Keeping ahead of schedule and preparing your home for spring can significantly mitigate potential pest problems in the upcoming months. Many pests use the winter time as a time to conserve energy and hibernate. During the winter months, bugs are usually more focused on keeping their bodies warm rather than breeding or even eating. In the spring, as temperatures begin to increase, pests start to come out of their hiding areas and pest activity drastically increases. Here are some helpful things you can do now to gear up your home and keep pests from finding ways inside your home this spring.
Inspect Your Home and Seal Entry Points
Pests can only ever come inside your home if they are carried in or if they enter through small entryways. It is essential to ensure that your home is tightly sealed and that all cracks and gaps throughout the home are closed off. This includes inspecting your home’s walls, ceiling line, windows, screens, and doors. Seal your home using materials such as caulk, weatherstripping, or mesh screens to prevent pests from entering your home.
Clean and Declutter Your Home
Pests tend to hide. This makes decluttering your home and keeping your space clean important when it comes to preventing pests. Remove any clutter from attics, basements, and garages where pests might find shelter. It can also be helpful to regularly re-organize cluttered areas such as cupboards, bookshelves, or any other storage areas. By regularly cleaning, you can help eliminate potential hiding spots and reduce the likelihood of infestations.
Store Food Properly
While pests are attracted to areas that provide them with safety and shelter, they are primarily attracted to food and water sources. By regularly cleaning your home, you can ensure that your home is free from crumbs and leftover spills. Aside from keeping your kitchen area clean, it is also important to ensure that you are storing your food properly. By leaving out food on countertops or not properly sealing your food in proper containers, pests have easy access to contaminating and eating your food. Use airtight containers to keep your food properly and tightly sealed. This will help keep your food safe and prevent pests from detecting your pantries and kitchen area.
Maintain Your Yard
Bushes and trees often play a big role in a pest’s life. Bushes, trees, and other organic materials can commonly serve as sheltered areas and make common places for pests to lay eggs, hide, rest, eat, and everything in between. Branches from trees can commonly provide direct paths to your home. This can provide easy access for pests such as rodents to find their way to your roof and potentially enter your home. Where you can, it is important to trim branches away from your home.
The best way to prevent pests is by regularly maintaining and inspecting your home. If you notice pests in your space, it is important to treat them immediately before they find hiding spots, or possibly lay eggs around your home. For more information, contact your local Insight Pest Solutions by calling (888) 414-1430. We always want the best for you and your home.
