Part of the charm of living in South Carolina is the mild, warm weather that is found all year long! Relentless, cold, snowy winters are not something that South Carolina residents have to deal with, unlike the people who live in the colder, Northeast part of the country. But, just because South Carolina residents don’t have to deal with below-freezing temperatures for months on end, doesn’t mean that the weather in South Carolina doesn’t get colder in the fall and winter seasons. It gets cold enough for insects, rodents, and other common pests to take notice and have the desire to move from their outside homes into houses and other structures to overwinter comfortably inside. To prevent your South Carolina home from becoming a refuge to overwintering pests, the professionals at Aiken Pest Control want to provide you with the necessary information needed to stop them from choosing your home.
Let's take a look at how these critters get into your home in the first place because it is not like they are going to come ringing your doorbell asking for permission to come in! Insects and rodents like ants, spiders, mice, box elder bugs, ladybugs and more will all take advantage of any crack, gap, opening, or crevice to enter your home through. Cracks in the foundation, holes found along your roof soffits, vents that are not covered, openings found around utilities entering your home, open garage doors, and spaces found underneath your home’s siding can all give pests easy access to the inside of your home. Once inside they will generally take up residence behind your home’s walls, underneath floors, in attic and basement spaces, and behind large appliances; where unless evicted, they will stay until the weather warms back up in the spring.
Preventing fall pest invasions is important because these pests aren’t simply annoying, they can be destructive and damaging as well. They can damage the structure of your home by chewing through wires, pipes, insulation, and drywall; along with destroying personal property like books, pictures, clothing, upholstery, and furniture. Also, fall pests are going to contaminate your family’s food sources with their saliva, urine, and feces. To help prevent fall pests from damaging your home, we want to offer you the following tips:
- Seal openings found around your South Carolina home. Openings as small as 1/16th of an inch can allow insects inside and gaps only 1/4 of an inch in diameter can allow mice inside. Seal openings found around utilities entering into your home. Seal cracks in the foundation and exterior walls of your home and make sure that covers are securely placed over vents; also repair and/or replace loose or missing roof shingles.
- Fix openings found around exterior windows and doors. Caulk gaps found around exterior windows and doors, replace loose or missing weather stripping and make sure that all exterior doors have door sweeps. Make sure that doors and windows either have intact screens in them or are kept shut; do not leave garage or basement doors open for long periods.
- Reduce food and water sources. Make sure that outdoor trash cans have tight-fitting lids on them, and that trash is removed from your property regularly. Inside your home, empty trash cans regularly, do not leave dirty dishes in the sink for long periods and keep food either in the refrigerator or in plastic or glass containers equipped with airtight lids. If you have gardens on your property, quickly clean up fruits and veggies that fall to the ground.
- Limit areas of clutter both inside and outside your home. Remove piles of grass, leaves, sticks and other organic debris from your property. Trim back trees and bushes away from the exterior of your home. Inside of your home keep closets, basements, and attics free of a lot of clutter. The more clutter in your home, the more places critters have to hide inside.
To prevent fall pests from invading your South Carolina home, Aiken Pest Control highly recommends implementing a year-round pest control service. Year-round pest control will ensure that any pests currently living in your home are eliminated and that future pests won’t be able to invade your home because of our quarterly service visits.