Fall comes between summer and winter, during which temperatures drop gradually to the lowest at the onset of winter. It is called fall in the United Stated because of the falling of leaves from deciduous trees and South Carolina is resplendent with fall beauty. However, even though there’s beauty in the fall, there are pests and wildlife that you should be aware of, and prevent. Your crawl space could be a welcome home for many pests and wildlife and being proactive, rather than reactive, is often the best strategy.
The season runs from 1st September to 30th November and leads to autumn foliage with stunning deep reds and browns on the trees, and some plants become dormant for the colder seasons. As those leaves begin to fall, you are more than likely to concentrate on tidying your yard and home rather than paying attention to the possible pests that may look for a new home.
Failing to pay attention to the area that surrounds your home in this season gives pests ideal conditions for survival. The unattended homestead attracts bugs seeking some warm habitat in the cold and wet months of the year. Your crawl space, if not encapsulated, could just be the home they are looking for, and that can cause all sorts of problems. But what pest’s should you be concerned about — let’s find out!
These pests are prevalent in fall.
The circle of life is ever-changing with every season we have. Every fall, the problem of pests repeats itself with each cycle. These uninvited pests and insects that visited you last year are the same coming this year. Pests prefer warmer temperatures as well as wildlife, and they find their way into better conditions offered by your home. Here is a list of some of the insects that you are likely to find in your home this fall.
Rodents: Squirrels, Bats, Mice & Rats
Rodents such as rats and mice are a common problem in fall for most homeowners. They often look for easy access to warmer places where they can find shelter, food and warmer temperatures. However, they also cause damage and disease. They commonly seek habitation in the crawl space — especially if there are easy ways to get into the crawl space. Once inside, they can also gain entry to your attic, and other areas of the home as they look for warmth and safety.
Rats and mice are fond of living in the roof, the ceiling, closets, the cupboards, attics and wall spaces. Their presence in the house is unpleasant — their droppings are often seen easily, including signs of gnawing. They transmit a host of diseases and can harm the property through gnawing and getting into your HVAC System. They at times leave electric wires bare if they gnaw the insulation, which can cause short-circuiting and fire hazards.
Squirrels and Bats
Whilst squirrels look cute and can be hilarious to watch, they can equally cause a lot of damage in the home. Not to mention the problems with spreading diseases and other vectors that may be making homes in the squirrel itself. Like all wildlife, and, of course, life in general, no one wants to be cold and hungry. Therefore, your home becomes a welcome shelter if they can get inside. You have to have some ingenuity to outsmart these creatures.
Bats are active in Fall
Bats are more active in fall and will often fly in fall as temperatures rise and fall. You will often hear the flutter of their wings as they fly around devouring the slow flying fall pests in the air. Bats are also carriers of diseases and bugs that could cause problems within your home. For the most part, in South Carolina, most species of bats go into hibernation. Your attic space could be the ideal home for hibernating bats.
Prevent those pests
Prevention is better than cure. You need to start your fall pest control and try to identify where you can exclude wildlife and pests. It is always good to begin from the crawl space and work upwards to find places where rodents can get in and to exclude them. If you already have a problem, then make sure you take action sooner rather than later. Let’s look at some other pests that can cause problems
Ladybugs or Ladybirds
Ladybirds are common in and around the house during fall. They are fond of being around the doors and the windows. While moving from one place to the other, they do it large groups which are unpleasant to homeowners. They do not harm the house, but their large numbers is a nuisance and annoying. They are either yellow, orange and in some cases red with black spots on some parts of the body.
Keep your house free from ladybugs by filling a spray bottle with soapy water and then spray on them to make it hard for them to reproduce.
Ants are often another fall problem
It is hard for ants to survive in the cold, and therefore they look to escape the cold during the fall. They need to stay warm, dry and get something to eat and that’s the reason why they come into your house. In most cases, they will move as a colony and settle near the wall beneath the slab or in the crawl space where they will find perfect survival conditions.
Cockroaches are the great survivors.
Cockroaches infest your house easily and can be introduced in a myriad of ways. Once in they replicate fast and, like all other creatures, they are looking for food and warmth. They carry and transmit diseases and are often very difficult to control without professional pest control.
To keep your house free from cockroaches, seal cracks and any other entry points. Keep your surroundings clean and free from waste. The minute you see signs of cockroaches, you need to take action swiftly.
Termites are active
Some people think termites go into hibernation and are not an issue when the weather is colder. The truth is that in South Carolina, termites are active all year around. The only difference is they go deeper to escape that harsh weather. This makes them far more covert when gaining entry to your home through the crawl space or, of course, coming up from the foundations should you not have a crawl space.
Now that you know the pests and wildlife that could be an issue this fall. Take action and book your free crawl space inspection or start your fall pest control now.
Remain pest-free this season! Book your fall pest control with Meaghan at scoutspestcontrol.com