The National Pest Management Association released their predictions for pest activity in the coming winter. They make these predictions based on historic pest trends, current pest activity, and weather data, enabling homeowners and pest control companies to prepare for what will likely be the season’s most challenging pests.

Their nationwide bug barometer includes significant increases in pest activity throughout the country, but here is what this means specifically for Northern Virginia.

Rodents and Other Pests to Expect This Winter

Virginia, and much of the South, experienced a record amount of rainfall this summer. Many pests that do well in areas with high moisture thrived, and we have seen an increase in mosquitoes, roaches, and a few other moisture loving pests.

But the pest that is most likely to be a problem this winter is rodents. Entomologists with the NPMA suspect that Gainesville, Bristow, and other cities around Northern Virginia will have significantly higher than average rodent activity this winter.

This is because not only have bugs been thriving in the rainy and mild summer, but rodents have had abundant food and their population has grown as well. They do not do well in the cold, however, and will be forced to move inside as the temperature drops.

Meteorologists are predicting a sharp drop into extremely cold temperatures relatively early in the season. This is bad news for pest control since it means that mice and rat populations will be extremely abundant as a holdover from summer, leaving a large number of rodents that will be seeking to come indoors to find shelter.

Although mice and rats are never welcome, the additional risks inherent with this winter’s rodent activity include:

• Risk for Disease – More rodents mean more cases of rodent borne illnesses. Diseases can be more spread over a greater area with more mice and rats to pass along germs, and there is an increased risk of bites and contamination to spread illnesses from rodents to people.
• More Significant Damage – With more rodents vying for shelter and increased numbers, the potential for damage to your home is much greater. Since rodents are known to do structural damage such as chewing through wiring, insulation, drywall, and wood, more rodents can mean more damage to your home in a shorter amount of time.
• Multiple Infestations – Rats and mice will often infest different areas of your home. They are relatively territorial, so certain rats may stick to upper floors and attics while others reside in lower floors and crawl spaces. This could result in you having multiple infestations at the same time, leading to more widespread damage, disease transmission, and expensive extermination.

Knowing that winter 2022 will likely be a bad year for rodents and other pests, taking the time to prepare can help. Steps like recurring pest control and rodent exclusion with ExtermPRO’s pest protection plans can prevent against and monitor rodent populations around your home. ExtermPRO is also the company you can call at any point during the winter if you find yourself dealing with rodent problems. Check out our rodent control solutions and get a quote for pest control.