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Winter is one of the most critical bottlenecks in insect life cycles. For temperate and polar insects, survival through months of low temperatures determines population size and the timing of spring outbreaks, with cascading effects on food webs, agriculture and disease dynamics. While temperature is the most obvious abiotic stressor in winter, moisture—the form, timing…

In Seattle’s damp, temperate climate, heat is more than comfort for humans — it’s a powerful attractant for rodents. Rats are endothermic animals that expend energy to stay warm, so they naturally seek out microclimates that reduce that energy cost. Warm spaces—whether created by a furnace, hot-water pipes, a water heater, heated crawlspaces, or even…

As temperatures drop and landscapes become blanketed with snow and ice, pest populations and the systems we use to monitor them both change in important ways. Winter pushes many pests to alter their behavior — rodents and other vertebrates seek warmth and food inside buildings, some insect species move into sheltered microclimates or enter diapause,…

January is often the quietest month of the year for homeowners, but it’s also one of the most important times to address rodent problems. Cold weather pushes mice, rats and other small mammals indoors in search of warmth, shelter and food, so early winter — and particularly January — is when many infestations become obvious….

As temperatures drop, many business owners and facility managers notice an uptick in rodent activity—and for good reason. Cold weather is one of the strongest seasonal drivers that pushes rats out of their outdoor harborage and into commercial buildings. The need for reliable warmth, steady food sources and protected nesting sites means that warehouses, restaurants,…

Seattle’s historic neighborhoods—places like Pioneer Square, Ballard, Capitol Hill, Queen Anne and Georgetown—combine charming old architecture, mature street trees and narrow alleyways. Those very features that give these districts their character also create a mosaic of vulnerabilities when winter arrives. Seattle’s mild, wet winters mean pests don’t always die back the way they do in…

As the rainy season settles over Seattle, the city’s mild winters create ideal conditions for rodents to seek warmth, shelter and nesting sites close to homes. Unlike colder regions where rodent activity drops sharply, mice and rats in the Puget Sound region remain active year‑round and often move indoors when temperatures dip and food becomes…

As winter loosens its grip, many homeowners and property managers brace for the annual uptick in pest activity. But the smartest time to act is not in the height of the problem — it’s before spring’s breeding season begins. Addressing pest threats in late winter or very early spring takes advantage of biological cycles and…

As winter arrives, the choices you make in your landscape — from where you pile mulch and store firewood to the types of plants you keep around your foundation — do more than shape a yard’s appearance. They also change the microclimates that determine whether pests survive the cold and how quickly they become active…

In Seattle’s damp, temperate climate, warm mechanical rooms have become an unexpectedly attractive habitat for urban rats. Across older multifamily buildings, mixed-use properties and retrofit commercial spaces, building managers and residents increasingly report rodent activity centered not on kitchens or alleys but on the boiler rooms, utility closets and rooftop penthouses that house a building’s…