Winter Pests and Where To Find Them
Winter weather brings colder temperatures, but it doesn’t end all your pest problems. In fact, winter is often when you’ll notice rodents, cockroaches, bed bugs, termites, and moles becoming more active around your home. As outdoor conditions worsen, bugs and pests look for warm, protected environments indoors.
At IPM Pest & Termite, we serve areas near Lexington and Louisville, Kentucky. We can help you identify which pests you’re dealing with, eliminate them, and work with you to prevent them from coming in. Learn which pests you’re most likely to see in winter.
Why Pests Move Inside During Winter
When temperatures drop, natural food sources disappear, water freezes, and soil hardens. Your home has everything pests need to survive the winter: warmth, moisture, and shelter. Cracks in foundations, gaps around utility lines, crawl spaces, and basements all create easy access points for winter pests.
Common Winter Pests in Kentucky
Rodents
Rodents like rats, mice, and moles are among the most common winter pests in Kentucky. Mice and rats enter homes through tiny openings, then nest in walls, attics, and garages. Once in, rodents contaminate food, chew wiring, and reproduce quickly.
Cockroaches
Cockroaches resist everything, including cold. During winter, they retreat deeper into your home, especially to areas like kitchens, bathrooms, and basements where heat and moisture are consistent.
Bed Bugs
Bed bugs live entirely indoors, so they remain active year-round. Winter gatherings, holiday travel, and overnight guests increase the risk of infestations, as bed bugs often travel via luggage or clothing. Immediately segregate your clothing to wash following any trips—especially if you see signs of bedbugs.
Termites
Most people assume that termites die in winter, but they remain active underground and inside human homes. Termite damage often continues unnoticed during colder months.
Moles
While moles don’t invade homes, they remain active outdoors. As insects move deeper underground, moles create tunnels across lawns searching for food. You’ll notice them when they resurface come spring.
Where Winter Pests Are Most Often Found
To reduce the number of pests making their way into your home seal cracks, add weatherstripping, and clear debris from your yard in fall, trim back tree branches, and fix leaky pipes inside and outside so you’re not unknowingly providing a water source.
Inside your home, put away food immediately and vacuum regularly. It also helps to declutter the basement and attic.
You’re likely to find winter pests in:
- Kitchens and pantries
- Basements and crawl spaces
- Wall voids and insulation
- Or near plumbing lines and heating systems
- Lawns and landscaped areas (for moles)
Ignoring pests in winter allows infestations to grow undetected. Rodents multiply, termites continue structural damage, and cockroach populations, which can create larger problems in spring. Winter is one of the best times for inspections and preventative treatments, since pest activity is more concentrated indoors.
Contact Us for Winter Pest Control
If you suspect winter pest activity in your home, IPM Pest & Termite can identify whether it’s rodents, moles, termites, cockroaches, bed bugs, and provide a targeted plan to eliminate them and prevent their return. We provide professional, seasonally informed pest control services.
To get started, call us at (859) 340-1403 for our Lexington location and (502) 399-4526 for our Louisville location, and complete our online contact form to hear back from a member of our team.
