4 Tips to Winter Pest-Proof Your Home

4 Tips to Winter Pest-Proof Your Home

While temperatures in Elgin are slowly getting warmer, picnic weather is still a ways away. It’s not too late in any winter month to pest-proof your home against common cold-weather pests like mice, rats, cockroaches, and others. Here are 4 tips to get you started:

1. Cover up all access points.

Mice can enter a home through cracks and crevices as small as a dime, and insects can make their way through even smaller spaces. Use silicone caulk to seal smaller openings, then fill in the larger ones with steel wool. Next, put screens over attic vents, chimneys, and animal doors. Replace weather-stripping around windows. Sealing up the openings to your home also means you’ll stay warmer this winter while the pests remain outside in the cold.

2. Keep your home dry.

While you may not have a flooding problem, moisture easily accumulates in spaces like basements and attics. Moisture is a big draw for pests, so consider investing in a dehumidifier or even an improved outdoor drainage system.

3. Tidy up.

Many people with winter pest problems aren’t slobs – they’re simply not taking little precautions in their food and storage areas to keep pests away. Store all food in airtight containers, including pet food and dishes. Use garbage cans with tight lids, and keep your counters free of crumbs. It’s also beneficial to de-clutter in areas where “stuff” tends to accumulate, like utility rooms, mudrooms, storage rooms, and the garage.

4. Don’t forget the outdoors.

Pests enter your yard before they enter your home, and you can take precautions to ensure that they never even get that far. Pests, especially rodents, love to be amply hidden by bushes and shrubbery when they’re outside, so keep these well-trimmed in your yard, especially any bushes right next to your home. If you use firewood, store it at least 20 feet away. Mulch and ground cover should also be moved away from your home’s immediate vicinity. If you have a winter pest problem or need help finding and sealing up your access points, Pointe Pest Control can help. Our expert technicians will winter-proof your home so thoroughly, you’ll feel like spring’s come early (minus the pests, of course).