During winter, homes across America experience the great migration! Hundreds of tiny winter pests looking for a warm place to settle for the winter make their way into homes. You can protect yourself from getting some unwanted visitors with the tips below.
Seal Openings
Mice, rats and other pests only need an opening the size of a dime to squeeze their way into your home. Tiny gaps you haven’t noticed before could be the perfect welcome for these pests. Inspect all doors, windows and other openings and replace any stripping that is worn down or damaged. Also check areas where gas, water and other utility lines enter your home. These types of entryways offer the perfect opening for rodents because the heat these pipes give off. Basement and attic spaces should be checked as well. Seal up any gaps with the sturdiest material you can find.
Keep the Kitchen Clean
Food is one of the most attractive things about moving into a home for most pests. Crumbs and other droppings may go unnoticed by you but to pests this could be a meal. Make sure you keep grains, bread and cereal in safe closed containers. Keep food high off the ground in a sealed container and practice clean habits. After every meal clean the dishes thoroughly. Regularly take the garbage out and clean your garbage disposal often.
Monitor Moisture
All pests need water to live and most pests are drawn to moist areas. Garages, attics and basements typically accumulate more moisture are than other areas of the home. This is why you find so many pests in these areas. To make these areas of your home less attractive make sure your pipes aren’t leaking. Also check for ice, snow and puddles that build up around your home and seep in. Using a dehumidifier in humid, damp rooms in your home can help decrease moisture.
Eliminate Habitats
There are a few things you can do outside your home to make it less attractive to pests. Try to keep all trash that you store outside far away from any openings. Clean your yard and pick up rocks, twigs, garbage and dead shrubbery. Try to keep all trees and plants about five to ten feet away from your house. Keep them trimmed and don’t let them touch your home. Pests can use these plants as a way onto your roof and into your house.
Inspect Items Before You Bring Them Into the Home
Check all boxes of decoration, deliveries and grocery bags before you bring them into your home. Pests often hide out in these kinds of containers. It’s an easy way for them to transition from one location to another and always have access to food. Shake out anything you bring into the home from another place, or any items that you bring in that have been stored outside for an extended period of time.
