Raccoons During the Winter: What Do They Do? 

With their iconic mask-like facial markings, light brown to reddish-brown fur, and banded tails, raccoons are easy to recognize. These critters are known for their destructive tendencies and penchant for getting into garbage, which is how they got the nickname “trash panda.” Additionally, these masked bandits can cause damage to homes and other buildings year-round.  

With decades in the pest and wildlife control business, Catseye Pest Control has handled raccoon removal calls during every season. Learn more about raccoon winter activity, including what to expect throughout this chilly season. We’ll provide tips on what to do to prevent raccoons from entering your house and share advice for dealing with the situation if one does make its way inside.  

Raccoon Habitat and Activity  

Raccoons are common throughout the United States, including here in the Northeast. Unlike other animals, raccoons benefit from the expansion of humans into previously rural areas. These scavengers, or “dumpster divers” as they are sometimes called, enjoy greater access to easy food when humans plant gardens, install bird feeders, and take out garbage. Raccoons are incredibly adaptable and capable of making comfortable homes in various habits, including urban and suburban areas.  

Although they can live anywhere, raccoons tend to choose areas like hollow tree cavities, brush piles, sheds, and other manmade structures to make their dens. These animals eat just about anything, from fruits and nuts to insects and young birds. They also scavenge in chicken coops, garbage cans, dumpsters, farmland, and gardens to find food.  

Do Raccoons Hibernate? 

Many animals, including bears and groundhogs, spend winter in hibernation, which is a deep sleep state marked by a slowed heart rate and lower body temperature. Raccoons do not hibernate. Instead, they enter a state known as torpor. Also referred to as temporary hibernation, this involuntary state lasts for a few hours per day. 

Is It Normal to See a Raccoon During the Winter?  

Although raccoons don’t truly hibernate, some animals store up enough body fat to spend much of the winter in their dens. These creatures can be active year-round, so it’s possible to see raccoons out during the day searching for food. You are more likely to see them on warmer days when they will be out looking for food before temperatures fall again.  

Additionally, it’s not impossible that raccoons will make their dens in your crawlspace or attic.  

How to Deter Raccoons from Moving In 

Like other animals, raccoons may be attracted to your home or business because they are looking for warmth, food, and shelter during winter. Although no do-it-yourself measures offer a guarantee, taking preventive steps can reduce the likelihood of seeing raccoons in the winter or any other time of year.  

Raccoon Exclusion  

Close off gaps, cracks, and openings to prevent entry. Raccoon exclusion effectively seals potential entry points to keep wildlife out. Inspect the attic, foundation, and crawl space. Installing caps on chimneys and securing pet doors can be helpful. 

Startle Them 

Raccoons seek out quiet spaces. Use motion-activated lights and sprinklers outside to startle raccoons and potentially scare them away from your property. 

Store Food in Rigid Plastic, Glass, or Metal Containers 

Raccoons will seek out food, so they are more likely to enter dwellings and other buildings if they smell food, even if it’s only pet food. Store food items in tightly lidded containers and invest in raccoon-proof garbage receptacles to make your home and property less inviting. 

What Should I Do if a Raccoon Is in My Home or Business?  

First, if you see a raccoon inside or on your property, don’t panic. Avoid confronting the animal and keep your children and pets away from it. Raccoons don’t attack indiscriminately. However, when cornered, these critters will defend themselves.  

Open doors and windows and give the raccoon plenty of space. Hopefully, the animal will decide to be cautious and head for the nearest exit. However, if the raccoon won’t leave or you suspect it has built a den in your attic, crawlspace, or other area, contact Catseye for professional removal.  

Raccoon Control and Exclusion Services from Professionals 

Dealing with wildlife on your own is rarely recommended. Raccoons can carry dangerous pathogens, including rabies, which causes neurological symptoms and can be fatal if left untreated. The professionals at Catseye have the experience, education, and equipment needed to safely and humanely remove wildlife of all types.  

Even better, what if there was a way to stop raccoons from ever entering your home or business at all? Residential Exclusion Systems and Commercial Exclusion Systems provide a safe, humane, chemical-free barrier. These permanent preventive systems provide targeted protection for vulnerable areas, or you can use them to achieve total protection, from the roof to the basement.  

Contact Catseye for Peace of Mind in Every Season 

Winter, spring, summer, and fall — like so many other pests, raccoons remain active throughout every season. Protect your home or business by partnering with professionals who have decades of experience dealing with pesky problems. Contact Catseye today to learn more or to schedule a free inspection.  

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In previous episodes we learned about the introduction and spread of spotted lanternfly in our land, how their sweet, sticky honeydew attracts stinging insects, and why more people witnessed spotted lanternflies this summer and autumn than in years past. As Mother Nature sent a chilly blast to the middle Atlantic region just after Halloween, inquiring minds wanted to know if subfreezing temperatures put an end to the dastardly shenanigans of spotted lanternfly for 2023. Several news outlets report that prolonged temperatures below 28 degrees Fahrenheit are lethal to adult spotted lanternflies, the active feeding stage found on our plants at this time of year. Spotted lanternflies pass the wicked winter as eggs and temperatures must be much colder, in the teens and single digits to put a beat-down on egg survival. 

To test the notion of a lethal 28-degree boundary, on November 2 Bug of the Week traveled to scenic Mercerville, MD near Antietam battlefield, where temperatures had dropped to 27 degrees Fahrenheit in the wee hours of the morning. There in a small woodlot rife with tree of heaven, a key food plant in the life cycle of spotted lanternfly, hundreds of spotted lanternflies had succumbed to the freeze. Many of the casualties lay scattered at the base of the tree, while higher up the trunk some were frozen in place with their sap-sucking beaks still embedded in the tree’s bark. Ah, but all were not killed by the frigid night. Nestled near the ground of several trees where the huge warm mass of Mother Earth and some insulating vegetation may have provided a thermal refuge, some spotted lanternflies survived. A quick tally of 100 lanternflies on a half dozen trees revealed 66% dead and 34% alive.

In western Maryland where temperatures dropped into the upper 20’s (Fahrenheit) the first week of November, spotted lanternflies were frozen in place on tree trunks. Some died with beaks still embedded in bark while others littered the ground. Further east where lows reached only 30 degrees Fahrenheit, survival was much higher and spotted lanternflies continued their mischief.

Not one to miss an opportunity to delve a little deeper into chilly deaths of spotted lanternfly, we headed south and east to the somewhat warmer realm of Columbia, MD where on November 3 temperatures dipped to 30 degrees Fahrenheit. Here lanternflies fared much better with only 22% of lanternflies expired and 78% alive and well out of 200 examined. Of course, some of the mortality observed at the base of trees certainly could have resulted from spotted lanternflies punching their ticket to the great beyond after sucking sap for several months rather than being frozen to death. As scientists like to say, more data from the field is needed to fully understand the relationship between low temperatures and the annual swan song for spotted lanternflies. As temperatures rebounded into the upper 70’s and approached 80 in many locations last week, there was yet another opportunity to stand beneath tree of heaven and experience the honeydew shower of the spotted lanternfly. If this is not your cup of tea, rest assured that a seriously frosty night is just around the corner and it will shut the door on these noisome invaders for this year.    

Acknowledgements

Bug of the Week thanks Dr. Shrewsbury for assisting with observations of spotted lanternflies. The wonderful reference “Impact of minimum winter temperature on Lycorma delicatula (Hemiptera: Fulgoridae) egg mortality” by Jung-Su Lee, Il-Kwon Kim, Sang-Hyun Koh, Sung Jong Cho, Suk-Jun Jang, Seung-Hyeon Pyo, and Won IL Choi was consulted for this episode.

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In previous episodes we learned about the introduction and spread of spotted lanternfly in our land, how their sweet, sticky honeydew attracts stinging insects, and why more people witnessed spotted lanternflies this summer and autumn than in years past. As Mother Nature sent a chilly blast to the middle Atlantic region just after Halloween, inquiring minds wanted to know if subfreezing temperatures put an end to the dastardly shenanigans of spotted lanternfly for 2023. Several news outlets report that prolonged temperatures below 28 degrees Fahrenheit are lethal to adult spotted lanternflies, the active feeding stage found on our plants at this time of year. Spotted lanternflies pass the wicked winter as eggs and temperatures must be much colder, in the teens and single digits to put a beat-down on egg survival. 

To test the notion of a lethal 28-degree boundary, on November 2 Bug of the Week traveled to scenic Mercerville, MD near Antietam battlefield, where temperatures had dropped to 27 degrees Fahrenheit in the wee hours of the morning. There in a small woodlot rife with tree of heaven, a key food plant in the life cycle of spotted lanternfly, hundreds of spotted lanternflies had succumbed to the freeze. Many of the casualties lay scattered at the base of the tree, while higher up the trunk some were frozen in place with their sap-sucking beaks still embedded in the tree’s bark. Ah, but all were not killed by the frigid night. Nestled near the ground of several trees where the huge warm mass of Mother Earth and some insulating vegetation may have provided a thermal refuge, some spotted lanternflies survived. A quick tally of 100 lanternflies on a half dozen trees revealed 66% dead and 34% alive.

In western Maryland where temperatures dropped into the upper 20’s (Fahrenheit) the first week of November, spotted lanternflies were frozen in place on tree trunks. Some died with beaks still embedded in bark while others littered the ground. Further east where lows reached only 30 degrees Fahrenheit, survival was much higher and spotted lanternflies continued their mischief.

Not one to miss an opportunity to delve a little deeper into chilly deaths of spotted lanternfly, we headed south and east to the somewhat warmer realm of Columbia, MD where on November 3 temperatures dipped to 30 degrees Fahrenheit. Here lanternflies fared much better with only 22% of lanternflies expired and 78% alive and well out of 200 examined. Of course, some of the mortality observed at the base of trees certainly could have resulted from spotted lanternflies punching their ticket to the great beyond after sucking sap for several months rather than being frozen to death. As scientists like to say, more data from the field is needed to fully understand the relationship between low temperatures and the annual swan song for spotted lanternflies. As temperatures rebounded into the upper 70’s and approached 80 in many locations last week, there was yet another opportunity to stand beneath tree of heaven and experience the honeydew shower of the spotted lanternfly. If this is not your cup of tea, rest assured that a seriously frosty night is just around the corner and it will shut the door on these noisome invaders for this year.    

Acknowledgements

Bug of the Week thanks Dr. Shrewsbury for assisting with observations of spotted lanternflies. The wonderful reference “Impact of minimum winter temperature on Lycorma delicatula (Hemiptera: Fulgoridae) egg mortality” by Jung-Su Lee, Il-Kwon Kim, Sang-Hyun Koh, Sung Jong Cho, Suk-Jun Jang, Seung-Hyeon Pyo, and Won IL Choi was consulted for this episode.

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The Constitution State is a wonderful place to live, work, and visit. Renowned for its gorgeous natural surroundings, quality of life, and location as the epicenter of the Northeast’s economy, Connecticut has a lot to offer residents. With its picturesque landscapes, winter, in particular, can have a charm all its own.  

However, that appeal quickly loses its luster when rodents move indoors. Mice and rats are particularly notorious for seeking warm, safe shelters from winter’s frigid temperatures and wet, snowy conditions. Seeing or hearing a live rodent scurrying about or seeing telltale signs like droppings and gnaw marks can leave many homeowners feeling a little less enamored with winter’s beauty.  

Not only can these critters leave residents feeling unnerved, but they also pose significant health risks and can create property damage. Taking proactive measures now and throughout the year can help with winter rodent prevention and year-round rodent control in your Connecticut home.  

Winter Rodent Prevention 

The National Pest Management Association estimates that rodents affect more than 20 million homes in the United States every winter. Although they aren’t the only winter pest problem, rodents are one of the top seasonal pest issues. Now is the time to consider some tips that can help prevent infestations before they start. 

Safe Pest Control 

When it comes to Connecticut rodent control or pest control of any kind, safety should always be top of the list of priorities. Instead of indiscriminately reaching for pesticides, it’s helpful to use a mixture of preventive measures and professional pest control. At Catseye Pest Control, we take safety seriously. We focus on using innovative pest control solutions that provide lasting results while being safe for the environment, people, and pets. 

Seal Entry Points 

One of the most effective forms of rodent control for your Connecticut home is to stop rodents before they get inside. Walk the perimeter of your home and look for gaps, cracks, and openings. Look at the foundation, around doors and windows, and other vulnerable areas like house corners, soffits, and vents. Mice and rats can squeeze through tiny openings, which is why identifying entry points is so critical.  

Seal entry points off with screening, caulk, or permanent barriers like Cat-Guard Exclusion Systems. Taking these steps is kind of like putting up a “No Vacancy” sign for rodents and other pests. 

Maintain Your Yard 

Making your outdoor space less inviting for rodents can help prevent them from making their way inside. As a bonus, keeping your yard tidy with regular mowing during the growing season reduces potential shelters while ensuring your yard looks neat and tidy. Other helpful outdoor activities to reduce rodent activity include the following: 

Trim Trees and Shrubs 

Avoid planting shrubs and trees too close to the foundation of your home. Allow a foot or more of space — preferably landscaped with rocks — between your home and your favorite plants. Doing so reduces the likelihood that rodents will move from the shelter of the plants to cross that open space to enter your home.  

Because rodents are good climbers, keeping all landscaping neatly trimmed is essential. Trim all tree and shrub limbs to create at least six feet of open space between the tree or shrub and your house.  

Clean Up Debris 

Rake up leaves and dispose of other yard waste in a timely manner. Debris piles can provide rodents with an ideal spot to call home during warmer months. In turn, it increases the likelihood they may make their way into your home once temperatures fall. 

Stash Compost and Birdseed Securely 

Rodents will take advantage of every opportunity to scavenge for food. Compost piles can act like a beacon for rodents. Do you have birdseed strewn about the lawn? It’s like a free lunch for mice and rats. Place feeders far from your house and consider switching from loose seed to hard seedcakes, which can produce less mess. Likewise, add your compost to secure vessels that won’t provide rodents with easy access, rather than keeping it in open piles. 

Store Firewood Away from the House 

Piles of firewood can provide a haven for rodents. Place your main firewood storage 20 to 30 feet from your home and five feet off the ground to make it less attractive to rats and mice. This way, any rodents using the firewood for cover won’t have a chance to search for an opening to squeeze through to gain entry to your home. 

Keep a Clean Home 

Cleaning won’t guarantee a pest-free home, but it is an integral part of an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) approach to pest control. IPM methods seek to reduce harm and use as few pesticides as possible. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development notes that keeping your home clean is a powerful preventive tool.  

Clean environments cut off rodents’ access to food, shelter, and water and go a long way to preventing them from making your home their home. These additional tips can help: 

Store food in Airtight Containers 

Rodents have a keen sense of smell, which means food of all types can attract rodents to your home. Keep all food items, including pet food, in airtight, lidded containers made of rigid plastic, glass, or metal to help ward off unwanted critters.  

Clean Up Crumbs 

Crumbs and spills offer rodents easy pickings as a food source. Wipe down countertops daily. Vacuum and mop floors regularly to cut the food supply off and keep mice and rats out.  

Dispose of Trash Properly 

Overflowing cans, wrappers littered about, and receptacles that are easy to get into can all beckon rodents and other wildlife onto your property. Inside, keep garbage in rodent-proof cans and routinely empty them to avoid overflow. Outside, use rodent-proof receptacles to keep scavengers out and make your home less appealing to winter pests.  

Wash Dishes Promptly 

Like crumbs and trash, dirty dishes can attract mice and rats looking for a tasty meal. Rodents aren’t as discriminating about what they eat, which is why they will forage just about anywhere for anything they can find. A sink filled with dirty dishes offers a convenient meal. Promptly washing dishes cuts the food supply off while keeping your home more organized and tidier.  

Repair Any Leaks 

Even small drips offer a water source for rodents who need to stay hydrated through the winter. Rodents will actively seek out water sources, including water from leaky faucets or leaks in the plumbing line. They will look in crawlspaces, gutter, eaves, and anywhere else. Leaks can also attract other pests and cause water damage, underscoring the importance of prompt repairs.  

Regular Inspections Professional Pest Control 

Rodents reproduce at a rapid rate. A small infestation can quickly grow out of control, which is why regular inspections are critical. Homeowners can keep an eye out for signs like gnaw marks, droppings, and live rodents. Even better, enlist professionals to provide year-round maintenance and prevention.  

Catseye Pest Control’s Platinum Home Protection program takes care of everything and provides a 100% service guarantee. Rodent and pest removal, sealing gaps, environmentally safe perimeter sprays and treatments, and follow up visits are all routine. This ensures that an expert eye watches over your property and promptly takes action before rodents can wreak havoc on your home.  

Schedule a Free Inspection with Catseye 

For Connecticut rodent control you can rely on, turn to the experts. Catseye has been providing customer-centered pest control since 1987. We prioritize tailoring treatment and prevention plans to each unique home and property, allowing us to achieve maximum effectiveness and safety.  

[Schedule a Free Inspection]

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As record warmth embraced much of the eastern seaboard in recent weeks, children and gardeners reported swarms of “large bumble bees” busily gathering nectar from late season blossoms in flower patches, as well as nature centers and flower beds in residential landscapes. While there is no doubt that many of these bee sightings were indeed bumble bees, this is also the closing act of a fresh crop of carpenter bees as they mob patches of flowers to fatten-up on floral delights in preparation for the upcoming winter. Months ago, busy female carpenter bees devoted weeks constructing galleries in wood, provisioning these galleries with pollen, and depositing eggs within these wooden nurseries. Summer and early fall were a time for young bee larvae to consume these morsels, complete their development, pupate, and emerge as adults.  Galleries used as nurseries throughout spring and summer will soon serve as winter refuges for this year’s class of carpenter bees.

With a little practice, carpenter bees can be distinguished from their look-alike bumble bee cousins. A carpenter bee’s rump is relatively naked whereas a bumble bee’s butt is usually quite well-cloaked with hair. The head of the carpenter bee is about the width of the thorax, the body segment just behind the head. The head of a bumble bee is noticeably smaller than thorax.

Bumble bees have a hairy abdomen, carpenter bees do not. The male carpenter bee has a white patch on his face and the female’s face is entirely black. A male foraged on a lower blossom until he spotted a female foraging just above, and then both appeared to have other business on their minds as they raced away.

Having identified the bee as a carpenter bee, how does one distinguish the guys from the gals? The gender of some carpenter bees such as the large carpenter bee, Xylocopa virginica, is easily recognized by the presence or absence of a large white or yellow patch just between their compound eyes: the male sports the white patch, but the forehead of the female large carpenter bee is entirely black. On occasion I have captured large male carpenter bees with my hand to demonstrate that they are not to be feared as they have no stinger, only female bees are equipped with this notable appendage. On one occasion I mistakenly grabbed a female carpenter bee and learned the awesome power of this appendage.  If for some strange reason you choose to handle large carpenter bees, please be certain that they are indeed carpenter bees and not bumble bees, and only handle the he bee and not the she bee.

If you want to see a carpenter bee up close and personal you can, but do so only if 1) you know it is a carpenter bee, and 2) it is a male bee, confirmed by the white patch between its eyes. If you try this with a female carpenter bee or a female bumble bee you will have a memorable and painful surprise when you are stung.

One quirky behavior of both carpenter bees and bumble bees comes at the end of the work day. Industrious bumble bee workers usually return to their nest at dusk with the final loads of nectar and pollen to fatten-up any future queens and drones that might still be developing in the nest. But sometimes bumble bees and carpenter bees can be found late in the day or early in the morning resting on a blossom, apparently taking a snooze. With no nest to provision or hungry future royals to feed, it is no surprise to find sleepy carpenters resting on flowers in the early light of dewy autumn mornings. One of their favorite resting spots in my garden is a patch of spotted horsemint. Members of the mint family are renowned for their ability to attract a variety of pollinating insects, in addition to their medicinal qualities. Perhaps, the lazy behavior of my carpenter bees is related not only to the nighttime chill that cools their bodies, but also to some soporific chemical found in the nectar of mint. Who knows? When the killing frost finally puts an end to my autumn bloomers, the last of the carpenter bees will enter the brood galleries not to return until next spring. On a cool autumn morning or a warm afternoon take an early trip to the flower garden to visit the newly minted class of 2023.

Acknowledgements

Bug of the Week thanks Jackie, MPT, University of Maryland Master Gardeners, and the Howard Conservancy for providing the inspiration for this episode. The really cool bee book “The Bees in Your Backyard: A Guide to North America’s Bees” by J. S. Wilson and O.M. Carril was used as a resource for this episode.

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Some people love a cold, snowy winter, while others much prefer the milder temperatures we have seen in the Northeastern United States in recent years. Regardless of their preference, few people fail to consider how winter temperatures impact pest activity for the seasons that follow.  

For many people, thinking about pests is typically limited to spring, summer, and fall — the months with peak pest activity across many species and regions. You may already be aware that the change of seasons usually brings a spike in insect and rodent sightings. However, you may be surprised to learn that winter temperatures can have other effects on pests and rodents that extend well into the year ahead.  

What a Mild Winter Means for Rodent and Pest Activity in the Spring  

Many rodents can’t survive long periods exposed to snow and cold. Additionally, mild winters can increase the survival rates of insects. As a result, the course of the winter season can cause a potential uptick in rodent or insect activity in spring months. Additionally, during warm stretches, insects may become more active and deplete their energy. This can cause them to die when cold snaps occur or leave them vulnerable before their typical host is available again for feeding.  

Repeated freeze-thaw cycles can reduce insect survival. Adding to the problem, mild winters and overall warmer than normal temperatures can increase pests’ geographic range, leading to the spread of pests to new areas and increased activity. 

Even if winter is snowy, many insects may survive if the temperatures aren’t too low. Snow can protect and insulate pests like ticks and mosquitoes in both egg and hibernating adult forms.  

Mild winters also can increase rodent populations. For example, data shows that white-footed mice populations have increased throughout the Eastern United States due to warmer overall temperatures. Mice populations usually decline during harsh winters. However, mild winters allow more mice to survive, increasing the population size in spring. 

How a Harsh Winter Impacts Rodents and Pests 

Insects don’t regulate their body temperatures. Instead, their internal temperature depends on their environment. Once external temperatures dip below 50 degrees Fahrenheit, they can’t function or develop further. It isn’t until temperatures dip below – 4 degrees Fahrenheit that most insects freeze. For winter to kill off many populations, the season must feature prolonged, extreme cold. For a winter with shorter periods of cold, insects may survive with a reduction in their potential to reproduce, grow, and develop. 

Cold, snowy winters typically send rodents scurrying indoors. Many mice and rats will seek shelter in homes, businesses, and other structures to stay warm and safe throughout the winter. Consequently, a cold winter often means increased winter rodent activity indoors. Snowy winters may produce a wet spring with greater growth of seeds and grasses. This provides rodents with more food and can increase rodent activity, something you may notice the following fall season, when rodents start heading indoors.  

Signs of Rodent Activity  

Rodents can create significant property damage and pose a serious health risk. Contact with saliva, urine, and droppings can spread disease-causing pathogens to humans and pets.  

Some of the most common rodents that homeowners and businesses contend with are mice and rats. Signs of an infestation include droppings, chewed food items and wires, gnaw marks on walls, and scurrying sounds in ceilings and walls. It’s important to note that mice and rats aren’t the only rodents that can move indoors during winter. Squirrels, chipmunks, and other pests also pose a problem. 

Squirrels 

With their fluffy tails and often inquisitive expressions, squirrels can be fun to watch — when they’re outside. Indoors, squirrels can create extensive damage, chewing holes in the roofline and eaves, destroying siding, and nesting in insulation. Squirrels often gnaw wires, damage insulation, and leave droppings and urine everywhere they go. 

Chipmunks 

Chipmunks make a distinct chirping noise, which can alert you to their presence. Infestations may also be marked by gnawed seeds, nutshells, and other food scattered around the area. Other signs include scratching and scurrying in walls and ceilings, chew marks, and waste trails. Chipmunk droppings look similar to other rodents, which is like dark grains of rice. 

Bats 

Bats play a critical role in the ecosystem and typically nest while raising their young during spring and summer. That’s why careful removal according to local and federal protective regulations is critical. Signs of a bat infestation include scratching sounds at night, stained siding, and a strong smell of ammonia. 

Signs of Pest Activity  

Rodents aren’t the only destructive force that can invade your property. Other pests pose a risk to buildings, people, and pets. Bed bugs, for example, are a year-round issue faced by people across the world. Signs of these creepy crawlies include blood spots on sheets and itchy bites on people. Other pests to keep an eye out for include the following: 

Bees, Hornets, and Wasps 

These pests are feared for their sting but beloved for the critical role they play in sustaining agriculture and our environment. Bees, hornets, and wasps pollinate flowers and crops, ultimately helping to sustain life on our planet. Signs of an infestation include the presence of nests, which may be freestanding or located in dead wood crevices or below ground. Many people don’t realize they have an infestation until they notice increased insects buzzing around the area. 

Mosquitos 

Mosquitoes have a characteristic buzzing sound and create itchy bites. These pests thrive in damp areas, with females laying eggs on the surface of stagnant water. Mosquitoes can grow in water as shallow as 1/4 inch deep, or roughly the size of a bottle cap. Removing standing water can help prevent infestations.  

Ticks 

Ticks feed on the blood of humans and other mammals, along with birds and reptiles. These ectoparasites can carry diseases like Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain spotted fever. When they haven’t fed, ticks are typically small and difficult to spot. Once they feed, their oval-shaped, eight-legged bodies expand, increasing their visibility. Some of the most common spots to find ticks on the body include the thigh, waist, stomach, and groin. Ticks may climb to the upper body, but they tend to prefer warm, moist areas. 

How to Prevent Potential Infestations 

No matter what type of winter we experience, it’s essential to prevent infestations to keep your property and the people you care about safe and healthy. Catseye Pest Control has been helping prevent and mitigate pest infestations since 1987. Pest control success depends on multiple factors, and lasting results requires a partnership between you and professionals. For example, regularly wiping down counters and floors, storing food in rodent-proof containers, and securing garbage in tightly lidded receptacles can help aid in prevention.  

However, even these steps don’t eliminate risk. Sealing openings, even small gaps and cracks in foundations, soffits, and other areas, helps stop pests before they start. Cat-Guard, our rodent and wildlife exclusion system, offers a safe, humane, chemical-free solution. This permanent barrier protects vulnerable areas to prevent pests from entering the property. 

Likewise, programs like Platinum Home Protection provide year-round monitoring and preventive services. This allows experienced technicians to keep a watchful eye on your home or business and stop infestations before they grow into large-scale problems.  

Contact Catseye to Learn More 

Explore our services online or call us at 888-291-9238 if you need immediate help. Our experts are always happy to answer questions or provide additional information. Contact us today to get started with a free inspection. 

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In keeping with our Halloween theme of visiting bugs in orange and black like harlequin bugs and Florida predatory stink bugs, this week we present a spooky story of a garden pest, Colorado potato beetle, and its predatory nemesis, the two-spotted stink bug. Anyone that has grown potatoes likely has encountered the Colorado potato beetle as larvae and adults as they shredded leaves and ravaged your plants. You may not have known that this traveler originated in Mexico where its aboriginal host was a member of the potato family called buffalo bur. When Spanish colonists arrived in Mexico with cattle, herds were driven from Mexico northward to markets in Texas. As cattle moved north, buffalo bur and the beetle moved with them. The weed and beetle continued to expand their range north and east during the 18th century. Potatoes were introduced from Europe to North America in the late 1700’s and by the 1800’s they too had expanded their range from New England westward. Sometime around 1860 the beetle acquired a taste for potato and made the jump from buffalo bur to its delectable new host. It has since spread to many places where potatoes grow, including the DMV.

After dining on eggs of Colorado potato beetle, this two-spotted stink bug moved along and rested near a pair of Colorado potato beetle larvae. While observing the larvae, it restlessly rubbed its antenna and forelegs together. Was it simply grooming behavior or was the predator contemplating its next meal? Nearby, a hapless Colorado potato beetle larva dangles from the beak of a two-spotted stink bug as it sucks liquified body tissues from its prey.

A few years back while visiting a potato patch, I witnessed crowns of plants reduced to nubbins by Colorado potato beetles. Prowling around the vegetation were gorgeous nymphs and adults of the native two-spotted stink bug, Perillus bioculatus. Like their cousins, Florida predatory stink bugs and spined soldier bugs we met in previous episodes, predaceous stink bugs actively hunt and kill their prey. On a potato plant loaded with eggs of potato beetles, I watched a two-spotted stink bug with its beak inserted into an egg. Several beetle eggs had already been drained by the fierce predator. After taking its fill, the stink bug moved along and took a post near two potato beetle larvae munching potato leaves. As it watched the nearby larvae, it restlessly rubbed its antenna and forelegs together. Was this simply grooming behavior or was the predator contemplating its next meal? The actual attack of the two-spotted stink bug and other predatory stink bugs is much less of an energy-charged pounce and kill, but more of a seemingly gentle poke of the stink bug’s beak. Before the hapless victim escapes, the stink bug immobilizes its prey with toxic venom and then injects digestive enzymes into its victim. These enzymes help liquefy tissues in the body of the prey. A muscular pump in the head of the stink bug sucks nutrient-rich fluids from its prey.

As I wandered around the potato patch, I noticed that only a few plants had potato beetles with an attendant complement of stink bug assassins. Many healthy plants lacked beetles and stink bugs. How do stink bugs locate plants with potato beetles in a vast field of potatoes where many plants have no potential prey? Clever researchers discovered that as potato beetles eat potato plants, the leaves of plants release volatile compounds into the atmosphere. Hungry two-spotted stink bugs on the prowl for prey are able to detect the compounds from beetle-wounded plants and use them as an olfactory beacon to find beetle infested plants that house their dinner.

Although potato is common in their diet now, Colorado potato beetles first fed on other members of the potato family like buffalo bur. Males often guard their mates for long periods of time.

Sometime before the killing frost annihilates the remnants of your potato patch, pay one last visit to your plot and maybe spot predator and prey dressed in orange and black. Bug of the Week wishes you a spooky, happy, and safe Halloween.   

Acknowledgements

The following fascinating studies were used to prepare this Bug of the Week, “Identification of Volatile Potato Sesquiterpenoids and Their Olfactory Detection by the Two-spotted Stinkbug Perillus bioculatus”  by Bernhard Weissbecker, Joop J. A. Van Loon, Maarten A. Posthumus, Harro J. Bouwmeester and Marcel Dicke, and “Comparison of Perillus bioculatus and Podisus maculiventris (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) as Potential Control Agents of the Colorado Potato Beetle (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae)” by Judy Hough-Goldstein and D. McPherson. The great reference “Invasive Species” by Daniel Simberloff was also consulted for this episode.

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Last year was the fifth hottest year in recorded history. This year followed suite with June, July, and August of 2023 being the hottest months ever recorded globally according to the European Union Climate Change Service. Here at home in the United States, if you feel like your town was toastier than normal, you are probably correct as almost 10,000 cities and towns tied or broke daily heat records this year according to the National Weather Service. One of the interesting and ecologically disturbing consequences of climate change is the expansion of the ranges of warm-weather insects to cooler regions where short growing seasons and chilly winter temperatures formerly barred their survival. Last week we met nefarious, collard-crunching harlequin bugs. It should come as no surprise that in addition to plant-eating pests, other insects including beneficial ones have shifted their range. The Florida predatory stink bug is one such beneficial insect that has followed suite and now appears regularly in locations previously thermally off-limits to them.

Florida predatory stink bugs, historically from southern regions, now make regular incursions as far north as New Hampshire and the Dakotas as lethal cold winter temperatures become less frequent. More than a decade ago, in 2012, which was at that time the hottest year on record, Bug of the Week posted an episode noting the unusual discovery of the Florida predatory stink bug sunbathing on the trunk of an elm tree at the University of Maryland. Isolated reports of Florida predatory stink bugs in Maryland date back even earlier than 2012. Last autumn adult Florida predatory stink bugs were seen with regularity in the DMV. Following the second warmest winter ever recorded in the region, it came as no surprise that these fierce predators were back in force in 2023 and numerous reports of this predator surfaced in the DMV.

Last autumn, spooky orange and black Florida predatory stink bugs were spotted on trees and buildings here in the DMV. Were these beneficial denizens of the Deep South able to handle the ‘winter that didn’t happen in 2022/2023’ in this region? Surely looks like it, as developing nymphs and adults were seen throughout our region this summer and autumn. It appears that nymphs of the Florida predatory stink bug have a baffling desire to interpret the dials and readouts on electric utility meters. In a warming world, it looks like they may be here to stay. Video by Michael Raupp and Craig J. Regelbrugge

The Florida predatory stink bug is native to tropical and semi-tropical regions ranging from Peru to the United States. Like its cousin the spined soldier bug we met in a previous episode, the Florida predatory stink bug is a generalist. Using a powerful beak to impale and immobilize its prey, it then sucks nutritious body fluids from the victim to sustain growth, development, and reproduction. In addition to consuming caterpillars and leaf beetles in backyard vegetable gardens, both nymphs and adults of the Florida predatory stink bug put a beat-down on important crop pests including brown marmorated stink bugs and kudzu bugs. As record high temperatures continue to build and growing seasons extend in both spring and fall, keep an eye out for these beautiful beneficial predators that are becoming more common here in the DMV and in locations further north.

Acknowledgements

We thank Craig J. Regelbrugge and Sarah Zastrow for sharing images of Florida predatory stink bugs that inspired this episode. The interesting articles “Florida predatory stink bug (unofficial common name), Euthyrhynchus floridanus (Linnaeus) (Insecta: Hemiptera: Pentatomidae)” by Frank W. Mead and David B. Richman, and “Feeding Responses of Euthyrhynchus floridanus (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae) to Megacopta cribraria (Heteroptera: Plataspidae) with Spodoptera frugiperda and Anticarsia gemmatalis (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) Larvae as Alternative Prey” by Julio Medal,  Andrew Santa Cruz, and Trevor Smith were consulted for this episode. Records from the Maryland Biodiversity Project helped inform discoveries of this predatory stink bug in the DMV.

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Whether you love the winter season or loathe the frigid temperatures, there is definitely one thing to love about this time of year. Cold temperatures mean fewer mosquitoes.  

Here in the Northeast, mosquito season typically stretches from April through October, with peak activity typically in May and June. Mosquitoes are more than just an annoying buzz in your ear and the sources of numerous itchy bites. These blood-drinking pests can transmit pathogens that cause serious illnesses, such as malaria, West Nile virus, and the Zika virus.  

Mosquitoes love warm, wet weather, which is why they are active year-round in the tropics and thrive in spring and summer in summer climates. Mosquitoes are plentiful throughout the region and found everywhere from cities to suburbs to rural areas. But where do they go when the cold rolls in, and how do mosquitoes survive the winter?  

Do Mosquitoes Die During the Winter?  

Mosquitoes are cold-blooded and incapable of regulating their body heat on their own. As a result, their temperatures are dependent on their environment. These insects thrive in warm weather around 80 degrees Fahrenheit. When the temperature cools to 60 degrees Fahrenheit, they typically slow down. In temperatures below 50 degrees Fahrenheit, the insects can’t function — but they don’t actually die. 

How Do Mosquitos Survive the Cold? 

To survive the winter, mosquitoes go into a dormant state. Some species have embryos that hibernate in eggs, typically in ice. When temperatures warm and the ice melts, these mosquitoes hatch.  

For other species, females hibernate after mating in autumn, often inside hollow logs and animal burrows. Some remain in a state of torpor, with no sign of mental or physical activity. Those are the mosquitoes that may emerge on warm winter days. 

Does a Mild Winter Mean Increased Activity in the Spring?  

Mild winters often lead to insect-filled spring seasons. Although warmer winter months won’t necessarily translate into larger insect populations, they do cause mosquitoes to come out of hibernation early. If spring is particularly wet, it may cause a longer mosquito season with increased activity.  

Catseye Pest Control’s Platinum Home Protection program provides preventive treatments and routine inspections every other month all year long. This can help you tackle mosquito problems early in the season and provide effective control for mosquitoes and other pests, giving you the ultimate peace of mind. 

Mosquito Activity and Habitat  

Mosquitoes have narrow bodies and hairy wings, but they are best known for their itchy bites and the buzzing sound you hear as they fly by your head. Female mosquitoes feed on plant nectar and blood from animals and people. After feeding, they use the nutrients to produce eggs. While mosquitoes feed, they inject their host with saliva, which may spread various diseases. Males feed only on plant nectar. 

As far as habitats are concerned, these insects aren’t too picky. Some like living near humans, while others prefer more remote areas. Mosquitoes thrive in moist areas, including tall grasses, forests, and marshes. They may lay their eggs in water or in moist soil, depending on the species. Mosquitoes can make their home anywhere from lakes and ponds and floodplains to containers filled with rainwater. 

How to Make Your Property Less Enticing to Mosquitoes During the Spring and Summer 

One of the most effective ways to prevent your property from being overtaken by mosquitoes is to enroll in Catseye’s professional mosquito control. This program uses monthly inspections and treatments using organic products to keep you and your loved ones safe while providing powerful results.  

Additional Preventive Tips 

Professional control will offer peace of mind. You may also choose to take action around your house and yard to make your property less mosquito-friendly. 

• Eliminate Standing Water: Even the tiniest amount of water can serve as a breeding ground containing hundreds of eggs. 
• Add Moving Water to Ponds: If you have a water feature, consider adding a fountain or another way to keep the water moving to prevent mosquitoes from laying eggs. 
• Use Natural Repellents: Plant lemongrass, lavender, citronella and other mosquito-repelling plants as a natural deterrent. 
• Add a Fan: A solid breeze can cause too much disruption for mosquitoes to fly.  
• Get Rid of Clutter and Debris: Old junk, rusty grills, and debris piles can all harbor moisture or collect water, making them possible nesting areas. 
• Light a Fire: The smoke from a wood-burning fire is an effective repellent. 
• Attract Natural Predators: Did you know bats eat about half their body weight in mosquitoes? Adding bat boxes to your property could attract them to roost for natural mosquito control.  

Contact Catseye Pest Control Today  

Catseye has the experience, expertise, and technology to help keep your property protected from mosquitoes. Enjoy your outdoor space. Contact us to learn more or to schedule a free inspection. 

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Mice prefer to stay warm and cozy, so where do they go when winter temperatures turn outdoor environments frosty? 

Here in the Northeast, where deer mice, house mice, and white-footed mice are among the prevalent species, it’s not unusual for mouse activity to continue year-round. The problem is that as temperatures plummet in fall and frigid winter weather sets in, most mice seek out warmer areas to call home — possibly even your home.  

Mice can often be found inside homes year-round but can be heard more in the colder months because they tend to gravitate toward the warmest parts of the house. For example, mice will nest inside and underneath insulation — while sitting on top of the attic drywall trying to stay warm, they are more likely to be heard by homeowners.  

What does that mean for you? Let’s take a closer look at typical mice activity during winter and how you can avoid an infestation.  

Do Mice Hibernate?  

Contrary to what you might think, mice don’t hibernate. Instead, they remain active year-round. Food scarcity and intense, cold temperatures do cause many animals to go into hibernation during winter. This dormant state is marked by decreased metabolism and heart rate, which allows them to survive the season.  

Although many rodents, including arctic ground squirrels, do hibernate throughout most of winter while waiting for warmer weather, mice do not hibernate at all. Instead, these rodents spend the winter seeking (or enjoying) shelter and foraging for food. Outdoors, mice also have to worry about avoiding predators. They often burrow into the ground to nest or move into homes and other buildings.  

In fact, more than 20 million homes across the United States deal with rodents every year.  

Mice Activity and Habitats  

Mice can adapt to various habitats, ranging from the great outdoors to human structures. As the temperatures outside drop, mice and many types of nuisance wildlife seek warm, safe places to nest and survive the winter.  

Although mice can invade homes, businesses, and other properties any time of year, people often see more indoor activity in fall and winter. Mice can make homes in burrows, brush and debris piles, and tree trunks outdoors in warm weather. However, as food becomes more scarce and the weather turns cold, mice start actively seeking shelter. In many cases, that means inside people’s homes.  

Mice activity during winter predominantly includes foraging for food, nesting in areas like wall cavities and insulation, and reproducing. Mice have a short gestation period of only three weeks, and females can give birth to another litter as soon as 25 days after the first. Each female may produce 35 babies per year.  

This underscores the problem that mice can pose. With reproductive numbers like that, even a small mouse problem can quickly grow into a large-scale infestation.  

Signs of Mice Inside Your House 

The sooner you realize you have a mouse problem, the better. Professional control is a must to ensure you thoroughly evict these critters from your home or business in any season. What are the top signs that mice are spending the winter inside your property? 

Droppings 

Mice are nocturnal, and because they’re more active at night, you may not ever see a live mouse in your house. These pests are also messy and tend to leave droppings in their wake, practically everywhere they go. Trails or piles of what looks similar to chocolate sprinkles is a tell-tale sign of mouse activity.  

Scurrying Noises 

Although you may not see them, you could hear mice as they scamper about. Hearing scratching or running noises in walls and ceilings, particularly at night, can be a sign you have a problem.  

Chew Marks 

Like other rodents, mice are big chewers. They may tear through your pantry, leaving food and wrappers behind. Mice also chew on structural elements, wiring, boxes, and more.  

Mouse Trails 

Droppings aren’t all these creatures leave behind. You may notice streaks of urine or greasy-looking gray or brown smudges along baseboards, walls, and other heavily traveled pathways and entrances.  

How to Keep Mice Outside 

Not only can these tiny terrors wreak havoc and destruction, but they can also pose a serious health risk. Mice droppings, urine, and saliva could contaminate food, water, and surfaces with pathogens that can cause diseases like hantavirus or leptospirosis. Mice can also introduce other pests to the indoor environment, including fleas, mites, and ticks.  

So, how can you keep them outside? 

Professional Exclusion Services 

Prevention is worth everything, particularly when it comes to mice and other rodents. Catseye Pest Control’s Cat-Guard Residential Rodent and Wildlife Exclusion Systems provide an innovative, permanent solution. Like our Commercial Exclusion Systems, these rigid barriers seal off potential entry points, keeping rodents and nuisance wildlife from being able to enter the premises. Best of all, they’re safe, humane, and chemical-free.  

Strategic Landscaping 

Mice thrive where there is harborage because it makes them feel safe. Cleaning up debris piles, storing firewood away from your home, and trimming back trees and shrubs away from the building can help reduce these harborage conditions. Likewise, ensure you keep your garbage in rodent-proof containers. 

Remove Food Sources 

When mice come inside in winter, they are primarily looking for food and shelter. Proper sanitation and eliminating food sources, in conjunction with exclusion, can make a significant difference. Keep counters and floors clean and store food (including pet food) in rodent-proof containers.  

Contact Catseye for More Information 

Now that you know where mice typically go in winter and the clues to watch for, hopefully, you will spot any signs of mouse activity early. Whether you need professional removal and rodent control services or you want to learn more about our exclusion systems, Catseye is here to help. Schedule a free inspection to get started.  

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