Missouri Fall Impacts on Pest Patterns: Insights from Steve's Pest Control

Cold Weather is Coming and Fall Pests Are Moving Into Your Home

Bugs and Rodents Are Unwelcome Guests. Keep Them Out With Steve’s Pest Control

Are you expecting guests this holiday season? As you prepare your guest room and make plans for cold weather activities, stop to consider that your family and friends won’t be the only ones coming to stay. When temperatures drop, pests like spiders, rodents, termites, and more will seek shelter in your warm home. Make your home invite-only by contacting the pest control experts at Steve’s Pest Control.

Missouri’s Fall Pests and Where You’ll Find Them

Some of the first fall pests you’ll notice are spiders. These creepy, crawly critters often build their winter vacation homes in the dark nooks and crannies of your home. They are particularly fond of basements where their web building is less likely to be disrupted. While spiders are helpful when it comes to controlling other basement-dwelling pests, they are never a welcome guest, especially when they are poisonous like black widows and brown recluses.

Other, more visible pests you might see this fall are beetles and flies. Flies are particularly problematic because they will bounce around your kitchen and bother you while you try to make all of your favorite fall treats. Beetles will scuttle around your floors and break into your pantry, munching on fruits, grains, or whatever they can find. If you’re concerned about the number of pests you’re seeing in your mid-Missouri home, use our handy Pest ID tool. Once you know what you’re dealing with, give Steve’s Pest Control a call.

PEST IDENTIFICATION GUIDE

What Pests Are More Active in the Fall in Missouri?

If you’ve spotted a few unwanted guests in your home recently, that means pests and rodents that are typically comfortable outside are now seeking shelter in your warm home. Mice and cockroaches are easy to recognize, but what about that questionable spider you saw lurking in the coat closet? Keep your family safe by educating yourself about the type of pests that you are most likely to find in your home this season.

Harmless Pests That Will Enter Your Missouri Home

Daddy Longlegs: While these might be some of the largest critters on our list of common cold-weather pests, they are also the least disruptive. Daddy longlegs, also known as harvestmen, don’t build webs and are the little garbage disposals of the pest world. They eat aphids, dead bugs, rotting food, and just about anything they can find. They are incredible pests to have in your garden, but no one likes to see them inside.

Clover Mites: Clover mites don’t do much more than stain your upholstery and carpet with rust-colored spots. They are small, red, and are rarely spotted out in the open. However, if you notice a few tiny red pests in your home, there are likely other, more problematic pests making their way inside. Clover mites love moisture and are often guided into your home through the damp mulch that comes into direct contact with your foundation.

Troublesome Pests That May Bother You During Missouri Winters

Wasps: No one likes wasps. Their stings hurt and their constant patrolling of your home’s exterior is annoying. While wasps don’t often sting unless someone gets too close to their nest, this can be a problem when the nest is too close to frequently accessed doors and windows. Worker wasps will often die during the colder months, but queens will make their way into your home through cracks in your roofing or spaces in your siding. It might not be a problem while it’s cold, but when the temperature begins to rise in the spring, those queen wasps might just end up flying around your home.



Ladybugs: They’re cute. They’re great gardeners. And they love your warm home. Ladybugs are social critters and will nestle down in your home with plenty of friends to keep them warm. Out of sight, it might not be an issue, but when they start to gather in your windows or the corners of your living room, it can be a problem. It’s not just gross to see a little pile of beetles, but when disturbed, they can release a chemical stench that might cause reactions in some people.

Dangerous Missouri Pests to Look Out For This Fall

Termites: If you have a wood-burning fireplace or stove in your home, be sure to store your wood far away from the house. Just like us, termites don’t like the cold weather, and stacking wood near your home is like an invitation saying, “Come on in!” Missouri’s subterranean termites can dig through cracks in your foundation and make their way into your home. Any weakness in your foundation is a strength for termites.

Brown Recluse: These dangerous arachnids can often be found in boxes, basements, attics, and other seldom-used spaces. As you pull out holiday decorations or clean up spaces you don’t often use, keep a careful eye out for brown recluses. They can be identified by their violin-shaped body and their light-tan to dark-brown color.

Protect Your Mid-Missouri Home From Termites, Spiders, Rodents and More

The first step in any pest prevention plan is to make sure there are no cracks or holes in your home’s foundation, siding, roofing, or elsewhere. Small pests can easily crawl into your home through these spaces, and depending on the pest, they can cause a lot of damage and harm.

The second step to preventing pests in your home is to call Steve’s Pest Control. The experienced exterminators at Steve’s Pest Control are familiar with the common and uncommon pests that might find their way into your home or business this fall and winter. For the ultimate pest prevention, consider Steve’s Pest Control’s 5 Star Services. Each of our 3 unique programs offers pest prevention methods that are guaranteed to work.

Steve’s 5 Star Program

• 5 general pest services (1 Interior, 5 Exterior, Exterior Web and Nest Removal, Exterior Rodent Baiting)
• Pests are Eliminated outside before they enter the building
• Safer and more effective than continuous interior treatment
• Easy and hassle-free scheduling 
• Unlimited Retreatment Warranty
  

Steve’s 5 Star Advantage

• All 5 Star Program Benefits
• Plus: Pest and rodent protection
• Plus: Termite protection with Sentricon
• Plus: $250,000 damage warranty
  

Steve’s 5 Star Complete

• All 5 Star Advantage Program Benefits
• Plus: Mosquito reduction with unlimited re-treatment warranty
  

*To have a full-year guarantee for brown recluse spiders, silverfish, cluster flies, and ladybugs, we will need to treat the building’s attic and crawlspace areas. Additional fees may apply.

Call Steve’s Pest Control to Exterminate Pests Before They Become a Problem

Whether you’re battling termites, trying to evict a family of mice, or just want to have peace of mind knowing seasonal pests won’t be a problem, give us a call. Steve’s Pest Control has been eliminating pests from mid-Missouri homes and businesses for 30+ years. Our services are guaranteed!

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Do You Need Pest Control Services in Mid-Missouri? Steve’s Pest Control Can Help You

Boonville, Mo

(660) 882-0075

Camdenton, Mo

(573) 365-9555

Columbia, Mo

(573) 874-2020

Fulton, Mo

(573) 642-6300

Jefferson City, Mo

(573) 896-4868

Hermann, Mo

(573) 486-7979

Lake Ozark, Mo

(573) 365-9555

Lebanon, Mo

(417) 322-7979

Linn, Mo

(573) 897-2766

Macon, Mo

(660) 591-1900

Marshall, Mo

(660) 831-8900

Mexico, Mo

(573) 582-7980

Moberly, Mo

(660) 263-7399

Osage Beach, Mo

(573) 365-9555

Rolla, Mo

(573) 364-0100

Sedalia, Mo

(660) 829-4955

St. Robert, Mo

(573) 451-7999

Troy, Mo

(636) 235-7200

Warrensburg, Mo

(660) 262-7272

Warrenton, Mo

(636) 235-7200

Warsaw, Mo

(660) 223-7272

Washington, Mo

(636) 231-7900

Wentzville, Mo

(636) 698-7000