Throughout the year, pests enter homes through cracks and crevices. To help prevent this, you should inspect and seal any gaps in your home’s exterior, including around pipes, vents, and windows. In addition, place door sweeps on exterior doors to prevent rodent entry.
Additionally, you should prioritize cleanliness and food storage. Any crumbs, spills, or leftovers can attract pests. Abbotsford Pest Control experts will be your best friend in your pest management journey.
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Spring
As spring arrives, flowers bloom and birds sing, but the thawing temperatures bring many pests to life, as well. These pesky critters can cause major problems if left unchecked, from rodents and ants to termites and mosquitoes. That’s why preventive pest control is critical. Follow these tips from Lookout Pest Control to help stop pests before they start invading your home.
Clean Up Your Property:
Rodents and insects love to hide out in clutter. If your home is cluttered with old newspapers, toys, and debris, they’ll have a safe spot to breed and nest. Keep your home tidy and remove items that can attract these pests, such as food spillage, pet feed, rotting wood piles, trash containers, and even damp moss and leaves.
Check For Entry Points:
Pest Control technicians always inspect a house for potential entrances to prevent pest infestations. This includes a thorough walk-around to identify any gaps around the foundation, loose window screens, and any other areas where pests could sneak into your home. Seal these areas with caulk or spray foam to stop pests from making their way inside.
Reduce Moisture:
Moisture can be an indicator of a possible pest problem, so be sure to manage it by fixing leaky faucets and clogged gutters. It’s also important to regularly clear up standing water on your property, as it can draw pests and other nuisance wildlife.
Get Rid Of Hives And Nests:
Depending on your location, springtime is the time for certain pests to emerge from their hibernation. If you see hives or nests or find chewed-on wires, call your Pest Control expert immediately for a consultation.
If you’re planning a garden, keep pests away by spraying your yard and vegetation with a pest-control product. This will provide an immediate barrier against bugs and other unwanted visitors while continuing to work for several months. This is especially effective for plants that are at risk of attracting pests, such as roses, fruit trees, and vegetable gardens. You can also treat the soil around these plants to add a long-lasting protective barrier against pests.
Summer
Summer is the season of warmth and growth, but it’s also when pests are at their most active. From mosquitoes spreading diseases to stinging wasps and bees, seasonal pests like ticks, fleas, and flies are not only annoying but can pose serious health risks. It’s important to understand why these pests are more prevalent during specific seasons and take steps to keep them at bay.
Mosquitoes thrive in the warm, moist summer weather and leave itchy red bites all over your body. To help prevent them from making your summertime fun miserable, use EPA-approved insect repellent whenever you go outdoors, especially at dawn and dusk when they are most active. Be sure to empty standing water sources and thin vegetation around your home to deprive mosquitoes of their breeding grounds.
Stinging insects are more active in the summer as they search for hives and nests to overwinter and breed. To avoid painful stings, wear long sleeves and pants when gardening or playing outside, and use outdoor lighting with citronella to keep bees, wasps, and other stinging insects away from your yard. It’s also a good idea to keep the area around your bird bath and other outdoor water sources free of debris where they may build their nests.
Cracks, gaps, and openings in the foundation, windows, and doors are common entry points for many types of pests. Performing regular inspections and sealing any gaps with caulk or other materials helps to prevent these pests from getting inside. Checking and cleaning the area around garbage cans, and keeping them tightly closed is another great way to help prevent attracting pests around your home.
As temperatures cool and the foliage begins to wilt, rodents and other pests seek shelter in attics and wall voids. Conducting periodic rodent and pest control treatments throughout the fall can keep these critters from invading your home, as well as protect your health and property.
Fall
As autumn temperatures drop and leaves start to turn, pests like spiders, ants, rodents, beetles, boxelder bugs, cockroaches, and stink bugs will start seeking warm shelter as winter approaches. Unless you take preventive action, these unwanted house guests will seek food, water, and warmth inside your home.
Pests can enter your home or structure through many different openings, from a crack in the foundation to a hole as small as a pencil. To keep them out, conduct a thorough exterior inspection and seal any openings that you find. This may involve caulking, installing door sweeps and weather stripping, or replacing or repairing damaged or worn-out screening. It also means eliminating moisture sources by repairing leaky pipes, clearing clogged gutters, and using dehumidifiers in damp areas.
Proper yard maintenance is also important, especially as the seasons change. Trim back bushes and trees away from your house, rake up fallen leaves, and clean out below-ground window wells. These simple steps can reduce the amount of sheltered spots where pests like cockroaches and stink bugs will overwinter, keeping them out of your living spaces.
Indoors, make sure to store any outdoor furniture, planters, and tools in pest-proof containers or the garage or shed. This will eliminate their attraction as an overwintering habitat, and it will protect them from pests looking for a warm place to spend the cold months.
Regular cleaning and clutter removal are important to keep pests at bay, as they often target dirty spaces for food and shelter. If your home is cluttered and filled with crumbs and spills, it’s much more likely that pests will move in.
Preventive pest control is key all year round, but it’s especially vital during the fall and winter as temperatures drop and pest activity begins to spike. By taking the time to inspect, maintain, and repair your property, you can keep unwanted pests out of your home for the entire year. If you have any questions or concerns about pests in your home, contact the experts today! We’re always happy to help.
Winter
Winter brings cold weather and lots of chores – stacking firewood, clearing the driveway of snow and ice, putting the garden to bed. While these are important tasks to complete, it’s also a good time to do some preventive pest control. The whipping winds, freezing rains, and falling snow of winter create chinks in your home’s armor – places for pests to enter, hide and find shelter.
The attic, basement, and storage areas of your home are ideal hiding spots for rodents, insects, spiders, and ants during the winter. Keep these areas clear of debris that could provide food, nesting, or cover and make it easier for pests to get into the house. If you have wood piles in the yard, keep them far from the house and regularly rake and bag the piles to stop rodents and insects from building homes there.
Inside the house, it’s important to clean often-used areas, including kitchens and bathrooms, several times a year. Food residue from crumbs and spills and dirty dishes left on countertops can attract pests. Storing foods in hard plastic containers, cleaning up crumbs, and promptly disposing of garbage can help prevent an infestation.
Moisture is a big draw for pests, especially cockroaches. Leaky pipes and clogged gutters can bring them in from the outdoors or allow them to enter the house through unsealed gaps and cracks. Inspecting and repairing these can reduce the risk of moisture-related problems and protect your home from damage caused by water leaks.
Other things you can do to pest-proof your home include installing door sweeps and repairing or replacing window screens. Sealing cracks and openings with caulk or other materials can also help keep pests out. Checking and repairing chimneys, vents, and other ventilation openings can prevent raccoons, squirrels, rats, and birds from nesting in your home during the winter.
Overgrown shrubs, bushes, and trees can provide pests with pathways to your house during the winter. Keeping them trimmed and removing overhanging branches can cut off access to your home or prevent them from forming bridges to it.