Rob’s Guide to Unwelcome Guests at the Cottage

Our cottages are our own little slice of heaven. Away from the busy streets and near constant noise, it’s our place to get away and relax in peace and quiet. Nothing could be worse than having our relaxation interrupted by unwelcome guests. I’m not talking about nosy neighbours or even the inlaws - I’m talking about rodents and critters of all shapes and sizes.

Mosquitoes, bed bugs, snakes, spiders and skunks can all make your weekend in paradise an absolute nightmare. Let’s take a look at some of the most common cottage intruders and how they set up shop around the cottage.

Skunks

These little black and white troublemakers mate mid-winter to early spring, resulting in kits just around the time you’re returning to the cottage. Mother skunks are looking for quiet, dark places to raise their young and underneath your shed or deck is the perfect place to set up camp. If you’ve come back to the cottage to find a family has moved in underneath your deck, installing bright lights underneath is a motivator for the skunk family to find a new dwelling. Of course, dealing with skunks on your own can be a daunting task, as no one wants to be on the receiving end of a skunk spray, which is why pest control is here to help out!

Bedbugs

Don’t be fooled! Even the cleanest of cottages can still fall victim to an invasion of bedbugs. These hitchhikers attach themselves to clothes and luggage, and live in more places than just the bed! A guest might have been to a friend of a friend’s house before swinging by for dinner, and suddenly these little guys are crawling all over your couches and chairs, hitchhiking their way from the couch to your bedroom. If you fear you might have bedbugs, remove all the bedding from your bed and look for some telltale signs - things like the bugs themselves or light brown, moulted skins of the nymphs. Bedbugs even have a little bit of termite attitude in them, so be sure to check the wood drawers and night tables around the bed for any signs. The best way to get peace of mind? Call pest control!

Spiders

The creepy crawlies that want as much to do with us as we want to do with them. Dock spiders and fishing spiders tend to accidentally find their way inside of our cottages. While relatively harmless, they’re still not something you want to wake up to see crawling on your wall. Coming across these spiders can startle you just as much as the spider, and a simple relocation to the outside world will make both of you equally as happy. For a full list of spiders that can show up around the cottage, CLICK HERE. 

Rob Heming at Realty Executives on the Bay
specializes in tourism accommodation, recreational and multi-residential properties,

as well as fine homes and waterfront cottages.