Brisbane winters are mild at best. Yes, we get the odd temps that drop below 10℃ but overall our winters are pretty mild by global standards. This being the case, it doesn’t get quite cold enough to kill off any bugs, rodents, insects or pests from entering and invading your home in the winter months.
There are definitely types of pests we see more of in colder months and this article is going to list some of the bugs and pests you can expect to see in Brisbane during winter.
Rodents in the winter
Rodents like mice and rats are typically more active in the winter months as they’re more likely to come into your home looking for food and shelter. Rats and mice – during winter, are looking for somewhere warm, dry and safe to build their nests and more often than not, that’s in your ceiling.
Rats and mice do damage if they’re in your ceiling
Rats and mice are notorious for eating pretty much anything. This includes chewing on cabling, cords, pipes, wood, drywall and whatever else they can get their claws on. This can cause havoc in your home if they chew through cabling for downlights, heat and exhaust fans for bathrooms, speaker systems or TV antennas.
Given enough time, rats and mice can cause all sorts of trouble in your home so not only will you have the issue of trying to remove them, you will have an additional cost burden of fixing cabling, pipes and cords, etc if they chew through these in your roof.
It’s much better to deal with a rat or mouse infestation right away than to wait until it starts becoming a real issue.
How to tell if you have rats or mice in your roof:-
- Physical evidence (droppings and eaten food)
- Odour (mice and rats have a distinct, musty, acrid smell)
- Gnawed holes in food, fruit and packets
- Your pets bark or scratch at the walls
If you suspect you have rats or mice in your ceiling or in and around your home, we can help. Our experienced rodent control experts are ready and waiting for your call. Don’t wait until there’s untold damage done to your home, call us today on 1300 057 067.
Cockroaches in the winter
Typically cockroaches tend to slow down in the winter but the thing about Brisbane that’s at the same time wonderful but also frustrating is that our temperatures don’t plummet so low as to really cut down the numbers. Cockroaches prefer temperatures at around 25-30 degrees Celcius, however if the temperature drops below zero degrees, we will see some species die off (unless they’ve managed to find a warm spot in your home!).
How to tell if you have cockroaches in your home
Cockroaches are a type of creepy crawly that no one likes in their home. They pop out from unexpected places, fly around when you try to hit them and crawl over everything! Here’s a list of things to look for in your home to help you figure out if you have cockroaches or not:-
- You see cockroaches running around (where there’s one, there’s more)
- Tiny peppercorn-like droppings on your floor
- If you have an infestation it smells musty, oily, earthy or dank
- You find egg casings (see an image)
You will probably find a million and one home remedies for removing cockroaches from your home, and they’re worth a try, but if you have an infestation or lots of them in your house, chances are you’re going to need a professional pest control company to come to your home and give your home a cockroach treatment.
Termites in winter
Typically termite activity will slow down over the colder months as termites – particularly subterranean termites will burrow deeper into the ground to avoid the cold. We do see some cases where termites will hole up in a warm space in a home for the winter months. This is where a large amount of damage can be done to your home as they’ve managed to make their way into a warm place in your house and set up shop!
Termites love to chow down on anything that has cellulose in it. This includes wood, paper, cloth, some insulations and anything made from plant fibres or wood. Some species prefer damp wood so anywhere like bathrooms or around hot water systems tend to be hotspots for termites in the winter as it’s warm, damp and full of food! The perfect environment if you’re a termite.
Below are some signs you might have termites in your home:-
- You see insect wings around your home (there are some species of flying ants that shed wings so this isn’t always a foolproof method of identifying termites)
- You have thin, papery walls
- You find mud tunnels in or around your home
Termites can be notoriously difficult to spot and it’s advised you have a professional pest control company complete a termite inspection on your home to be sure a thorough inspection picks up any potential infestations before they become an expensive issue.
If you require pest control services and you live in the northern suburbs of Brisbane, please feel free to contact us for pricing and more information about our pest control services.
Call us today on 1300 057 067.