Pest Proofing Your Home for Spring.

Top 3 Best Defensive Tips to Keeping Your Home Bug Free.

If I was a betting person, I feel it would be safe to say that at some point in your life, you have had a pest related concern. Most of us do. So, what can you do to keep your home pest free? Simple, create a great defense!

All pests whether it be insects or rodents, need 3 things to survive: food, water, and shelter. Take these things away and you will significantly reduce your chances having a pest infestation. So, let’s dive into the top 3 best defensive ways to keeping your home pest free!

#1 Shelter – Seal and Repair All Cracks and Crevices

A thorough inspection around your home is the first and most crucial step. Here is what you will want to look for:

• Gaps, Cracks or Crevices – seal them up with some heavy-duty caulk.
• Unsealed Doors or Windows- door seal kits, weather stripping or aluminum thresholds can be used.
• Open Eaves – If you can’t do it yourself, then you can hire a handyman to close up those areas with some 1/4″ hardware cloth. Please note, if you are already hearing noises in the attic, please do not seal up any entry points until you remove the animal. You do not want to lock an animal in your attic.

#2 Water – Fix Any and All Leaks

Inspect under all sinks, in bathrooms and outside spigots for any possible water leaks. During those hot summer months, pests are more determined than ever to find a good source of water.

If you have found that you do have a leak you will want to:

• Turn off the water supply.
• Turn on the faucet to drain the water from the pipe in question.
• Apply plumbing epoxy putty or plumbers’ tape, whichever fits your situation.

#3 Food – Keep Your Indoors and Outdoors Clean

I remember my 5th grade teacher Mr. Linkhart used to say, “there’s no such thing as a free lunch”. Ain’t that the truth! But when it comes to pests, they didn’t get the memo. You definitely want to make sure you are not the one providing that “free lunch”!

Things to look out for and to clean up asap:

• Spilled food debris behind and under stoves, refrigerators and microwaves.
• Spilled sugar, flour or cereal in the pantry.
• Grease on or under the stove.
• Crumbs under or in the toaster.
• Spilled pet food around the bowl.
• Standing water around the perimeter of your home.
• Debris piles around the perimeter of your home.

So, now that you have completed steps 1-3, you will want to finish strong by applying a pesticide barrier. Using a general pesticide that is labeled for several different insects will give you the peace of mind that you are looking for! Have questions on what pesticide would be best for you? Call us, our technicians would be more than happy to help you through any pest related problem.