It won’t be long. It might not feel like spring just yet, but admit it, you’re getting the urge to do some work outside. There are certain outside jobs you can do now that will make a difference in the number of pests that find their way into your home in the coming warmer weather.

There’s no question that most of our indoor pests come from outside. Reducing indoor pests is a combination of (1) eliminating pests that live around the foundation, and (2) eliminating openings that let these pests inside.

PAY ATTENTION TO YOUR FOUNDATION

Certain insects and arthropods such as sowbugs, pillbugs, earwigs, millipedes, crickets, ants, and cockroaches like to live around our building foundations because the area often remains damp and has plenty of mulch and other cover for hiding. Many of these pests feed on rotting vegetation and there is no shortage of that in plant beds.

Raking up leaves and debris, removing piles of leaves, wood, or other building materials, eliminating or reducing mulch, and generally drying out the foundation perimeter will make the area less desirable for many pests. See Landscaping with Pests in Mind – Advice From the Pros. Removing the hiding places and food for foundation pests, along with a scheduled treatment by Colonial Pest, can greatly reduce pest invasion.

CLOSE OFF PEST ENTRY POINTS

Crack in foundation. Shutterstock

Outdoor pests find their way in most often through gaps around doors and windows, missing screens on windows and vents, cracks around the foundation, openings around conduits that enter the house, and gaps around the roofline that allow access into the attic space. Pest-proofing your home by making repairs and sealing openings can go a long way to keeping pests out. See Spring Cleanup Outside Keeps Pests Out.

Also think about how pests are getting onto your house in the first place. Tree branches, vines, and shrubbery that are touching your house act as a highway for pests ranging from ants to squirrels. Since Tree Branches Provide a Pest Travel Route to Your Roof, pruning may be called for.

Birds will soon be looking for nest sites and some of them will find structures on the outside of your home to be the perfect place. Dryer vents, roof gutters, even window AC units provide a protected space for a nest. If you’ve had birds nesting on your home in the past, act now to render those desirable nest sites less desirable. For some bird species, once that nest is built and eggs are laid, you cannot legally disrupt the process until baby birds have left the nest. That’s why Now is the Time to Bird-Proof Your Home.

At Colonial Pest, not only are we available to handle your current pest problems, we’re all about pest prevention. Call us and have us pest-proof your home before pests become active!

For more information, see: Prepping Your Home and Yard for Pest Season.