Palmetto bugs, the scourge of Southern homes, are a year-round nuisance. While many older bugs die in the winter, the younger ones will seek shelter from the cold in nearby trees, garages, and potentially your home once the temperature is consistently falling below 55 degrees. Here are five tips to prepare your home during the winter to prevent palmetto bugs from entering during the spring.
- Clean Out Gutters
Like any other animal, palmetto bugs need food and moisture to survive. There are several steps you can take to help reduce moisture in your home. Regularly clean out gutters that are collecting water, seal up any leaks in attics or other crawl spaces, and fix pipes that may be dripping water to collect in the sink or on the floor.
- Seal Up Cracks
Palmetto bugs can slide through the smallest cracks to get from outside to inside, and the warmth coming from your home helps them easily find these openings. At the start of winter, thoroughly examine the walls and windows of your home to identify areas bugs may be able to use to get in. Repair any large holes that may be at the bottom of your home or near any basement crawl spaces, and caulk up cracks in walls and windows.
- Trim Nearby Trees
Large wooded areas often attract palmetto bugs, and they can use any trees close enough to your home to crawl over the branches and get inside. To cut off their access route, trim back branches yourself or make an appointment with a tree removal service. Sweep up piles of dead leaves around your house that palmetto bugs may be hiding in. Throw away or store securely any unused firewood as this can also be a breeding ground for palmetto bugs and other pests.
- Use Bug Poison to Prevent Palmetto Bugs
Whether you’ve spotted bugs already or you’re taking precautionary measures, roach poison is effective for dealing with any stragglers. Identify small cracks and crevices that palmetto bugs tend to hide in, and set out poison, traps, or boric acid powder. Use roach sprays on any live bugs you encounter. When setting out poison or traps, keep pets and children in mind and make sure they aren’t able to accidentally ingest any harmful substances.
- Call Pest Control
Although palmetto bugs don’t hibernate during the winter, you won’t see them out as much in colder months. Once winter is coming to an end, bugs will start to reappear and you may start to notice them around your house. If you spot any small roaches, that may be a sign that adult bugs have laid eggs in your home and that you may have a huge infestation waiting in the corners come spring. Call your local pest control company at the start of winter so they can spray outside and inside, and make sure they are scheduled to come out again in the spring when bugs are becoming active again.
Start preparing your home this winter to prevent palmetto bugs from entering during the spring and schedule a consultation today with our experts at Exclusive Pest Control.