The changing colors of the trees and the leaves filling your yard are sure signs that fall is setting in in Ohio and Michigan. For kids, and adults alike, the growing pile of leaves you have created in your yard can provide hours of entertainment. If you have a mound of leaves gathering around the outside of your home, should you think twice before letting your kids dive in? What could be hiding in there? Does fall foliage attract more pests and rodents?
Does Fall Foliage Attract More Pests and Rodents?
The truth is, while that giant pile of leaves and other fall foliage can provide entertainment value, it can also create a great home and hiding place for pests and rodents, welcoming them into your backyard and allowing them to hitch a ride into your home on people who come in close contact with them. Fall is one of the most active seasons for pests, and fall foliage can attract more pests and rodents than you would like to your home and family.
Fallen leaves are a pest’s delight. It provides them a great hiding place, escape from the elements, and for many, a food source. As we say every season, you should keep your yard free and clear of overgrown greenery or other debris, to limit your risk of a pest or rodent infestation, and that includes raking up the pretty leaves and removing them from your home’s space as soon as possible.
Pests that May be Making a Home in Your Pile of Leaves
As we stated above, fall foliage attracts more pests and rodents to your home, in particular to your outdoor space. While the most common pests of fall in the Ohio and Michigan area are bed bugs, cockroaches, rodents, and spiders, it doesn’t mean that these are the only critters that may be making a home out of those pretty colored leaves.
Ants, beetles, centipedes, stinging insects, ticks, and termites all love those fallen leaves as well. Our skin is already itching just thinking about what could unknowingly crawl on us if we take a leap in that heap. Yikes! Keep in mind, pests and rodents love a free ride indoors, especially when the weather is starting to turn cooler, and if they have the opportunity to get inside your home, they will, likely without you even knowing it.
Fall Pest and Rodent Prevention
Fall foliage and the changing temperatures are going to attract more pests and rodents, there is really no way around that, but there are things you can do to keep them away and out of your home this fall.
- Clear your yard of fall foliage and leaves and remove them as soon as possible. Fallen leaves are a pest wonderland. All kinds of pests and rodents feed on them, and they’re usually a great source of moisture and shelter too. Keeping piles or bags of leaves around your home will just attract more unwanted critters, so when you rake, remove the bags of foliage from your home’s property.
- Store firewood away from your home. Keeping pests out of your firewood is step one to keeping them out of your home. Pests and rodents tend to love to hide in wood piles, and keeping it close to a building is an open invitation for pests to enter. Wood-boring pests can tunnel through the wood and into the structure. It is recommended that firewood is stored at least three to five feet from any structures. When you bring firewood indoors, check for pests and burn the wood right away.
- Keep mowing and weeding. Just because the days are getting shorter, doesn’t mean that your lawn is. You need to keep up with your yard maintenance regularly, usually until the first frost. High grass and overgrown weeds are just as attractive to pests and rodents as that mounting pile of leaves.
- Hire a pest control company. Hiring a local pest control company for your home’s pest prevention is always the best thing you can do to prevent any unwanted invasions. Pest control professionals can identify areas around your home that can welcome these nuisances in, things that you may not even think about, and then take steps to prevent them.
Fall foliage attracts more pests and rodents, so as the leaves start to drop, you should take preparations to limit your home’s risk of these unwanted visitors. At Delving Pest Control we can help. We offer discreet pest and rodent control in Ohio and Southeast Michigan. Contact us today to learn more.
