure residence.  Carpenter ants are solitary, but one wooden floor can still house several quite comfortably.  If you see carpenter ants, don’t wait for them to weaken your structures.   

Pest Removal and Prevention 

It’s tough to keep pests out 100%, but a little prevention goes a long way.  Here’s our advice: 

• Seal up all cracks and holes in your walls, foundations, windows, and roof to prevent entry.   

• Try cleaning surfaces with warm water with a few drops of essential oil.  Insect pests do not like the oils from tea tree, lavender, mint, and lemongrass.   

• Keep your HVAC system well maintained.  The debris that collects on equipment like filters and fans can attract pests.   

Lastly, call your local pest pros to discover the best in pest removal and control.  We make setup and maintenance easy, and we only use products that are both effective and safe for you and your pets.