Your walls may appear solid but they might have many tiny cracks and passageways for pests. In order to make your homes pests free you should inspect your home. Wear some dirty clothes, take a flash light and examine every square ft. Here are some areas to inspect:
Wall Penetrations:
Check for any gaps or cracks around anything that passes through your walls like exhaust vents, AC lines, etc.
Gaps in Sidings:
Check for gaps and holes in the siding and also check foundation where the siding meets it.
Doors and Windows:
See that the screen and weather stripping are not torn or worn out. Also check that rubber gasket under garage door seals well, if not then replace it with a new one.
Passage for Pests:
Anything touching your house is a passage for the insects e.g. the branches of the trees touching your house can be a passage for ants and easy solution is to trim back branches.
Welcoming Entrances:
Be sure that the dampers open and close freely because if they are left open they welcome birds, squirrels and all kinds of critters.
Foundation:
Make sure that the windows of basement close safely and there are no crawl spaces under your house.
Soffits and Roof Vents:
Chewed screen of a roof vent can give the passage to squirrels or bats in your attic and also see if there are any holes or gaps in the soffits.
Chimney Caps:
Get caps for your chimney otherwise it will be the home of birds and rodents in summer.
Close the Passages:
Use acrylic latex caulk for cracks small than 1/4 in wide, use polyurethane caulk for cracks from 1/4 to 1/2 in wide. Although polyurethane is gooey and difficult to use but you can always smooth paint it for a neat look. For bigger holes use expanding foam but rodents can eat their way in so stuff the hole with copper mesh before adding foam.
Mousetraps:
A snap trap is considered cruel by some people but it is better than poisons as you will be finding dead mice almost everywhere and the smell will be unforgettable. Set the traps along the walls as mice feel their way. Place two traps parallel to wall so if it jumps one it is trapped in the other.
Stop Insects:
Insects and other small pests like moist places so if the soil around your house is dry it is pests free. Here are some moisture sources and ways to reduce them:
- Check the downspouts are turned away from you house or not also check for any leakage in the gutter system which may pour water in your foundation.
- If water is not absorbed in your lawn then you need to aerate the lawn to open up dense patches and admit water. Also see that the soil is at least 10 ft.
- The plants growing against the house keep the siding damp; you should trim the bushes and trees.
- Make sure that there are no leaks in the plumbing as a leaking sink and a poor seal around the bathtub can let the water go in to floors and walls.
Spider Solution:
By getting rid of the clutter you can get rid of spiders and increasing humidity level to 40% by using a dehumidifier. Also clean the webs when they appear.
Cockroaches:
The paper bags under your sink are the best place for cockroaches to live. To get rid of these it's better to call a professional exterminator.
Tip:
Pests and insects love the clutter and untidiness of your house. So a clean house is an insect free house.
