How to Avoid Pests During the Fall and Winter

As temperatures start dropping in the fall and winter, various pests become more desperate to find a warmer place to stay. Your home can become an attractive target for fall and winter pests, such as rats and mice, spiders, wasps, stink bugs, cockroaches and bigger pests like squirrels and opossums. Our experts at AAI Pest Control have summarized everything that you need to do to keep fall and winter pests out of your home.

Step 1: Seal Your Home

The drop in temperature in the fall and winter makes it harder for some pests to find food, water, and suitable shelter. Consequently, there will be a scramble among pests each time an opportunity arises for them to enter your home and secure the food and warmth needed for their survival. You can avert their intentions by sealing your home in order to limit pest entry points. The following are some of the things that Modesto pest control experts suggest that you do to seal your home.

Check the weatherproofing on all your doors and windows and seal any gaps you find. That weatherproofing will not only keep your home energy efficient but also keep the pests outside.
Check for gaps in walls and floors. The holes through which pipes run from outdoors to indoors can have tiny gaps which can be exploited as entry points for pests like rats or mice and crawling insects. Identify all those gaps by observing for any leaks of light through those surfaces. Use caulk or any other appropriate product to seal those gaps so that pests don’t have access into your Stockton home.
Check kitchen and bathroom fixtures. Any crack in a bathroom or kitchen fixture, such as a water pipe, can allow moisture to escape and attract pests. Those gaps can also be exploited as pest entry points. Some pests, such as young mice, may only need an opening which is approximately the width of a pencil to get in! Repair any damaged kitchen or bathroom fixtures, so that pest entry points are minimized.

Step 2: Break Bad Habits

Did you know that your habits may be inadvertently making your home a haven for pests in the fall and winter? This fall and winter, change those that may be making your home prone to pest infestations in the colder seasons of the year. Pay particular attention to the habits below.

Improper storage of firewood. Check how close your supply of firewood is to the exterior walls. Any firewood that leans against the walls allows pests to use that firewood as a bridge to your windows and other openings in the exterior walls. Secondly, the wood provides a hiding place for rodents and other pests, so it will not be long before those pests in that sanctuary find their way into your home. Move the wood as far away as possible from your exterior walls and only carry in what will be used quickly.
Clutter within or outside your home. Do you pile old newspapers and magazines in your basement or garage? Is your old furniture stacked away in a room you rarely use? Such clutter can provide food and shelter for fall and winter pests like cockroaches and rodents. Get rid of that clutter so that your home isn’t a pest magnet this fall and winter.
Snacking in random places. Another habit that may keep pests in your home this fall and winter is snacking or having meals in random places, such as in your bedroom, the living room and the spare room. Crumbs can drop in hard-to-reach areas, such as between cushions, and those crumbs will attract and sustain the pests that get to them. Start having all meals in your kitchen or a designated place so that you reduce the frequency (and cost) of asking Modesto pest control companies for help.

Step 3: Fortify Your Property Against Pests

It is possible for you to overlook some aspects of pest-proofing your home as you seal or caulk gaps in the house envelope. Use the following measures to fortify the defenses that you have instituted against pests as a backup to your earlier measures.

Use long-lasting outdoor and indoor rated pesticides around the perimeter of your home as well as entryways, hallways, and doors. These products will kill any pests that breach the other barriers you put in place to keep the fall and winter pests out of your house.
Beef up protection in pest hotspots. Each home has spots which by their very nature are attractive to pests. For example, the areas underneath kitchen sinks are moist and warm, so roaches and other pests will inevitably be attracted to those spots. Get pesticides with tip applicators so that you can fortify those hotspots against pests. Ask Modesto pest control experts for help in selecting products which are safe for use in such areas.
Emphasize cleanliness. Sweep floors, wipe counters and store food in airtight containers. This will eliminate two of the attractions (food and water) that bring pests into your home in the fall and winter.

Do you suspect that a pest infestation is brewing in your home? Contact us at AAI Pest Control, and we shall send an inspector to assess your home so that an appropriate treatment and prevention plan can be implemented.