Is Your Home Freezing? You Might Be at Risk for Pests

Most homeowners in New York right now are not thinking about pests. Besides rats and a few other year-round insects, pest populations tend to decrease this time of year. Instead, you’re worried about staying warm – especially during the current heat wave.

If you’ve noticed, however, that your home is extra, extra cold at the moment, that may be a sign that you’re at risk for something else: pests.

No, you’re not necessarily going to get a pest invasion right now. Most pests in Staten Island are inactive. But you are at risk for pests in spring. It’s not the cold that brings them in. It’s what the cold represents.

Cold Air Comes from Outside

It is, of course, profoundly cold right now. As of this writing, it is literally 10 degrees below freezing. It’s difficult to expect any home to have stay warm, especially those with poor insulation or an older HVAC system.

But issues arise if your home is much colder than you expect. It is the unexpectedly cold homes that are a bigger concern, and the reason for this is because of air leaks.

Many of the homes here are older, and different parts of these properties are starting to deteriorate or become damaged. Those areas of damage are likely to be very small – maybe even smaller than you can see the naked eye. But they’re there.

Why is our home cold?

Because cold air is getting in from the outside.

How is it getting in?

Through small holes in our property that cause air leaks, pushing hot air out and allowing cold air in.

As the weather warms up in spring, that means that that those same holds that allow cold air to come in will also allow pests to come in. Spiders, ants, roaches – these pests need very, very little space in order to enter your home, and those same leaks are typically enough to allow insects to enter your property freely.

What Can You Do?

Leaks on your property can be fixed in one of two ways. If it’s something significant, like very old windows, you may want to consider a contractor to replace the windows. Or, you may simply need weather stripping or something protective.

Fillmore Termite and Pest Control can also help. We can seal some of these holes ourselves (a process known as “Exclusion”) and also start treating for pests *before* they can enter, so that you do not have to worry about the effects of the leaks. If you’re looking for a partner for your pest control, reach out to Fillmore Termite and Pest Control today.

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