While the warm days and nights fade away, they are replaced by a certain chill in the air that comes with fall.  This is the time of year when we need to think about protecting our homes and families from the insects and rodents that are looking to get inside for the winter months.

If you’re prepared, you may just get away without having to worry about mice chewing your electrical wires or lady bugs, stink bugs and flies chasing you around in your home.  Wondering how to prepare your home for a pest free fall? Here are some helpful pest prevention tips to keep these pests (and others) at bay this fall and winter:

First, focus on the exterior of your home. Pests will only get into your home if they are attracted to something that is in or near the structure and if they can find an entry point. To make your home less attractive to fall pests, and to prevent them from finding an entrance, follow these outdoor pest-proofing tips:

• Close up possible entry points. Check around where utilities come into the home and install hardwire mesh screens behind vents. Caulk door frames, window frames, roof joints and any visible cracks on the exterior surface. Seal up cracks along baseboards, cabinets, pipes and ducts inside the home.
• Cut back tree branches and shrubs so that they don’t touch the exterior of your home. These things can act as a ‘bridge’ for insects and rodents to find their way into your home.
• Keep a tight fitting lid on outdoor trash cans to keep hungry wildlife from being attracted to your home and property.
• Store wood piles or other debris away from the home; these can act as areas of harborage for pests like rodents, so make sure they are a distance from the home.

  

Inside your home, there are many things you can do to eliminate the environments that attract pests as well. In some cases, even the pest proofing we do to the outside is not quite enough to deter all pests away. This is why it’s important to focus on the home and property as a whole. Some indoor pest prevention tips include:

• Keeping the floors in your home clean. Spills and crumbs will attract lots of pests, so use soap and water, not just a dry cloth or paper towel to wipe up food debris and drinks. Clean the floors throughout your home regularly.
• Don’t store food on your countertops; this can attract flies as well as other insects and rodents.
• Wash dishes regularly and never leave dirty dishes in the sink overnight.
• Keep food in your cupboards stored in airtight plastic or glass containers.

These tips are a good starting point for you to begin preparing your home for the winter months.  If you have followed these tips and still start to notice insects or rodents getting into your home this fall, you may want to seek the help of a pest control professional. Pest prevention is really just one of the many ways to maintain a pest free home. Most homeowners find the most success in having year round pest control service to ensure that the threat of pests is not an issue.

Peter Scala is a board-certified entomologist; he is also the Technical Supervisor as well as the President of Parkway Pest Services.  Peter has extensive experience in many aspects of the pest control industry and is uniquely qualified to consult in every aspect of pest control. Contact Peter to learn more about controlling fall pests through comprehensive package programs that are available through Parkway Pest Services. These programs can help eliminate pests through every season so that you don’t need to worry about the pest problems that are bound to pop up this fall.