Fall Pest Control Tips

Many homeowners only consider treating pests during the spring and summer. While pests are more active during these seasons, you must look out for critters throughout the year.

Keep reading to learn a few of our top fall pest control tips for this time of year:

• Seal cracks and crevices: Rodents and insects are going to start looking for ways to enter your home as temperatures begin to drop—but they won’t just waltz in through the front door! Instead, they’ll try to sneak in through tiny cracks in your home’s foundation or exterior walls. Seal any gaps with caulk or steel wool to make it harder for them to enter.
• Repair damaged screens: Holes or tears in your window screens are other easy access points for pests. Take a look at all of your screens, and patch them up if they’re damaged. Depending on the condition, you may need to replace your screens this time of year.
• Store food: In addition to shelter, pests also sneak inside to get a free meal. One of our best fall pest control tips is to store your food in plastic, airtight containers. Additionally, clean up after each meal, and dispose of any food scraps in sealed receptacles.
• Stash away pet food: Pests aren’t picky when it comes to food—they’ll gladly steal from your dog or cat bowls. Don’t just leave your pets’ food out 24/7. Full pet dishes are like magnets for roaches, rodents and other nasty critters. Instead of keeping your pets’ food in the original bags or boxes, consider storing it in plastic containers.
• Keep firewood away: If fall pests can’t find a way inside your house, they may make themselves at home in stacks of firewood. Keep your firewood at least 20 feet away from your house, and store it on an elevated surface. Doing so will keep pests out of your house and make your firewood piles less accessible to rodents and insects.
• Inspect decorations: Before decorating your home for the holidays, take a look through your decoration boxes to ensure there aren’t any pests inside. Signs that rodents have been around include droppings or tiny shreds of paper or cardboard.
• Clean gutters: Leaves, twigs and other debris collected in your gutters make a nice home for rodents and insects. Take a few hours to clean out your gutters before winter arrives to ensure you don’t have any critters living up on your roof.
• Call a specialist: All of the tips above can help reduce the chances of an infestation this fall, but for the best defense against rodents and insects, we recommend hiring a professional. A pest control service can spray the exterior of your home to make it less attractive to pests to prevent a full-blown infestation this fall and winter.

For the best protection against fall pests, hire our team at Crist Termite and Pest Solutions, Inc. Get in touch with us today to schedule preventative treatment or to exterminate any pests already inside your home.

Categorised in: Preventative Pest Control