Pest Proof Your Home This Autumn
The days are getting shorter, and winter will soon be with us. This will be a relief for many people who struggle with pests. After all, most pests go away during the colder months. Winter is when the ants finally disappear from your kitchen. Unfortunately, this isn’t always true.
In fact, pests can often become worse during winter. The reason why is simple – these pests are seeking shelter from the cold. What this ultimately means is that it’s critically important to pest proof your home before Winter arrives.
How to pest proof your home this autumn
There are dozens of things you can do to pest proof your home. To start with, you need to secure your kitchen and your pantry. This is the room that is most attractive to pests because it’s where they find food. Make sure that all food is stored in sealed containers and placed inside cupboards. Also make sure that your kitchen is kept free of all food debris. You should clean all counters and floor before going to bed at night.
Also make sure that your rubbish bin is frequently emptied. Rubbish bins must also have a lid and should ideally be placed inside a cupboard. If you cannot do this, at least try to keep them off the floor.
The next step to pest proof your home, is to seal up all walls. Remember, pests are not endemic to homes. They have to come in from the outside. To prevent this, you need to close up all entrance points. Examine the walls of your home. If you see any cracks or holes, then seal these up with putty. This should be done with even the smallest of holes. Remember, pests can squeeze through the tiniest cracks so you need to prevent them.
Other steps you can take
You may also want to place screens over your windows. Yes, during winter most people close their windows, but this is not always the case. Even if the window is open for a few minutes, pests can still get in. To prevent this, use screens. Pests can also squeeze beneath doors. One way to prevent this is by installing weather-stripping around doors. This is basically a process where you place a thin strip of wood at the bottom of the door. This prevents pests from getting in and also keeps the heat inside your home.
Something else you can do to safely pest proof your home is clean up clutter. Pests need somewhere to live and breed and love hiding in clutter. The more clutter you have in your home, the more likely you are to get pests. Before winter arrives, go through your home and remove all rubbish.