Pest-Proof your Home by Following These Professional Tips

Cold weather brings with it some of the best home memories. Sitting around the fireplace enjoying a class of hot chocolate. Snuggling on the couch under a blanket reading your favorite book. Everything is wonderful until a mouse scurries across the floor or a spider suddenly makes an unwelcome appearance.

You and your family might not be the only ones enjoying the coziness of your home. Pests can also take up residence and bring with them a whole lot of problems. Rats, mice, and roaches all have a life cycle that lasts longer than a year so they will need shelter during the winter in order to survive. They pose a risk to both your home and your family’s health.

This post will walk you through some pest-proofing tips for your home. Let’s dive right in and look at several ways to keep those annoying creatures outside.

Pest-Proofing Tips

Install screens on all of your attic vents and openings to chimneys. You want all access outside to be screened so that pests cannot use these gaps to gain entry into your home.

You will need to keep the basement, crawl spaces, and attic ventilated and try to that they do not attract pests. Certain creatures are attracted to areas where there is a lot of moisture. You can install dehumidifiers in these areas to help keep them dry.

Look for cracks and crevices around the outside of your home and seal them with caulk. Play special attention to the areas where utility pipes go into the home. Remember that rodents can fit through dime-sized holes.

Keep all of the counters in your kitchen clean of food debris. Dispose of garbage regularly and make sure that you clean up all spills immediately. It only takes a crumb to attract pests so you need to keep your kitchen as clean as possible.

If the weather stripping around the windows of your home becomes damaged, then you need to replace it immediately. This not only lets in those annoying pests, but it also lets in the cold air (or warm air), increasing your energy bill.

Store firewood no less than 20 feet away from your home since it can house pests. You want them to be away from your home rather than right next to it. Remove all other clutter from around your home so that pests cannot hide next to your home. This reduces the chances of them finding a way inside.

Inspect boxes and packages before bringing them inside. Pests can hide inside of these if they are left outside for too long and will use them to sneak their way into your home. Shake or inspect these boxes before they are brought inside.

Put your pet’s food away when you are sleeping. This can attract pests and cause them to invade your home at night.

Follow through with these pest-proofing tips and you will ensure that you’re not sharing your home with uninvited guests.