the top 5 ways to keep pests out of your home during wintertime
- Seal Up Your Home as Much as Possible: As the winter weather sets in and the temperatures dip, rodents and other pests will become more likely to invade your home in search of food and shelter (this may be even more true than usual in 2020.) That’s why at the beginning of the season, it’s always a good idea to seal up cracks and holes throughout your home as much as possible. This may include patching up tears in your window screens, filling cracks in your foundation, caulking holes in your drywall, or weather-stripping windows and doors.
- Remember to Properly Inspect & Store Firewood: Bringing firewood into your home, particularly damp firewood, is a great way to end up with a termite problem. That’s why before you go grabbing those logs this winter, make sure to thoroughly inspect them for any signs of insect activity. As a rule of thumb, you should also try to store firewood outside of your house, in a secure shed or another area at least 20 feet away from your main structure.
- Trim Vegetation from Your Walls & Roof: Just as unchecked firewood can invite termites onto your property, so can overgrown trees and plants beckon various other pests into your home. Before you put up those Christmas lights this year, take a minute to trim overhanging branches that could act as a walkway for unwanted insects/rodents to get in through your roof or anywhere else.
- Store & Refrigerate All Food: This is good advice for keeping pests away year-round, but it’s especially important during the holidays, and may be even more important than usual this holiday season. As you’re finishing up that big turkey dinner or getting ready to make those Christmas cookies, it is essential that you clean up after yourself and store your food in elevated pantries or a working refrigerator. Leaving food out is the perfect way to attract rodents, cockroaches, and other pests, and with the amount of dinners that may be held outside this year due to the pandemic, it is essential you don’t leave food lying around for too long.
- Clean & Sanitize Surfaces Frequently: Chances are you’ve already been doing this more often throughout 2020, in order to safeguard yourself from the Coronavirus. However, proper cleaning and sanitation are also important for safeguarding yourself from pest infestations. During the holidays, when it is easy to leave leftovers lying around and your home may start to get a little dirtier due to the arrival of guests/additional time spent inside, you should be wiping down surfaces every week, and cleaning up visible mess wherever you can find it.
For more tips on how to keep your home pest-free this holiday season and all winter-long, call proof pest control. now at , or send us a message online.
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