Winter and autumn seasons are approaching, and one thing you don’t want to bother about during these chilly seasons is pesky pests. Unfortunately, you may have to, especially if you fail to pest proof your home before these seasons arrive.

So, how do you pest-proof your home for autumn and winter?

Of course, there are many ways—most of which are ineffective or hard to implement. However, I’ve decided to outline some of the easiest, most effective, and expert-backed tips on keeping your home free from pests during these wonderful seasons.

Remember, if you are really struggling with pests in or around your home there are professionals out there who can help.

1. Clean your kitchen and remove food sources

During cold seasons like autumn and summer, pests will likely migrate to your home for warmth and food. Your kitchen, as you know, contains water and food sources that most pests need to survive. This is why you need to clean it regularly.

Keeping your kitchen clean will make it less inviting to pests who are carriers of diseases that could harm you, your family, and even your pets.

Don’t just sweep the kitchen floor and wipe down the counters. You should always try to dispose of food remnants immediately after eating so it doesn’t attract pests like rats, flies, roaches, etc.

In addition, ensure your food is kept away from the grasp of pests. To do that, I recommend keeping them in containers with strong lids.

2. Treat difficult-to-reach places

Most pests are small, making it easy for them to penetrate your homes during the nippy season. Sometimes, these insects gain entry to your homes via difficult-to-reach areas.

When you notice such areas, do you ignore them because they are hard to reach?

No. Do so at your peril!

Instead, try to treat such places. For example, foaming aerosols can be used to penetrate small cracks, crevices, voids, and other places where insects may nest, breed, or travel, regardless of how remote or hard–to–reach they are.

3. Repair leaky faucets

Leaky faucets are a nuisance that doesn’t only damage your cabinets and floor but attracts pests like roaches, and things often get worse easily during winter since pests enjoy cold, damp areas.

So ensure you inspect all the faucets in your home and fix any leaks. If you notice signs of pests, you can also contact a pest control company; perhaps, you can get a free pest control inspection. If the inspection results indicate the presence of pests in your home, the pest control company will eliminate them using the appropriate pest treatment methods.

Remember, the earlier you detect and eliminate a pest problem, the better for you, your home, and your family.

4. Close cracks or openings

Another effective way to pest-proof your home for fall or winter is by closing all cracks or opening around the home.

Inspect your interior and exterior for cracks, gaps, and openings. If you find any, use materials like copper mesh and caulk to seal off the cracks. These materials are often used for such purposes as pests can’t chew through them. At times you might encounter squirrels in your home. They look cute but can cause lots of damage so it becomes important to call professionals for squirrel control.

5. Clear clutter

Do you know why it is often hard to locate some household pests? Do you know why these pests breed under your noses? It’s because of the clutter in your home!

The stacked shoe boxes, old newspapers, toys, and dirty clothes provide pests with the perfect cover, especially during cold seasons like fall and winter.

So, always ensure that you declutter your home. This applies to your interior and exterior. For your interior, follow this format:

Put away: Items that spill over from their designated storage areas

Fix/repair: Items that need repairs before they are put away. Such items may be a shirt that needs a button replacement.

Recycle: Items that can be recycled

Rubbish: Items to discard in the household bin

Donate: Unused items that are still in great condition and can be given out to a charitable organisation or an individual in need.

You can declutter your exterior by:

• Cleaning the gutter and downspouts.
• Disposing of fallen leaves, branches, etc.
• Raking your backyard to eliminate potential insect abode

In addition, try not to keep storage containers close to the wall in your home to reduce passageways for insects and rodents to enter your home.

6. Store rubbish and firewood far away from home

Insects like stink bugs, box elders, roaches, rats, and mice, like to take refuge in firewood piles and the damp ground underneath. So always make sure you store your firewood on a raised surface or top of a concrete slab, far from the reach of these insects.

Do you have any firewood piles? I advise using a metal stand to keep the piles well-arranged and off the ground where pests can’t reach them. You should also store such firewood away from your home and cover them with a tarp.

Conclusion

Cold seasons like winter and autumn compel pests to migrate to your homes. Pest-proofing your home will make it a less-desirable destination for those creatures, thus ensuring that you enjoy a winter or autumn season free from the annoying rats, mice, roaches, or bugs.