How to Get Rid of Winter Pests—and Keep Them Out of Your House
Because nobody wants uninvited houseguests.
Pete Starman/Getty Images
Everyone likes to get cozy at home for the winter—and pests like insects, spiders, and mice are no exception. If given the opportunity, many critters are happy to become your houseguests, no matter how unwelcome they may be.
Fortunately, there are things you can do to avoid setting out the welcome mat in the first place, and to help you evict bugs, mice, and other critters if they do end up finding their way into your home. Check out our strategies to ensure that the only creatures stirring in your home this winter are your family.
Strategies to Keep Winter Pests Out of Your Home
The best way to get rid of winter pests is to keep them out in the first place. Exterminators recommend following these tactics to make your home not-so-palatable to the guests you don't want in your home.
Seal up cracks and gaps
Pests can easily find their way into your house through any gaps in your home, whether it's a crack in your foundation, a gap around a water pipe, or even a small gap beneath the door. Weatherstripping and caulk can be your best friends in keeping pests from gaining entry into your home.
Deal with excess moisture
Many pests thrive in warm and humid environments. So if your basement or crawlspace is prone to high humidity, run a dehumidifier—and make sure that any dripping faucets or leaking pipes are repaired quickly.
Avoid clutter
Mice, insects, and spiders all seek out hiding spots where they can nest and avoid detection—and nothing's better than a dark, cluttered environment. (Bonus: Not only will it help you declutter, it will make it easier to detect and treat for new pests early, before they have the chance to develop a larger population.)
Keep food under wraps
As outdoor food sources dry up over the winter, pests will be on the lookout for indoor options—and providing easy access to pantry items or other insects that they can feed on will encourage pests to head into your home.
Maintain your garden
Many of the insects, spiders, and centipedes like living in mulch or under stones—and they can easily make their way into your house from landscaping and plant materials left up against the foundation. Keep your garden near your home neatly groomed to avoid having them make their home too close to yours.
How to Get Rid of Mice
Mice are a common (and unwelcome) winter visitor, as they look for a cozy spot. You might see small, rice-sized droppings or gnaw marks on food containers (if you don't see the mice themselves). Mouse traps and repellents can help you deal with a current infestation, along with sealing off any entry points.
Related: How to Get Rid of Mice Naturally With Home Remedies
How to Get Rid of Insects and Centipedes
Many insects that spend the warmer seasons outdoors retreat to more comfy indoor homes when the weather gets nastier—especially if there's somewhere damp and dark where they can hang out. Get the scoop on how to discourage individual winter bugs:
How to Get Rid of Spiders
Spiders may creep you out, but they can be extremely helpful at keeping populations of insects under control, especially in your garden. However, if spiders set up shop in your home, they could end up nesting and having hundreds of their descendants hanging around—which most people definitely won't love.
The vacuum can be a powerful tool—both to prevent hatchlings by giving your home a full vacuum (don't forget the corners along the floor and the ceiling) and to dispatch any live spiders you see.
If you want to be more humane, put out a paper welcome mat and cover the spider with a glass, then usher it outside. Essential oils like peppermint and eucalyptus can deter spiders, and a half-and-half mixture of vinegar and water can kill on contact.
Keeping their food supply at a minimum by dealing with other insect infestations can also go a long way toward keeping spiders out of your house in the first place.
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