You’re not the only one to notice a chill in the air as fall settles in—cockroaches, mice, rats, yellow jackets and other pests notice it too, and they’re starting to look for someplace warm to live. Rodent-control calls increase nearly 30 percent starting in October, according to The Guardian. Get your home ready with these pest control tips, before you discover unwanted guests moving into your house:
Close off All Entryways
Begin by getting rid of all the potential entry points to your house. Make sure all windows and doors are sealed. Caulk around the windows. Use weather stripping around all doors to fill in gaps between doors and frames. Look for other openings in the house caused by:
- Dryer vents
- Solar tubes
- Sky lights
- Plumbing vent tubes
- Water heater vents
- Fireplaces
Anything that sticks through the wall to the outside is a potential path for pests, if it's not sealed. All of these should have some kind of insulation in the wall around them and flashing at the opening against the exterior wall. If a vent has been moved, it may have pushed the flashing away from the wall, so make sure it is flush with the wall and sealed against it.
Repair any Rotting Wood
Many pests are attracted to deteriorating wood on your house, the pest control service Terminex reports. Check for rotted roof shingles, siding and trim pieces. It needs to be removed and replaced.
When repairing roof shingles, examine the plywood used to form the base under the shingles. If the shingle has been rotten for long, pests may have been able to make holes through the subroof into the attic. If this is the case, patch the subroof from inside the attic when you replace the shingle.
Check the eves and under any roof overhangs for rotted wood or openings. If openings were made in the soffit to allow the attic to vent, cover them with a fine wire mesh to prevent rats, bats and squirrels from entering. Be safe when working on these higher areas of your house. You can get special roofing ladders and scaffolding from providers like Sunbelt Rentals, so you’ll have a firm base on which to stand as you work.
Wooden house siding can rot underneath so you’ll need to check under each piece to find any damage. Insects especially like rotting wood so these could be the entry points for any new bugs that you see in the house. If the damage is extensive, you’ll want to replace the entire siding piece. Otherwise, you can caulk small holes to fill them up and block access.
Clean Up the Yard
Pests will take up residence in yard debris and piles of leaves and firewood left near or against the house. Clean away all yard waste and place firewood away from your home. Cover the firewood to help keep it dry and less attractive to insects. Prune bushes away from the house to prevent insects from finding their way in. Clean any leaves or weeds away from the foundation.
Animal pests such as rabbits and rats burrow into yard debris because they don’t like open spaces. Remove piles of leaves, limbs and plant trimmings to make your yard less desirable for these fall pests.