As summer turns to fall, pests begin seeking shelter to escape the coming cold weather. Unfortunately, these bugs may have their eyes on your house. Bug-proofing your home and yard can help to prevent an infestation. We’ve made a list of five tips to help keep your fall season free of pests.
1. Don’t Let Pests in Your Home
Before fall arrives, you’ll want to make sure pests can’t sneak into your home.
- Check for cracks or gaps on the exterior of your home and seal them with caulk or steel wool.
- Make sure screens on doors, windows, attic vents, and chimney openings don’t have any holes or tears.
- Repair or replace damaged weather stripping and door sweeps.
- Don’t forget to seal any gaps in spots where utility lines enter your home.
- Before bringing boxes, firewood, and packages inside, check for pests. You don’t want to carry bugs in with you.
2. Minimize Food & Moisture
Food and moisture can quickly attract pests to your house, so it’s important to minimize these attractants.
- Clean up any crumbs and spills, and remove trash from your home.
- Don’t leave uncovered food on the counter.
- Store your food and your pet’s food in sealed containers.
- Repair or replace any leaky pipes or faucets.
- Keep your basement, attic, garage, and crawlspace as dry as possible. Using a dehumidifier can help to reduce moisture build-up.
3. Keep Your Home Clean
To help prevent pests from moving in, you’ll want to do some fall cleaning.
- Remove clutter from your home to reduce hiding spots for pests.
- Don’t store items in cardboard boxes, opt for bins with lids instead.
- Regularly vacuum and sweep. Not only will this help to remove crumbs, it can also help to remove pests and their eggs.
- Wipe down counters to clean up sticky residues.
- Don’t leave dirty dishes in the sink.
4. Bug-Proof Your Outdoor Space
If bugs are attracted to your outdoor space, it won’t be long before they slip into your home.
- Trim your tree limbs, bushes, and shrubs so they aren’t touching the side of your home.
- Mow your lawn regularly to keep your grass cut short.
- Store firewood at least 20 feet away from your house and off the ground.
- Remove yard debris, like fallen leaves, from your yard.
- Minimize moisture outdoors by keeping your gutters clean and fixing leaky spigots or hoses.
- Store your outdoor trash bins away from your house, and keep them clean and sealed.
5. Use Green Pest Control Products
Green pest control products can help to control and prevent bugs in your home and yard.
- Use Plant-Based Insecticide Sprays: Our Home Bug Spray kills and repels common home-invading pests. You can also create a protective barrier to help keep bugs out of your house. Spray the perimeter of your yard and home with our Yard Bug Spray. It kills pests and has repellent properties that will help to deter pest activity.
- Use Baits: When dealing with pests like cockroaches or ants, baits are an effective solution because they target the source of the infestation. Our Roach Killer Gel Bait allows cockroaches to consume the bait and return to the nest. When these cockroaches die, other cockroaches will eat them and the bait, helping to eliminate the infestation.
- Use Dusts: Insecticide dusts can also help to protect your home. Our Spider & Insect Dust provides long-lasting protection from pesky bugs. You can apply the dust to areas where creepy crawlies hide or enter your home.
Fall is supposed to be filled with changing leaves and cooling temperatures, not bugs. Implementing a few preventative measures can help to keep pests from invading your space. If you’re dealing with pests, we have your back! Check out our Maggie’s Farm Simply Effective™ Pest Control products for a more environmentally and family-friendly solution.