Winter is a time when most people want to hunker down and stay warm by the fire when they’re at home. While this might be a reasonable reaction to cold weather, it often leads people to neglect some of their home maintenance duties.
Before winter comes and you’re ready for your cozy chair and blanket, there are some things you should do to keep your home from turning into a winter paradise for pests. If you don’t, pests could damage your home and cause some serious problems before spring and warm weather arrive.
Check Your Screens
Screens around your home, especially those that lead to crawl spaces and provide access to plumbing or water hookups, are prime spots for pests to enter what should be your space. Before winter weather gets too bad, take the time to visually inspect these screens and make sure they aren’t damaged.
Screens that are damaged should be replaced and properly secured to your home. If other screens have become loose, take steps to secure them to your home properly. Most rodents and other animals that might want to get into your home to escape the cold can easily get past loose screens.
Inspect Your Weather Stripping
Weather stripping around windows and doors will help keep you warm while reducing your energy bills, and it will also help with pest management if it’s in good shape. Check your weather stripping for signs of damage that could allow small pests access to your home.
Checking your doors, windows, and window screens at this time is another great pest management strategy.
Seal Cracks
Cracks in your stucco, siding, or piping make easy entry points for pests that you don’t want in your home. Inspect your house and repair any minor cracks with exterior grade silicone as soon as possible.
You can also inspect the underside of your roof and gutters for damage at this time.
Keep Food Tidy
Keeping food tidy in the kitchen can help you keep little pests that can be a major annoyance at bay. That means putting items in the refrigerator or back in the pantry or keeping them sealed if they must stay on the countertops. Promptly taking care of dirty dishes and used serving trays can also help with pest management.
Outside, you’ll want to make sure that you don’t keep pet food in the area in the winter months whenever possible. If you must keep pet food outside for cats or dogs, make sure it’s away from the house. You should also keep bird feeders away from the house to avoid attracting animals that food isn’t intended for.
Call the Pros
Doing basic things like keeping a tidy kitchen and trash area outside your home can make a difference when it comes to pest management. Bringing in the pros at Bain to make sure your home is up to snuff can also provide some peace of mind.
Even if you’re savvy around the house, pest management can be complicated. As a homeowner, it’s easy to miss basic issues that a qualified pest management company would address immediately.
If you want to keep your home pest free, calling in a pest management company like Bain Pest Control for some preventative maintenance is your best bet. Make sure bugs, pests, and animals aren’t a problem for you this winter, and you’ll have fewer headaches and more time by the fire. Contact Bain today!