Pest-Proof Your Home this Winter

It’s starting to cool down in the Las Vegas area, which means you might begin to see some uninvited guests in your home. Rats, mice, and scorpions don’t like the cold, so they often invade people’s homes to stay warm. At Pest Control Inc., we believe that preventing pests from entering your home is more important than controlling them once you have a problem, which is why we’ve created this list of tips you can use as you try to protect your home this winter.

• Inspect your property: Walk the perimeter of your home and locate any potential entry points pests may use to gain access into your home. Keep in mind, mice can fit through holes the size of a dime, cockroaches can squeeze through gaps ¼ of their body size, and scorpions can fit through spaces as thin as a paper clip. A good rule of thumb is if you see light peeking through a gap, it will need to be sealed/covered.
• Seal cracks: After identifying gaps and crevices in your home, you’ll want to seal them. We recommend using caulk for small cracks in your foundation, weather stripping for windows, and door sweeps for underneath doors. If you have a chimney or exposed air vents, you’ll want to apply a screen to help prevent rodents from entering.
• Keep Trees Trimmed Away From Your Home: Roof rats are excellent climbers. They often climb up trees and jump from branches onto your home. So we recommend you trim your trees at least 8 feet away from your home.
• Eliminate debris: pests like scorpions and rodents will often hide in woodpiles and rock piles. So, remove these from your property. If you keep firewood, store it off the ground and away from your home.
• Keep your crawl space and garage dry: insects are attracted to moisture. Making sure these areas are free of moisture and humidity will help prevent pests.
• Maintain cleanliness: in addition to water, left out food and crumbs is inviting to pests. Practice good housekeeping and store food in airtight containers to detract pests. If you have outdoor pets, you’ll want to clean up after them. Rodents will eat anything, even feces.
• Remove other attractants like bird feeders and pet food: it’s not uncommon for rats and mice to eat pet food and birdseed, so you’ll want to keep these away from your home as these attract rodents.

Contact the Experts

The tips listed above are just a few ways you can help prevent a pest infestation in your home. If you’ve tried these or already have an infestation, you’ll want to seek the advice of a qualified pest control technician. They have the tools and skills necessary to eliminate a pest for good.