Winter is coming, and with it comes frigid temperatures that can make your home more susceptible to pests. Pests like mice, rats, and ants love to take refuge in nice warm homes during the winter months. If you want to avoid having these creatures invade your space this year, read on for some tips on how you can keep them out of your home without harming them!
Seal Off Entry Points
One of the most common ways pests enter your home is through the crevices in your home that have not been sealed up. Start on the exterior of your home and work your way in. Make sure to seal up cracks, crevices, gaps around windows or doors where you see pests coming inside at night. If it is smaller than a pencil eraser (which most of them are), you want to make sure that no pest can get through there at all!
Pests like mice will come into an unsecured house for shelter when temperatures get too cold outside. This time of year they’re looking for warmth and food sources which means any openings in the wall could be their new entrance point! The following can be done to make sure you stop these pests in their tracks:
- Seal off entry points with caulk
- Replace broken window screens
- Install a door sweep
- Repair leaky pipes
Keep your House Cleaned and Clutter-Free
Believe it or not, pests love a dirty, cluttered home. This gives them more opportunities to scavenge for food crumbs and have the ability to hide easier. Not only should you keep your house clean, but also make sure that all food is put away and bins are sealed properly.
If there's a room in the house that has been left untouched for years (and it appears to be vacant), this may attract pests like mice or cockroaches. If you don't want pests to take over, try and maintain each room of your home as much as possible.
Mice love dark spots where they can hide – so clear out those nooks and crannies! Cockroaches prefer damp areas – if there isn't any water around then they won't venture into your home either!
Pests don't like strong smells, so this is your chance to bring out the cleaning supplies! You can also opt for natural repellents, like citrus peels. Spray these around the house so that pests are not drawn to your home from the outdoor temperatures.
Maintain Your Lawn
We already know pests will be outside if they are not in your home. What you may not know is they are staying in your yard waiting for a chance to get inside. To prevent this, you need to maintain your lawn.
Before the frigid temperatures are here, get rid of any dead plants or grass so they cannot hide out in them while waiting for a way inside. Rake up leaves and trim back bushes that are touching your house. These may seem like minor things, but they can be huge when it comes to pests not being able to find shelter outside.
Weeds will also attract rodents looking for somewhere safe to wait out the colder months ahead, making sure all weeds are removed is key to keeping these animals away from your home even more than usual during wintertime. If there is already an infestation present on your property now before winter sets in, make sure you take care of it quickly because once cold weather arrives, you may have a couple of visitors.
Seek Profesional Pest Control Services
No matter how hard you try, there are some pests that will invade your home even with taking precautionary measurements. Whether it is rodents or insects, getting rid of them can be a huge headache. Sometimes, it's best to not mess with it yourself and see if the professional technicians can make sure your home is safely secured for the new year. Myles Pest Services has been helping the local community for over 30 years and is sure to help get rid of any pest infestation you may be dealing with.
Pests can cause a lot of unwanted stress to you and your family. With these tips and tricks, you are one step closer to making sure your home is critter-free as the winter season approaches!
