Where Do Pests Go In The Winter?

Here in New England, we are used to the cold, harsh winters. We head indoors to stay warm and ride out whatever Mother Nature has in store for us. But what about the critters and insects? Where do they go? Let's take a look at three of the potential methods that pests have for making it through the winter months.

Overwintering

Many insects and bugs take shelter in homes and buildings in order to ride out the winter. Pests like beetles, stink bugs and rodents find their way into the warmth of the walls of a home in order to survive the winters.This is one reason we suggest buttoning up your home in the early fall and inspecting for openings in the foundation, attic, chimney, and soffits. These are places where pests will attempt to find refuge for the winter.Some critters like rodents may enter your home and cause damage throughout the winter months. They do not tend to hunker down like stink bugs, beetles and other insects. Rather, they stay active and can cause considerable damage to insulation, storage, and electrical wires. Be sure to inspect crawl spaces, attics, and basements regularly in order to avoid a messy clean up or potential exposure to rodent carried diseases.Other than in a home or structure, overwintering can occur in places such as beneath leaf litter in forests, inside buildings, or even under the bark of trees. All sites provide a shelter from frigid temperatures.

Hibernation or Diapause

When it comes to pests such as mosquitoes, cockroaches, spiders, and ants, there is a completely different method that they use to ride out the winter. These arthropods are exothermic. This means that they cannot produce their own heat, so they are dependent on environmental temperatures for mobility.Some arthropods can produce a sort of antifreeze where their hemolymph (blood) contains glycerol that protects them from freezing during the diapause (hibernation) period. Depending on the species, arthropods may overwinter as eggs, larvae, pupae or adults.

Migration

As we have seen, creatures large and small have varying methods to survive the winters. One of the most common is migration. This method simply means traveling long distances to find warmer temperatures. Birds, bees, and some butterflies use this method to make it through these cold, snowy months.Looking for more information about the habits of insects and pests during the winter months? Check out this interesting article from the Smithsonian on, Where Insects Go During the Winter.