It’s amazing how pests can enter your home through the tiniest of cracks and openings. You may think your walls are sturdy and solid – and they more than likely are from a human’s perspective – but insects, bats and rats/mice and other mammals will find an entry point if at all possible.
And it’s often very possible!
Read below for the top entry points pests may be using to infiltrate your home:
Doors and windows. Pests will enter your home through torn screens and weatherstripping that’s worn away (bugs will enter via weatherstripping). If you’re worried about mice, check out the rubber gasket under your garage door to make sure it seals tightly with the floor.
Go through your house looking for gaps around your gas, plumbing and AC lines, exhaust vents, even phone and TV cables. If your home has siding, check for gaps and holes on it and around the trim. You also should look under the siding where it meets up with your home’s foundation. A shifting foundation, rot and bad construction can leave holes perfect for pests to use.
If your home has a crawlspace, all of the floors right above the space could be possible entry zones. If you can access it, put on some grubby clothes, safety glasses and a flashlight and craw inside to check for gaps.
Bushes and piles of wood are terrific thoroughfares for bugs. Tree branches especially can bring bugs to your home, especially if the tree is tall enough for your second story. Trim back your tree branches.
Your roof’s fascia and soffits can have holes and gaps, especially if your home is joined to another (townhomes, etc.). Holes and gaps in your fascia/soffits are terrific entryways for wasps, bats and squirrels.
Check your dryer’s damper door to make sure it opens and closes freely. Check to see if the damper door is sticky and is staying open. Again, birds and squirrels, rats and mice love to enter homes via open damper doors.
Clean your gutters! Corn ants love to nest in gutters filled with dirt and leaves.
Check your roof for vents that have broken or are missing screens – bats and squirrels often enter attics and roof crawlspaces this way.
If you have a chimney and you don’t have a cap on it, get one. Birds and rodents love to make nests in chimneys.