This season’s early snowfall took many homeowners by surprise in Salt Lake City, but your snow shovel was not the only thing caught unprepared. Dramatic temperature drops in the Wasatch Front do not mean the end for pests; it means relocation.
Few homeowners understand that the area under their deck can be home to entire pest civilizations. The space between your deck boards and the ground forms an insulated chamber that retains more warmth than the surrounding area, making it the ideal place for pests to gather until they can make their way into your home.
If you have recently noticed more pests indoors, it may be coming from right under your feet. These transitions are origins of critical behavioral changes in pests, which makes professional pest control immensely valuable during these seasonal shifts. You can look for them by searching for pest control near me on the web!
The “Warm Pockets” Under Your Deck That Attract Pests
-
Radiation Heating From The Base Of Your House
Even when the colder months set in, the heat remains, as your home and floors radiate the warmth from the ground. Your home conserves energy. Then, this warmth rises, becoming trapped beneath your deck — a space that can be 10–15 degrees warmer than the air outside. From surprisingly far away, pests detect these temperature differences and instinctively travel towards them.
-
Protected From Wind and Precipitation
With 54 annual inches of snow on hand, deck spaces in Salt Lake City certainly offer some sought-after shelter in Utah. While the snow gets stuck under the awning, the sides are relatively open, allowing for natural ventilation. It is for this reason that semi-enclosed spaces are a popular target for pests as they provide a favorable level of protection from their natural predators without the stuffiness of fully enclosed environments.
-
Access to Multiple Entry Points
There are many joints in the deck structure, from the meeting of boards and posts to the lattice and framing to the home where the deck is attached. Every gap is a potential expressway for pests. A mouse only needs an opening the diameter of a dime to fit through.
-
Proximity to Food Sources
Your deck is probably adjacent to your kitchen, grilling area, or the part of the yard where you eat during the summer months. Although food scraps and crumbs that slipped through the deck boards this summer are still available all winter long.
How Pests Use Your Deck as a Launchpad Into Your Home
For the area beneath your deck, consider it a staging ground. Mice and rats typically do not move directly from open ground into your walls — they first set up a base camp. They use the deck to stay safe as they search for soft spots in your home.
They are going to have a field day with foundation cracks, chew the weatherstripping around doors and anything in between, and work their way into any holes where utility lines enter your home.
Additionally, spiders tend to follow this same pattern, setting up shop in dark, shady areas and then slowly making their way closer to the heat emanating from inside your home. An army of box elder bugs and other overwintering insects swarm beneath decks before locating pinhole-sized openings that lead into your basement or crawl space.
Moisture Buildup From Early Snow: The Silent Attractor
The snow that falls on your deck melts from the bottom when heat rises from your home, then creates a steady stream of water into the space underneath. In the cold, this moisture does not evaporate; it only collects.
This water is absorbed by the dirt or gravel beneath your deck, raising the humidity level significantly. Most pests actually require this moisture for successful overwintering. Silverfish, earwigs, and some species of beetles, among others, will be on the hunt for more solid ground.
It also keeps moisture in the soil to help prevent the ground from freezing solid, meaning burrowing bugs can stay active longer here than where they are exposed to the elements.
Take Action Today!
As the Utah Department of Health notes, service calls for rodents tend to rise by roughly 40 percent in Salt Lake County from October to January, so taking preventive measures now puts you ahead of the game. But a do-it-yourself approach is only surface-deep.
Professional pest control services such as Saela Pest Control are equipped with the tools and insights you need to find those hidden weaknesses that homeowners often overlook. If they treat your deck, they will inspect under the deck structure, treat for any infestations, and create a barrier to ensure pests cannot pack your deck and plan for an attack!
