When the temperature drops outdoors creatures of the woodlands and insects see your house as a comfy refuge from the cold weather.

Unfortunately they could be bringing along with them a variety of diseases, according to the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention, including hantavirus, leptospirosis, rabies, tularemia, West Nile Virus, tapeworms, salmonella, typhoid fever, tuberculosis, strep, staph, polio, murine typhus, malaria, Lyme disease, dysentery, dengue, cholera and plague.Animals and insects are also destructive and can chew through walls, wiring, clothes and cardboard boxes.Among the exhibitors specializing in Pest Control at the Great Northeast Home Show will be Catseye Pest Control Inc. of East Schodack. Catseye will display examples of insects and insect damage as well as examples of the methods it uses to control pests.If you're faced with a pest problem, Catseye recommends taking immediate action, to curtail the damage.It's a common problem too. The National Pest Management Association says that 21 million households in the U.S. fight rodent infestations each year during the winter.Signs of animal or insect infestation include scampering or gnawing sounds late at night in the attic or behind walls, and droppings found in undisturbed areas of the house such as pantries, attics, garages, under baseboards, and along walls, notes NPMA.Common points of entry include pet doors, holes in walls, missing vent screens, openings around pipes and dryer duct vents. Even openings as small as a nickel or half dollar can be susceptible to pest invasions.