You may find more pests in your home during cold snap

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- It's a cold weather must: Protect your pipes, plants and pets. But there's another "p" you can add to the list that you want to protect yourself from this cold season: pests.

"The raccoons, the possums, everything tries to find it's way in," said Chris Carver of Texan Pest. "It's everything that doesn't want to be cold."

The rodents and critters have two main entry points into your home when the temperatures drop, said Carver. One is any small opening at the bottom of your garage door; the other is any gap in the air conditioning pipes that run into your home and up your attic.

Carver has been busy spaying, baiting and trapping pests since Wednesday's cold front moved in to the Houston area.

"It can get out of control," said Carver.

Carver said if the problem is not taken care of now, it could end up chewing through your wallet. Carver said it's important to place traps around your home and in your attic.

"They can chew on all of the electrical lines, cable lines, telephone lines. They can cause fire through there," said Michael Shamsi with Pest Police.

Shamsi began checking traps he set out earlier this week at a clients home in Fulshear. Although there were no dead rats recovered, there was plenty of evidence they were there. And Shamsi said if the rodents stay they run the risk of chewing on electrical wires and causing a fire.

Shamsi said if you don't have A/C lines that are not plugged up with foam, you can always place billow pads in the openings to keep the pests out.

Carver said the only pests that are killed during this cold snap are fleas.