It happens every year, but why does it happen? Why do those insects and mammals start coming out of the woodwork--quite literally? That's what we're going to look at today.
Why do pests attack your home in fall? Let's take a look!
- Pests are looking for a safe place to hide from the cold.
- Many are looking to hibernate.
- Their instinct is to find a place that has a food source and something to drink
- In fall it gets darker earlier. That means we're leaving the outside lights on more.
This is why it is important to do fall pest proofing. It is a lot easier to keep pests out, than it is to eradicate a pest infestation. Here are some pest exclusion methods that will help you prepare for the invasion.
- Proper screening will keep the bugs out. Check your sliding doors and windows, to ensure that all your screens are in perfect condition. It doesn't take much of a hole for a bug to get through.
- Apply screens to areas you wouldn't think, like vents, or the top of your chimney.
- Inspect your door sweeps, weather stripping, and the seal around your windows. Remember, you're trying to seal your home against something as small as an ant.
- Make sure your trash is in sealed, animal proof, containers. This is a food source for pests, and an egg laying site for many insects.
- Replace outside white lights with yellow insect-resistant lighting, and keep light from leaking out your windows. There is a reason spiders make their webs in windows. It is because flying insects are drawn to the light.
- Use a sealant to fill in gaps or cracks in your foundation.
- Use a caulking gun to fill in around windows, fixtures, pipes, and outlets.
- Spray your exterior walls with a pressure sprayer, to dislodge insects nesting in your siding.
- Move firewood away from your exterior walls, and get rid of construction materials or clutter.
- Keep your lawn mowed, and your garden weeded.
- Have a professional pest management company spray your walls or your perimeter, to finish the job. They can also advise you on exclusion methods specific to your home and your situation.
Pests want to be inside your home in fall, but with these steps, you can keep them outside, and away from your walls. Find a pest management company that can advise you on smarter, greener exclusion methods. And, get plugged in to a year round service plan, so you can be prepared before the invasion begins.