Get Your House Ready for Pest Season!
We’re almost there, the humidity and heat are coming! Now is the time to do a checkup around your property to help reduce the attraction for pests coming into your home. Every Spring, ants, bees, spiders, rats, mice, roaches, termites, and other pests re-appear, and they’re eager to make up for lost time. Take a couple minutes to complete these pest-proofing chores.
Look for Leaks
Plumbing appliances, like outdoor and indoor faucets, showerheads and pipes often spring leaks over the winter. These leaks can be responsible for an influx of pests swarming your home! Did you know that stagnant or standing water attracts all kinds of pests, including mosquitos and termites?
Check for leaks in all the likely places:
· Exposed pipes in your crawl space under your house
· The P-trap under the sink
· The sealing around faucets
· And other hard-to-reach areas!
Fix any leaks you can or make sure to call a plumber if needed. While you’re checking for leaks, look for moisture condensation or pooling too, around the exterior of your property and in attics. Pests love a source of water as breeding or hatching grounds. Keeping your home dry is one of the easiest, best ways to keep pests out.
Re-seal Windows and Doors
Weather-stripping can wear down. Winds and rain wear away at sealants, creating tears, holes, and other vulnerabilities over time. Gaps like these are the easiest way for pests to sneak into your home such as roaches, flies, ants and even rats and mice. Give your windows and doors a look. Run your hand along the perimeter, feeling for anywhere where the sealant is worn away or feels movable. If necessary, replace weather-stripping or re-seal with caulk. Not only will this keep pests out, it’ll help you save money on cooling costs going forward.
Organize Your Kitchen Pantry
Food is one of the most important and often overlooked items on your spring cleaning checklist.
Make sure to do a thorough sweep of household nooks and crannies, such as:
· Pantries
· Refrigerators
· Freezers
Go through the areas of your kitchen where you store your food and clean them out thoroughly. Scrub wooden and plastic shelving, vacuum up crumbs, and throw out old food. Be on the lookout for pest droppings and inspect food containers. If you see something unusual in your food packaging, it most likely is pest related. For example, rats, mice and roaches leave behind droppings and can also rip or make holes in food contains, such as bread bags, cereal boxes, etc.
Clean up Your Yard
Cleaning your yard is one of the most exhaustive, sticky pest-proofing chores. But, if you do it correctly, you can prevent these critters from entering your home.
The two most important pest-proofing types of yardwork are:
Get rid of debris or un-used items in your yard
Pests can find a home and hide in children’s yard toys, or old scraps of wood and debris.
Eliminate standing water around your property
Look for items that can hold standing water such as birdbaths and in clogged gutters. Stagnant water can lead to mosquito breeding.
It’s also best to trim back hedges or bushes that may be overgrown. As a result, so you never have any type of vegetation touching your home. Seal cracks and small openings along the house’s foundation, as well as entry points for utilities and pipes to keep rats and mice out. Keep mulch at least 15 inches from the foundation (stones are a great alternative), this will help reduce moisture and soil from resting on your foundation which can attract termites. Also remember to pick any uneaten pet food that may be left outside because this will attract rats, mice and other pests.
Make pest-proofing a part of your spring cleaning pest control efforts this year, and you’ll be surprised how effectively you’ll be able to keep pests out.
Call Dial One Franklynn Pest Control Today!
Did the pests still manage to wiggle their way inside your home? Dial One is here to help! Call now for your FREE estimate! Mr. Azzarello is a Board-Certified Entomologist, one of the few working Entomologist in the Louisiana pest control industry. No matter what kind of pest you’re dealing with, Dial One will solve your pest problems once and for all.
504-885-3101
DIAL ONE Franklynn Pest Control
Celebrating 50 Years in Business
Joe Azzarello, Owner / Board Certified Entomologists
Marcus Azzarello, President
