How to Keep Winter Pests from Invading Your Calgary Yard in the Colder Seasons

As winter approaches in Calgary and the mercury drops, some pests are just warming up to the idea of moving indoors.

From cheeky mice to secretive spiders, your cozy abode could become a bustling winter retreat for these creatures.

Sit back and relax as we explore how you can keep your yard less pest-ive and more festive this chilly season!

Pests Active in the Winter

Even as Calgary settles into the deep freeze of winter, some resilient pests refuse to take the season off. These uninvited winter guests are on the lookout for shelter, warmth, and a bite to eat. Here are the usual suspects:

• Mice
• Voles
• Rats
• Spiders
• Carpenter Ants

How to Prevent Mice, Voles, and Rats from Entering Your Yard

Looking to keep your yard a no-rodent zone this winter season? Here's a handy guide to making your outdoor space less inviting to mice, voles and rats:

• Seal the Gaps: Take a walk around your yard's perimeter and patch any openings with caulk or steel wool. Remember, even a tiny crack is an invitation for these critters.
• Elevate Your Woodpile: Keep your firewood stacked at least 18 inches off the ground and store it away from your house. You don’t want rodents to find the firewood and think of it as their own personal winter resort.
• Garden Grooming: A tidy yard is less attractive to pests. Regularly clear out garden debris like leaf piles and scattered branches, which can offer perfect hideouts for rodents.
• Lock Down Your Trash: Ensure your garbage bins close securely and take out the trash often. Pet food and bird seed should also be stored in containers tough enough to keep curious critters out.
• Trim and Tidy: Keep tree limbs and shrubbery well-trimmed and away from your house. This cuts off any secret bridges rodents might use to get close to or into your home.
• Gravel Moat: Consider laying a gravel border around your yard. Rodents aren't fans of crossing such exposed, crunchy terrain.
• Repel the Invaders: Deter rodents with natural repellents like peppermint oil. Sprinkle these around your yard’s perimeter to create a barrier they won't want to cross.
• Remove Standing Water: Proper drainage is key. Make sure your yard doesn’t collect standing water—a big draw for thirsty rodents.

How to Keep Spiders from Creeping into Your Yard

Spiders might scare the living bejesus out of you, but keeping these eight-legged freeloaders at bay doesn't have to be a daunting task. Here's how you can maintain a spider-free zone in your yard:

• Declutter Outdoors: Just like inside, spiders love to lurk in outdoor clutter. Regularly clear away old pots, unused containers, and piles of wood or debris where spiders might set up their homes.
• Essential Oil Barriers: Spiders aren't fans of certain natural scents. Sprinkle peppermint, tea tree, or eucalyptus oil around your yard's perimeter. A few drops on cotton balls placed strategically can make spiders think twice about sticking around.
• Use Cedar Mulch: Spiders dislike the smell of cedar, so using cedar mulch in your garden beds can help deter them from settling in.
• Tighten Up Landscaping: Keep your bushes, hedges, and plants trimmed. Overgrown vegetation provides perfect hiding spots and bridges for spiders looking to explore your home.
• Direct Lighting Away: Spiders are drawn to areas where their dinner might flutter by – and that dinner is usually attracted to lights. Position outdoor lighting to shine away from the house, or opt for yellow sodium vapour lights, which are less likely to attract bugs.
• Regular Cleaning: Break out the broom and regularly sweep around eaves, under patio furniture, and in corners of your porches to disrupt any new webs being spun.
• Natural Predators: Encourage the presence of birds in your garden by installing bird feeders. Birds love some spiders in their diet and can help prevent the spider population from booming.

How to Stop Carpenter Ants from Making Yard Their Playground

The ants love marching one by one, and before you know it, your yard has a full-blown infestation. Here's how to keep these wood-loving pests at bay:

• Remove Wood Debris: Carpenter ants are attracted to decaying wood, so it’s vital to clear your yard of old stumps, fallen branches, and piled firewood. This is especially vital if these are near your home’s structure.
• Inspect Wooden Structures: Periodically check wooden structures like decks, fences, or garden sheds for signs of carpenter ant damage. Promptly repair any areas where wood is soft or decaying.
• Create Dry Zones: Make sure that the soil around your home is well-drained. Avoid over-watering your garden. Dry conditions are less attractive to carpenter ants, which prefer moist environments for nesting.
• Trim Back Trees and Shrubs: Keep trees and shrubs trimmed away from your house. Carpenter ants use branches to travel, and having them touch your home can provide these ants with a direct path inside.
• Seal Entry Points: Regularly inspect the exterior of your home for cracks and crevices. Pay special attention to areas where utility pipes enter. Seal any openings with a silicone-based caulk to prevent ants and other pests from entering.
• Use Ant Baits Outside: Place ant baits around the perimeter of your yard and near known or suspected nest sites. The worker ants will carry the bait back to the colony, helping to reduce the population.

Why Winter Pest Control Is Important

Winter might make you think that all creatures are hibernating or tucked away, but that's not always the case. In fact, you might see a spike in certain pest activities in the colder months as they seek shelter from the cold.

Here’s why doubling down on pest control in winter is a good idea:

• Unlike bears, pests don’t hibernate. They relocate, often into your warm abode. Imagine snuggling up with a book, only to find mice or spiders eyeing your living room as their vacation spot!
• Pests aren’t just a nuisance; they pose health risks. Rodents can carry diseases like Hantavirus and salmonella. Maintaining a pest-free home protects your health all year round.
• Letting pests bunk in for winter can lead to unwanted spring renovations. Mice love to nibble on wires, which is not just annoying but a potential fire hazard. And those quiet carpenter ants? They're busy turning your woodwork into sawdust snow.
• There’s nothing like the peace of mind that comes from not hearing scurrying noises through the night.
• You can also save money and protect yourself from a full-fledged infestation by being proactive in the winter. Winter infestations tend to be smaller and more contained and thus are easier and less costly to deal with.

Seal the Deal on Pest-Free Winters with Buzz Boss

Stay ahead of the winter wriggle with proactive pest control. Get an estimate today and ensure your peace of mind all season long.

For more frosty tips on keeping your homestead critter-free, check out our icy insights at Top 7 Winter Pest Control Tips.

We’re keeping homes pest-free not just in Calgary but Edmonton, Red Deer, Regina, Saskatoon, Winnipeg, and the Okanagan, too! Don’t just weather the winter—win it!