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It’s the holiday season in Minnesota, and many of us are hosting guests—whether it’s grandparents for the weekend or cousins spending the day together. If you’re lucky, you might even have an unannounced guest coming down the chimney. Unfortunately, he isn’t the only guest visiting unannounced this winter. There are a handful of winter pests in Minnesota that BOGO services including stink bugs, boxelder bugs, spiders, house centipedes, ants, and mice. All of these pests are in search of warmth and food. Similar to how a bear shuts down and hibernates for the winter, most insects do the same. Their core body temperatures drop and are forced to stay still to conserve energy. If insects make their way inside for winter, you may see them crawling, looking for food, or just sitting by a window or on a wall taking in the warm sun rays. Most will not breed or lay eggs in the winter, even if they are inside.
The pests we get the most calls for in the winter are mice. Yes, mice, much like insects, are attracted to the heat inside your home; however, mice do not hibernate like other mammals, as they are active all winter long. They are constantly running in and out of the home, foraging for food to hoard and store during winter. Due to the cold temperature, mice will spend more time inside than out, and will most likely bread inside, as well. Mice do not have a designated breeding season. They can have 10 litters a year with 5-6 young per litter. This means that a mouse problem can escalate quickly if not addressed immediately. There are many different ways in which mice can find their way inside a home. Often it’s through the foundation, but they can also climb trees and chimneys that are overlapping or touching the roof of a house. Luckily, your mouse exclusion service is our niche service. No other pest control company is as thorough as us when it comes to sealing the home. Our mouse service operates all year long, which means we work outside in the snow. When there is snow on the ground, it works to our advantage. We are able to see mouse tracks leading to entry points around the house. The tracks appear as two small, symmetrical ovals from the back feet, with a long line running between them where the tail touches the snow. We have sealed many homes in the winter. If there are any limitations, such as noticing mouse tracks on the roof or tracks leading underneath a low deck, we have solutions for both scenarios. We will return in the spring to access the roof, as long as it’s safe for us to climb, and if there are deck boards that need to be pulled, we advise waiting to do that in the spring, as well. If you have any additional questions regarding our mouse service, please visit our Mouse Seal Up Service Page.
The house centipede contributes to a common phobia for most homeowners. House centipedes live inside all year long, but during the winter in Minnesota, as people start spending more time indoors, it’s common for people to start noticing them more often. They are considered a moisture pest and thrive in moisture-rich environments such as basements, bathrooms, laundry rooms, and outside underneath leaf litter and mulch. An important tip to keep them away and out of your home is to remove any leaf litter around your home, particularly inside the basement egress windows. You should also keep any foliage such as bushes or trees at least one foot away from the home. These tips can help keep mice and any other insects from being attracted to your home, as well. If you are still seeing them inside, we offer a winter service to treat any unfinished rooms and the basement, and in the spring, we can spray along the foundation to create a barrier that will kill any new centipedes that are trying to make their way inside.
Boxelder bugs and stink bugs are common insects seen inside during the winter months. Most of them likely made their way inside through entry points in the attic, gaps in doors and windows, or cracks in brick chimneys and foundations. As they are navigating their way through your home, it’s safe to say that they aren’t harming the structure or laying eggs and breeding. The best way to rid your home of these pests is to simply just vacuum them up when you see them. If the population inside has become a nuisance, call BOGO Pest Control to schedule a spring and fall treatment service. We will spray a barrier around your home to kill the insects before they make their way inside next winter. Interior pest services in the winter are often ineffective, as most insects have already hidden behind walls or in the attic, where they cannot come into contact with our product.
Ants are another common insect that can be found inside during winter months. Most ants that have made their way inside are in search of moisture, food, and most importantly, warmth. Since it’s winter, ants tend to change their diet to a more sugar-based diet rather than a protein-based diet. Sugar helps each ant to store energy that their bodies need to stay warm and active. Protein is used to help hatch eggs and grow the colony during the warm months. In the winter, the amount of egg laying and brood in the colony decreases dramatically. You may not even realize that there is a colony of ants living inside your home. They spend most of their time underground, lying dormant during the winter and only resurfacing to search for food and water. Due to their changes in diet, it becomes increasingly more difficult for baiting to be effective. The best option is to have a professional pest technician provide and interior spot treatment, focusing on the inside cracks and crevices. After the treatment is applied, you will have to wait up to 30 days to allow the product to exterminate the entire colony. One of the most common ants found inside during winter is the pavement ant. Also known as grease or sugar ants, pavement ants are extremely small. During winter, they can be found nesting inside heated concrete foundations, under the slab of slab-on-grade homes, under heated floors, and inside kitchens. Contact us if you’re seeing ants this winter and we will come inside to treat them for you. Any store-bought products are only effective in keeping ants away for a few days. Ant Service Page
Spiders stay active throughout the winter. During these months, spiders living outside have a unique way of staying alive. Their bodies produce a chemical called polyhydroxy alcohol. This chemical allows spiders to be able to continue to move around in temperatures as low as 23℉. It works as an antifreeze, keeping spiders alive, and dissipating as temperatures rise. This chemical allows spiders to move in and out of the structure all winter. If a spider or fall insect treatment was not applied to the home’s exterior before winter, there is a chance that there could be a larger population of spiders inside. They are more active in the fall as they are fattening up for winter. You will often find spiders inside when there is another insect infestation happening such as fruit flies, ants, or boxelder bugs. Here at BOGO, we are transparent with our customers, informing them that any exterior sprays will not be effective in the winter. When spraying for spiders, we focus on any unfinished rooms and basements. The unfinished rooms have electrical and plumbing lines that spiders use to navigate throughout the house. We advise having pets and children avoid the treated rooms we spray for an hour to let the product dry. Once the product is dry, no one will be able to see it or come in contact with it. It will be absorbed onto the surface, and spiders and other insects will be the only ones affected by it. Spider Service Page
BOGO Pest Control is your one-stop shop for exterminating any winter pests. We are honest with all our customers and follow the science to provide them with the most effective services. We want to remind you that we do work year round and are just one phone call away to answer any questions or concerns you may have regarding any unannounced visitors this winter (unless he has a white beard and a jolly old laugh).
If you have any questions or concerns or would like to schedule an appointment
Call Us Today! 952-404-BOGO (2646)
