As the thermometer begins to drop, the pests will begin to make their way toward your home. Each day as the temperatures dip lower and lower, the hoard of pests inch closer and closer to the beacon of warmth your home provides. With that being said, we thought we could share a few pest control tips on how to winterize your home so that outdoor pests don’t call it theirs.
Remove Potential Habitats
Pest habitats are not always easy spot. For example, you might look at a pile of leaves and congratulate yourself on a job well done for raking them into such a nice pile, but pests look at that as a breeding ground. Pests can create a whole world of destruction using those leaves as their home base. Pests enjoy living in environments that are moist, provide food, allow for breeding, and offer protection from predators. Naturally, that pile of leaves is a perfect fit. Do yourself a favor by collecting the leaves after you’ve finished raking and bring them to the curb for removal, or keep the piles no less than 10 yards from your home.
Additional tips:
– Remove leaves from gutters
– Trim trees that hang over the home
– Place a barrier between the home and mulch beds
– Move firewood storage away from the home
– Change out lightbulbs for ones that don’t attract pests
Pests also tend infiltrate homes through little cracks and openings. Do your best to seal them prior to a full blown infestation. For example, during the summer months having screens on your windows is great because it lets in the summer evening air, but as it gets colder, those screens aren’t needed and sometimes they provide pests the perfect entrance into the home through tiny spaces between the screen and window frame. Do yourself a favor and remove the screens for their seasonal cleaning and make sure that your window frames are tightly sealed before winter hits.
Additional tips include:
– Sealing cracks in the foundation
– Removing rotted wood
– Checking attic vents for cracks and seal them with with caulk
– Sealing cracks in the exterior of the home
– Creating a tight seal between exterior doors and the threshold
Lastly, if you are still experiencing pest issues, call the bug and rodent exterminators of Bug Masters Commercial Pest Control Co. today at 501.771.4888 to schedule your appointment. Our trained pest control experts will make your house a home again, all in time for the holidays.
