I understand it. Things are difficult at the moment. Businesses and households are looking for ways to reduce outgoings. Costs are rising, opportunities diminishing and we are all looking for ways to save money.

When most people visualise pests invading their homes, they think about the spring (ants, cockroaches, flies and mice), summer (nesting birds, wasps and bed bugs) and autumn ( rats and squirrels). Yes, people understand it’s cold outside and this might encourage the odd rat to try to enter your home for warmth but, besides this, it is often assumed winter is the off-season for pests.

Therefore, it might seem like an easy decision to consider cutting back on pest control during the winter months…

Wrong!

Here are my six reasons why pest control is essential in winter.

1. Don’t lose control – if you’ve had problems throughout the rest of the year, there is no reason to believe they will go away in winter.

Many pests can easily survive in freezing weather and let’s not forget central heating means homes are no longer iceboxes. How many times have you seen a butterfly fluttering around your dining room in early winter when you switch on the central heating? Now, a butterfly isn’t exactly a major problem but central heating will also have the same effect on creatures you might be less happy to have in your home. They may be hiding in undisturbed attics and cellars, just waiting for it to warm up.

Maintaining the same effective pest control solutions that have been keeping these pests under control throughout the year means they won’t suddenly reappear when you turn your heating on or the ambient temperature begins to rise.

2. Look to the future – whether its your home or business, you need to be prepared for the weather to warm up. Pest control during the winter helps you to eradicate pests hiding in your property. It also prepares your property for the spring and summer months by ensuring places where pests can enter your building are blocked. A professional pest control technician can find and block access points, such as holes around pipes or unguarded drains.

3. Breathe easier – pest control isn’t all about rats and mice. Dust mites, cockroaches and other insects can spread allergens around your home or business. The chances are, if you are heating your property, this problem will persist without professional pest control.

4. Protect your property – rodents (squirrels, rats and mice) in attics and other hidden areas can be a major problem for property owners. They can gnaw on beams and roof joists, creating structural problems, and on cabling, creating a fire hazard.

Investing in pest control during winter ensures they don’t get access to hidden areas where they can cause this kind of damage.

5. Stay healthy – many pests spread diseases – for example, cockroaches can carry salmonella, staphylococcus and streptococcus, rats can spread Weil’s disease, tuberculous and E.coli., and pigeons carry parasites that could spread diseases such as salmonella, meningitis and toxoplasmosis. Maintaining effective pest control throughout the winter months will reduce the risk of these diseases spreading.

6. Save money – damage caused by rodents, reputational damage and lost business caused by an infestation, along with lost work hours and medical costs associated with diseases spread by pests, will all cost you more than maintaining preventive pest control.

It might seem like cutting back on pest control in the winter makes sound financial sense, but it doesn’t. There is no denying that, for many of us, times are difficult. Whether you are running a household or a business, you need to find ways to reduce costs but the choices you make must be informed. Too often, when we think about pest control, it is as an add-on, but it is not. The benefits of effective preventive pest control far outweigh the potential to reduce costs and could, in the short or long-term, end up costing you more.

LNPS has over 100 years of accumulated experience in effective pest control. Call us today on 020 8430 4133 to discuss you needs.