As summer ends and the days and nights turn colder, many pests try to move indoors to get out of the rain and chill. So, as the leaves start to turn from a lush green to the beautiful tones of red, gold and orange for fall, follow the tips below to get your home ready to keep pests out as the temperature drops this autumn.
• Put out the “Do Not Disturb” sign. Holes in and near windows, cracks at baseboards or near the foundation – pests will find them and move on inside. Best to repair window screens, add caulk or weather stripping to doors (including garage doors) and windows and get some concrete/foam filler to seal openings and cracks around your home’s foundation. An added bonus: sealing your home up tightly will help conserve energy, lowering your heating bills this winter.
• Create a house too “ugly” for pests. Pests love standing water. They love food (crumbs). Make sure standing water is emptied. Put food in sealed metal, plastic or glass containers. Wipe up spills and crumbs from counters immediately. Put a snug lid on your trash can. Clear plants, debris and firewood from your home’s walls, particularly anything near a window or door.
• Pests love messy; make your home tidy. Garages, basements and attics often become a large version of a kitchen’s “junk drawer.” Instead, clean these areas and eliminate clutter. If you haven’t moved a box in a while, move it to another spot; pests thrive in low-traffic areas and you may find something you “can’t unsee” when you shuffle storage containers around. Sweep and dust at least two or three times this fall and winter to prevent such unhappy surprises.
• Free the debris! Clean out twigs, leaves, etc. from your home’s gutters. Replace torn or missing roof shingles (a missing shingle can leave an opening for pests).
• Rinse recyclables. Yes, we know you place them in the recycling bin. But as you wait until the next recycling pickup, pests can be attracted to the sugary residue left in the drops of cola at the bottom of the plastic quart bottle. The same goes for your trash – pizza bits sitting in the delivery box in the trash can? Raccoons, rats and other pesky mammals like cold pizza as much as you do. Clear out food residue before placing an item in the trash or recycle bin.
As is often said, the best offense is a good defense: be on the lookout for pests before they become a big problem. Regular home inspections by a professional pest company such as Nature’s Way Pest Control can go a long way to eliminating pests before they become a disrupting issue.
Read on for the most common fall pests >>