It’s fall in the Pacific Northwest, and temperatures are dropping. Autumn can have rodents, wildlife, and certain insects searching for safe places to stay warm and access food in your Portland-area home. You may not even realize that you’re making your yards and homes extra appealing to pests. The team at Interstate Pest Management wants to share a few pest prevention tips to make sure your home is not a fall and winter hideout for wildlife, rodents and overwintering insects.
How to pest proof home for fall and winter
Homeowners in Kelso and Longview are busy each fall with maintenance and end-of-season tasks that winterize your home and protect your property. This includes checking gutters, sealing cracks and protecting pipes. Something that’s often overlooked during cold-weather preparation is protecting your home against pest invasions.
Eliminate clutter. Clutter in attics, cabinets, closets, crawlspaces, garages and under beds provides a hidden spot for pests to set up camp where we can’t easily spot them. This includes cardboard boxes, stacks of old newspapers, rolls of old carpets, clothes or bedding.
Seal cracks. Mice can fit through holes the size of a dime. Keep rodents out this winter by checking the areas where utilities and pipes enter the home.
Keep firewood at least 20 feet away from your home. Carpenter ants and mice can make their nests in wood piles and easily gain access to your home if the pile is nearby.
Maintain a clean home, especially your kitchen and bathroom. Food on the floor, uncovered trash cans, pet food left out, and open containers all attract hungry pests.If insects can’t find easy food and water sources, they won’t try to enter your home. And even if they do get inside, they can’t survive without these necessities.
Inspect your pantry. Common types of pantry pests include moths, small beetles, and weevils. Old pantry items, such as flour and pasta, can be food sources that lead to pest infestation.
Put in door sweeps and fix any window screens that are damaged. This keeps insect pests and rodents out.
Clean your gutters. Remove leaves and natural debris from your gutters to avoid ice dams and roof damage, which might attract pests.
Eliminate outdoor food sources for rodents and wildlife. This includes grass seed and birdseed, pet food, and pet waste.
Replace loose mortar and weather stripping around foundation and windows. This bolsters your home’s defenses against rodents and nuisance wildlife.
Clean up your yard and landscape. Rake your leaves, keep bushes and grass cut short, and trim trees away from your home or other structures. This helps eliminate areas where pests can hide out or get inside the home.
How year-round pest control can help
Taking steps to prevent pests from entering your home in the fall and winter is important and necessary. Quarterly pest control treatments can also help. A local pest control company like Interstate Pest Management will target the most common local pests each season and make sure that prevention is happening all year round.
If you live in Kelso, Longview, Olympia, Portland, Vancouver or any of the surrounding areas, look into all-seasons pest control. We offer three plans:
All seasons pest service
All seasons rodent service
All seasons pest and rodent service
Affordable, quarterly, year-round pest control offers many benefits including safety and peace of mind from bed bugs, cockroaches, rodents, termites, and pantry pests. Learn more about us, get in touch with us here, or give us a call at (503) 832-4997.