It’s natural for you to want to hibernate indoors as the weather turns colder.

Unfortunately, pests have the same idea. And they want to move into your home for the winter.

If you’re going to do something about it, now’s the time, said Scott Steckel, owner of Varment Guard in Columbus and president of the Ohio Pest Control Association. Everything from tiny ladybugs to good-size raccoons are trying to get into your house now or are already there.

Spring and fall tend to be the busy times for pest control companies, Steckel said.

Tips to avoid pests

Here are some tips for dealing with nature’s incursions:

Any opening more than a half-inch wide is going to bring pests in, said Jim Stocker, CEO of Apex Pest Control in Bedford, Ohio. Look closely at where the siding meets the foundation, where the air conditioner goes into the house, where utility lines enter the house, and basement windows. Older basement windows may not have a tight seal, Stocker said, and would give smaller pests a pathway in.

A good rule of thumb, Stocker said, is if you can fit your finger in an opening, seal it up. But use the right material. Rodents chew through foam insulation. Steel wool, a common material used, rusts and degrades, becoming inefficient. Aluminum or copper screening and concrete are your best choices.

Insects

Several insects want to spend the winter in your home – ladybugs, spiders, stinging insects such as hornets, earwigs, centipedes and carpenter ants among them. Insects tend to invade through open doors and windows, Steckel said. Check with an exterminator on the best way to prevent the tiny critters from multiplying.

Rodents

This is the time of year people start seeing mice, Stocker said. The cool nights drive them inside. Set traps and make sure you don’t leave food, including dog or cat bowls, out.

Skunks, raccoons and possums like to reside under decks and porches and in crawl spaces. They must be professionally trapped and euthanized because of the rabies risk, Stocker said.

Stocker said he has known of raccoons chewing through roofing to reach an attic in the winter to reach a warm place to deliver their litters in February. They also seek the shelter of chimneys, which is why caps are essential. Visually check your roofing frequently.

Chipmunks and squirrels also love attics. Squirrels, Stocker said, are known to chew through siding. They often get in during warmer weather and, pardon the pun, squirrel away food there for the winter. Again, do visual checks and call in the professionals if you suspect you have a problem. You can get rid of squirrels, chipmunks and mice either through humane trapping or lethally.

Bats love attics and soffits. They often enter a home through vents. But their presence can be dangerous, as they can carry rabies and sudden acute respiratory syndrome. Their waste, known as guano, not only stinks and damages the home, it contains fungus that can cause histoplasmosis or Darling’s disease, which can be fatal if left untreated. Do not try to remove bats from your home by yourself. Call a professional.

Final words of advice: A pest control professional’s options depend on who lives in the house. If there are kids or pets, they can’t use bait in areas where the kids or pets have access to them. Calling in a professional starts around $160 for an initial treatment for mice, Stocker said.

Steckel advised against “going nuclear” and putting out poison or sprays everywhere before identifying the problem and taking action to prevent any further incursions. Do a spraying or baiting of the perimeter of the house, he advised, and double-check and repair points of entry such as doors and windows.

DS END HEBERT

(Melissa Hebert is a staff writer for The Plain Dealer of Cleveland. She can be contacted at mhebert(at)plaind.com.)

AP-NY-10-23-08 1454EDT