If you are having pest issues in your home, or are concerned that pest issues are coming in the spring, here are some tips to help you protect your biggest investment:
1 – Seal up any obvious holes, cracks, or crevices. All homes have flaws. Regardless of the age of the home, there will be small openings. An airtight home is not the goal, but you do have to be cognizant of any openings that could become a pest entry/exit point or have already become one.
2 – If you have any damaged, rotting, or untreated wood lying around, remove it. Wood boring insects are attracted to compromised wood. It’s that simple. If it’s around, they will come. It’s only a matter of time. This includes old stumps, downed trees, wood piles, lawn debris, etc. Pests are already a concern, don’t make the possibility for a worse problem with property neglect.
3 – Many of us have firewood and that’s ok. But be smart and stack it away from the house, monitor it for pests, and inspect it before bringing it inside.
4 – Reduce all moisture around your home. Inspect regularly for leaky pipes, leaky faucets, wet wood, standing water, malfunctioning gutters, exterior drainage issues in general, sweating toilets, clogged drains, leaky hose bibs, sump pit issues, etc. If you see a moisture issue, do not let it go for too long. If you do, pest issues will arise – we promise.
5 – Cleanliness is important. Keep all food sealed. Don’t draw pests inside with loose food and stickiness. Make sure bedrooms aren’t full of dirty dishes. Keep your kitchen counters clean. Rinse recyclables before dropping them in their bin. Occasionally disinfect your garbage cans. Keep pet food in sealed containers. Be diligent and be smart about your living spaces.
6 – Keep all screens in good working order and in place, keep garage doors down, and keep all doors closed. Pests only need a second to get inside. Don’t invite them in with your own neglect. And to you, ‘garage door partially open guy’, close that garage door all the way, make sure your weather seal is flush to the ground, and inspect your apron for droppings from time to time! No more partially opened garage doors!
Bonus tip: your Bilco doors probably aren’t sealed anymore. If you see daylight when you open that basement door, then it’s time to re-seal those Bilcos.
7 – Clean up clutter. Plain and simple, clutter gives pests many places to hide. We in the industry call that “harborage.” Reduce clutter and you’ll reduce pests.
Pests are opportunists. Educated homeowners can keep their pest exposure down if they follow some simple and sensible tips for pest management. As always, please call Sheridan Pest Control if you are having any pest issues. We’d love to help!
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