As summer temperatures drop and the leaves start to turn, bugs, rodents, and other pests start looking for shelter.
Your home is an attractive option: warm, dry, and with access to food and water. Determined pests looking for somewhere to overwinter will be drawn to your property as a safe haven.
If you don't want to share your home with pests through fall into winter, there are things you can do to prevent that from happening. Pest proofing your home for fall is easy and quick - and could stop costly major infestations later down the line, too.
Common Fall Pests Drawn to Your Home
Some insects and animals are happy burrowing into the soil to hibernate and stay warm and safe during the freezing winter months.
However, there are many you need to keep an eye out for as winter approaches - otherwise, they'll soon become your lodgers!
Common pests attracted to your home in the fall include:
- Spiders
- Rodents
- Beetles
- Butterfly larvae
- Cockroaches
- Bees
If you see any signs of pest activity, the best thing to do is to call a pest prevention specialist to avoid the problem growing during the winter months.
How to Pest Proof Your Home This Fall
The best way to avoid destruction caused by pests in the cold months is to prepare before they move in for good. Follow these tips before fall sets into pest-proof your home ready for the colder season.
Inspect Walls for Cracks
Even the tiniest holes let bugs and beetles take up residence in your home. Carefully inspect your exterior walls for signs of cracks and holes that create an inviting entrance to pests.
While you could inspect your house on your own, a professional pest prevention inspection will ensure you don't miss the tiniest of holes. They'll also know exactly how to treat and seal cracks and crevices to prevent pests in the future.
Pay Attention to Wood Structures
Check your wooden window frames, door lintels, and your woodshed storage. Wood is a wonderful place for small bugs to hide in cold weather, so any holes are a tempting entrance to a winter hideout.
If you have a wood store, raise your logs off the ground and only stack them when they're dry. Damp wood not only rots easily but also attracts pests that love to eat mushrooms and other things that grow on rotting logs.
Get Your Gutters Professionally Cleaned
One major cause of pooling water is clogged gutters. Not only is the overflowing water attractive to pests, but so is the leaf mulch that builds up in your gutters and drains.
The overflowing water also causes wood rot in window frames and fascias - a tasty option for some pests.
Cleaning your own gutters can be dangerous and you may not be able to fully empty them. A professional gutter cleaning will ensure your gutters are totally emptied ready for fall. In addition, your gutter cleaning expert will check for problems in your gutter, such as a slipped bracket, that will affect the drainage.
Regularly Mow Your Lawn
Long grass is the perfect hiding place for rodents to get around in your garden and sneak into your basement or ground floor.
Similarly, trees and shrubs with long branches leaning close to your property offer an entrance route for pests and rodents looking for a way into your home.
Keep your shrubs trimmed back and your lawn mowed short to make the open space of your garden a less attractive option for rodents. It's also worth clearing leaf litter and mulch near your home, as these are perfect hiding spots for many pests.
Inspect Your Loft Space
Broken roof shingles let in more than the rain! You already know pooling water and damp areas are havens for pests - but holes in the roof also allow pests in to keep warm in your loft.
Check your eaves for wasp nests, rotting wood, or even termites. Now's the time to get these eradicated before the pests take hold over the winter months.
You should also check for signs of rodents and even birds nests! We don't often go up into our loft spaces, so you might be surprised to find just how many unwanted upstairs tenants have moved in.
How Viking Pest Control Can Help Pest Proof Your Home This Fall
Pest proofing your home this fall is easy with Viking Pest Control. Viking Pest has been providing pest control for families and businesses since 1980. Viking is a full-service pest control company offering control and prevention for ants, spiders, termites, and bed bugs to name a few.
With locations servicing NJ, PA, MD, and DE, Viking is the local business that you love, with the coverage that you need. Viking offers all clients a FREE and NO OBLIGATION estimate given by a Pest Management Professional. Call us today or request a FREE inspection online. With Viking, One Call Gets Them All!
