Colder weather can bring PA’s pests into your home. How to evict unwanted bugs, rodents
Pest management is usually not among homeowners’ chief concerns during the winter months, but frigid temperatures do not prevent unwanted critters from stirring around the house.
Some common pests, including rodents, seek shelter indoors during the winter when temperatures lower and food sources become more scarce. Even with temperatures on the rise in central Pennsylvania in early February, winter is far from over.
If you’ve noticed unwanted critters around the house or feel the need to take proactive measures, here are a few tips for keeping some of Pennsylvania’s common pests at bay this winter.
Got a mouse in the house? Here’s what to do
Mice infestations tend to begin in the fall and continue through the winter as temperatures drop outdoors, pest control company Orkin writes. More notably, mice colonies rarely venture outside again once they find warm shelter indoors — a problematic behavior since colony populations can exceed 200 mice in just a few weeks or months.
Before getting to work with pest control solutions, it’s important to determine if you are dealing with rats or mice, according to Penn State Extension, the university’s science-based information and educational materials agency. Here are a few key differences:
- Mice are smaller than rats, often measuring between roughly 5 and 8 inches long with a long, hairless tail and large ears. Mice droppings are pointed, usually reaching the size of a grain of rice.
- Rats are larger and usually measure between about 13 and 18 inches in length with a shorter tail. Their droppings are blunt, usually the size of a small raisin.
Mice enter homes through cracks and holes found in floors, foundations and walls, and they often need very little room. Their body shape and structure let them enter a home with a hole just about as wide as a No. 2 pencil, Orkin writes. Other pests, like ants and roaches, can enter homes through even smaller openings.
If you found entry points or pest-created holes in your home, seal them off or plug them up using rodent-proof materials like copper mesh, hardware cloth and silicone sealant, Penn State Extension writes. You might also consider installing door sweeps under your doors.
It’s also important to eliminate rodent needs — namely food, water and shelter, the agency says. Try to clean up crumbs and spills, avoid storing food on the floor, fix dripping faucets or leaking pipes and tidy up any clutter around the house.
More dramatic pest control measures include mouse traps and pesticides, the latter of which should not be used inside homes without the help of experts. Consider contacting a pest control company if your home’s infestation requires high-level help.
How to get rid of silverfish in your home
These slithering, scaly and silver pests may enter your home in the winter as they seek warmth, shelter and food, Penn State Extension writes. Silverfish, which get their name from their fish-like movements and silver “scales,” can enter homes through very narrow openings and become especially active in the winter, unlike some other pests.
Uniquely, silverfish can live for several years and produce more than 50 offspring, Penn State’s agency says. They generally feed on dead and injured insects and can survive weeks without food and water, all while potentially destroying books, papers, wallpaper and other starchy items through their excrement.
Silverfish bites are not particularly harmful and generally cannot pierce human skin, but they can contaminate food and stir up allergies, experts say.
To aid silverfish removal, be sure to seal the exterior of your home and keep its perimeter clean and dry. Clean out closets and cabinets, dust bookshelves and store food in airtight containers. Consider removing piles of wet leaves from your yard and use a dehumidifier in damp areas of basements and crawl spaces where these pests might thrive.
Time to hunt spotted lanternfly eggs?
Late fall, winter and early spring present opportunities to cut down on a notorious Pennsylvania pest before it’s too late.
The spotted lanternfly is recognized as an invasive insect in the Keystone State as it continues to spread across the country. They feed on sap from plants and trees, which can decrease plant health and, in some instances, lead to their death, potentially destroying crops and strongly affecting Pennsylvania’s economy.
Spotted lanternflies reproduce through egg masses, which are laid in the late summer through early winter. These egg masses, each containing between roughly 30 and 50 eggs, can survive the winter before hatching in the spring.
According to Penn State Extension, the masses are usually about 1.5 inches long with brown or gray coloring. They contain rows of small eggs that are roughly the size of a sharpened pencil point. Female spotted lanternflies are known to cover egg masses with a substance believed to help them survive the winter, usually resulting in the gray, brown or even yellow color associated with the egg masses.
Female spotted lanternflies will often lay their eggs on trees near their feeding sites, usually on red maples, silver maples or willows, Penn State Extension writes. Other suitable spots for masses include protected areas (like the underside of tree limbs) or outdoor surfaces that are horizontal and angled toward the ground, including exterior walls, picnic tables and even vehicles.
Notably, egg masses may stick around on trees and other structures long after they have hatched. You can distinguish a fresh egg mass from an old one by checking for “covering” on top of the mass and looking for emergence holes, which would’ve been left behind if offspring successfully hatched.
If you found an egg mass on your property and are itching to remove it, consider the following tips from Penn State Extension:
- Scrape egg masses off outdoor surfaces using a plastic card or a putty knife and send them falling into a bag or container filled with rubbing alcohol or hand sanitizer. Keep them in the solution permanently, as egg masses that fall to the ground can still hatch.
- If you choose to smash an egg mash, be sure to apply “even and forceful pressure” to the entire mass. A properly smashed egg mass will “burst open.”
- Don’t be discouraged if you remove egg masses but still find spotted lanternflies in your neighborhood. Your efforts may reduce their population, but completely eliminating the insects is extremely difficult.
If you find spotted lanternflies in your neck of the woods, report sightings to the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture by filling out an online form or calling 1-888-422-3359.
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