Top Pests That Try to Move Indoors
Fall is the season everyone loves. Cooler nights, football games, pumpkin spice, and a break from Florida’s brutal summer heat. But while we’re enjoying all that, pests are busy making their own fall plans — and they usually involve moving into your home.
When temperatures dip (even slightly), bugs and rodents start seeking out three things: warmth, shelter, and food. And guess what? Your house checks all the boxes. Let’s break down some of the most common fall invaders — and I’ll share a few insider facts most folks don’t know.
Rodents
Here’s a fact most people don’t realize: a mouse can squeeze through a hole the size of a dime, and a rat can flatten itself through a gap the size of a quarter. That little gap where a pipe enters your house? Perfect doorway.
Once they’re in, rodents do more than just make noise in the attic. They’ll:
- Chew wires — which is a major fire hazard. (Rodents’ teeth never stop growing, so they gnaw constantly.)
- Contaminate food — one mouse can leave 50–75 droppings a day.
- Multiply fast — a female mouse can have a litter every 3 weeks.
That scratching in the walls? That’s not “just one mouse.”
Roaches
Most people think roaches slow down in cooler weather. In Florida, that’s just not true. German cockroaches — the small ones that show up in kitchens — are indoor pests year-round. What changes in fall is how aggressively they search for food and water.
Fun (and gross) fact: roaches can survive a month without food but only a week without water. That’s why leaky faucets, pet water bowls, and condensation under sinks are their #1 hangouts this time of year.
Another insider detail: roach egg cases (oothecae) can hatch weeks after the mother has died. That’s why a DIY spray might kill a few, but the next generation still hatches out behind your fridge.
Spiders
Spiders get a bad rap, but here’s the truth — when you see more spiders indoors in fall, it’s usually because their prey (roaches, silverfish, ants) has already moved in.
A few Florida spider facts:
- House spiders spin new webs every day. That’s why you keep knocking them down and they reappear.
- Wolf spiders don’t spin webs at all — they hunt on foot. And yes, they’ll sometimes wander indoors in search of prey.
- The widow spiders (black, brown, and red widows) are all in Florida. They’re reclusive, but they love cluttered garages, sheds, and piles of firewood brought inside.
So if you’re seeing spiders, the real problem is usually something else drawing them in.
Stink Bugs & Boxelder Bugs
These are bigger issues up north, but they’re slowly spreading south, too. Stink bugs flatten their bodies and slide into siding gaps. Once they’re in, they go into a state called diapause (a sort of bug hibernation) inside your walls — and they can come crawling back out on warm winter days.
And here’s something most homeowners don’t know: vacuuming them up can make your vacuum smell awful for weeks. Professionals usually recommend a shop-vac with a bag you can toss immediately.
Ants
Ants don’t hibernate in Florida. Instead, they adjust. As nights get cooler, colonies often move deeper into walls, under slabs, or into insulation to regulate their temperature. That’s why you’ll sometimes see trails suddenly “reappear” indoors after weeks of quiet.
Two PCP facts:
- Ghost ants (tiny sugar ants) are a huge fall problem in Florida. They build nests inside wall voids and can split colonies overnight — so if you spray part of a colony, you may just end up with two colonies instead of one.
- Carpenter ants are active year-round in Florida. They don’t eat wood, but they tunnel through it, weakening beams and trim. Fall is when they often set up satellite nests inside homes.
What You Can Do
- Walk the perimeter of your home at dusk with a flashlight — light shining through gaps = rodent or bug entry point.
- Add weatherstripping to doors (roaches and ants often come right under them).
- Store firewood at least 20 feet away from your house — it’s a rodent and spider magnet.
- Check attic vents and soffits for gaps — these are prime rodent highways.
- Don’t forget the garage — pests love to sneak in when the door’s up and stay behind storage boxes.
Fall in Florida doesn’t mean the bugs go away — it just means they change their tactics. Rodents start nesting, roaches ramp up, spiders follow their prey, and ants push deeper into your walls.
Your home is cozy, warm, and full of food. To pests, it looks like paradise. Don’t give them the keys — and if you hear, see, or smell something suspicious, give Pestex a call. We’ll keep your fall cozy for you, not for the creepy crawlies.