Will Cold Weather Keep Pests Away?

As cold weather takes over during the winter, pests are forced to adapt. While certain pests do die off during the winter, many have developed the ability to withstand extreme temperatures and adapt to seasonal changes. Just because you aren’t seeing as many pests outside doesn’t mean that they have completely disappeared. 

Insects that can’t survive the winter spend most of their lives preparing the next generation. They will lay eggs in sheltered areas and provide enough food for the larvae to make it until spring. The eggs are able to make it through winter and hatch in the spring.

Other pests simply migrate to warmer areas to wait out the winter. Butterflies and dragonflies cycle through different climates as needed and produce young along the way to keep the process going. 

Hibernation is another method that pests use to survive the winter. They are able to slow their metabolism down and essentially go dormant until the spring. There are also pests that use a less extreme version of hibernation and simply wait out the winter by hiding in the soil, finding protection in a rotten log, or finding their way into human homes where they can enjoy some warmth and easy access to food and water. 

Ants and bees are two examples of colony pests that band together to make it through the winter. They spend the rest of the year collecting food, so once winter hits, they can cluster together in the hive and use the body heat to survive. 

In general, winter weather will keep pests away. Just keep in mind that just because pests are out of sight for a few months, they may not be completely gone. In fact, there is a chance that they may be sheltering in your home and waiting until spring to really show themselves. 

Winter is a good time to start thinking about pest control so that you are prepared for spring when everything comes back to life. For help with all your pest control needs, contact the experts at Capital Pest Services. 

Capital Pest is proud to be a family-owned and operated pest control company serving Raleigh, NC and its surrounding area (Chapel Hill, Wake Forest, Clayton, Pinehurst, Pittsboro, Fuquay-Varina, etc). Contact us for our pest control services today!