You Can Help With Pest Control at Home

Being proactive about pest control  begins with you at home. Adherence to the following steps could greatly reduce your need to call in outside professionals for pest control services:

Inside Your Home

• Seal off all exterior doors. If light shows through around or under a door, it’s an open invitation to insects.
• Inspect your home for leaks and seal gaps. Be sure to check around plumbing pipes under cabinets and don’t let water accumulate anywhere.
• Inspect the grouting in your bathroom(s). Check the integrity of the caulking around bathtubs, showers, sinks and toilets. Solid seals prevent insects from entering, particularly silverfish and ants.
• Inspect your home’s attic for any water build-up, clutter and unscreened vents. Make sure stored boxes are sealed to prevent insects from nesting and breeding.
• Replace or clean furnace and air-conditioning filters, regularly. Mold and mildew build-up are natural magnets for small insects.
• Be sure all food is stored in securely sealed containers in your refrigerator and cabinets.
• Take up your pet’s food and water each night. It’s another way to say, “Pests not welcome!”
• Inspect grocery bags, packages and boxes before bringing them into the house. Pests love to hide in them.

Outside Your Home

• Inspect all window and door screens for holes. Patch or replace as needed.
• Be sure to seal all vents to keep rodents and insects out of roof and attic spaces.
• Inspect and seal around all outside pipes and conduit. Pests can actually enter your home through unsealed power line conduit and spaces around pipes.
• Be sure all water is diverted away and prevented from building up next your home’s foundation. Be sure gutter drains point away from your home.
• Regularly check gutters and remove leaves and debris. Insects love to breed in these spaces.
• Be sure to check all cracks and crevices – apply caulk as needed.
• Make sure trashcans are kept clean and have lids that seal tightly.
• Keep your garage door closed as much as possible and make sure the weather-stripping at the bottom is in good condition.
• Trim trees and bushes away from your house. Clear over-hanging limbs to remove opportunities for rodents to easily access your roof.
• Clear out all debris and clutter near your home’s foundation. Move woodpiles away from the structure. Don’t give rodents and insects a place to breed.
• Keep puddles from forming near the foundation as a result of sprinklers spraying water onto the house.
• If applicable, be sure drip lines from window air conditioners are positioned at least two feet away from the foundation.