Creating a Foundation Pests Hate This Winter

Cold weather is the perfect time to catch up on your pest control services. You may think that everything bothersome is taking a long winter’s nap but many pests are just as active in the wintertime as any other time of year. For example, rodents and roaches are still burrowing actively and may be more prone to invading your warm home.  

In the winter, the bare trees and shrubs around your home expose your foundation. This area is one of the most popular entry points for nasty pests. Rodents especially like to sneak in through small cracks in the foundation. The average mouse only needs a quarter inch wide gap to wriggle into your crawlspace, garage or walls.  It’s much easier for your EcoFirst Pest Control professional to inspect your foundation in this leafless season.  Fixes are also a bit easier.  If you need to install screens on your foundation vents, you or your professional will have an easier job without as much scratchy shrubbery in the way.  



That shrubbery may be one of your pest control problems. Having greenery around your home makes it more beautiful but plants also act as a highway into your home. Bugs crawl right up the trunks and over the branches onto the foundation. The root system on old or large foundation plantings can actually push up the masonry, forming cracks and crevices that invite pest infestations. Mulch raked up to the foundation walls can also breed insects too close to your home. In the winter, your EcoFirst Pest Control professional may advise you on how to make changes to protect your foundation.  

Clean Up

Start with a good clean up. Bundle up, put on some warm work gloves and begin by removing dead branches, fallen leaves and other plant debris.  This will limit the food sources and habitats that bugs love.  

Cut Back

Many trees and shrubs are dormant in the winter so it’s a good time to remove dead branches. Any limbs overhanging the roof should be removed, too. Squirrels are famous for dropping off a branch, scrambling across your roof and scurrying into your eaves in seconds.  Once there, they can easily access your attic and make a nice nest in the insulation.   

Strategic Removal

You may find that a particularly invasive plant may need to be removed. The gap remaining won’t be as noticeable in the barren winter landscape and it can be filled in the early spring. An old tree or bush planted close to the foundation can cause a great deal of damage with its root system.  The cracks and crevices formed by the roots create perfect environments for insect activity.    

Your EcoFirst Pest Control professional can help you decide what you need to do to protect and maintain your foundation in the winter and any other season. Makes sure you keep up with your regularly scheduled pest control appointments, even when the weather turns cold.  

Tagged as: EcoFirst Pest Control