A roaring fire is a great way to take the chill off on these cold winter nights. The mesmerizing flicker of the flames and warmth emanating from the fireplace creates a cozy environment for the entire family or a romantic evening. One thing that can quickly ruin this atmosphere is winter pest problems!

That’s right, pests may be lurking in your fireplace as well as firewood. However, you can avoid winter pest problems with a little prevention and planning.

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Winter pest problems may be lurking around your cozy fire.

Perhaps the most common winter pest problems involve mice and rats. That’s because they want to get inside your home when the temperatures outside start to drop. We will focus on other winter pest problems in this article, but you can find tips to eliminate and prevent rodent problems.

Many Winter Pest Problems Begin Outside the Home

That stack of firewood you worked hard splitting and then stacking last fall is likely a work of beauty. You planned ahead for the cold winter and likely got some good exercise in the process. But you may have also built the perfect winter home for many winter pests.

Many pests including ants, Boxelder bugs, carpenter ants, cockroaches, spiders, termites and mice find woodpiles to be the ideal location for their homes. Woodpiles stacked next to your home are even more inviting for winter pests. And when you bring that firewood into your home, you may be bringing these pests along, too.

Tips to Prevent Winter Pest Problems

There’s no way to keep pests completely out of woodpiles. However, these tips can help keep them out of your home and help protect your home from wood destroying insects such as carpenter ants and termites.

  • Ideally, store firewood 15 to 20 feet from structures.
  • Firewood should be stored off the ground. Metal or plastic holders are better than wood firewood racks. You want to prevent wood-to-ground contact.
  • Cover stored wood with plastic sheeting or a tarp to protect against water and help prevent access for pests.
  • Inspect firewood before bringing it into the home.
  • Don’t bring more firewood into the home than you plan to use at any one time to minimize the risk of unwelcome hitchhikers.
  • Regularly inspect your fireplace for spiders and other pests. Make sure the flue is properly closed when the fireplace is not in use, but, of course, make sure the flue is open when burning wood.

If winter pest problems invade your home,  contact My Pest Pros today at 703-665-4455. and schedule your treatment! We can help  eliminate the issue and help prevent future problems.