No matter how secure your house is from burglars and natural disasters, the one thing that may still be able to break through its defenses is a tiny ant or mouse. You may be surprised to learn how many openings your seemingly airtight house may have for pests to sneak through, and once they’re inside, the problems they can make for you are innumerable. Fortunately, with just a little ingenuity, they are ways to make your house as pest-proof as possible. Here are some ways to seal your home off from pests.
Getting Prepared
Before you start, there are a few things you are going to need. First, get into some old clothes and put on gloves. Because you’re going to be crawling around in the dirt, around bushes and atop of ladders, old clothes (preferably long jeans and a long sleeve shirt) and gloves are going to be very useful. Also, make sure you have a ladder as you’re going to need to reach places up high and carry a can of insect spray in case you run into a black widow spider or a scorpion. Finally, the most important thing you're going to need is a caulking gun and some copper wire mesh/fine mesh screens.
Where to Look
This may take a couple of days, so go slowly and carefully, making sure to get every opening. On the roof, look for missing shingles and openings around chimneys. Cover any exhaust holes with a fine mesh screen. If any branches are hanging down over your roof, make sure to cut them down, so pests don't use them as bridges to your house. Around your walls and foundations, caulk around electrical conduits, pipes, phone lines, vents and air conditioning lines.
Look for cracks in bricks, plaster and mortar joints, making sure to caulk any openings or stuff them with copper mesh, a material that rodents cannot chew through. Also, repair torn window screens as they make very enticing entrances for pests. After you’ve done all this work guarding your home, make sure you don’t accidentally bring any pests through the front door. Once you’ve come back from a trip, check your suitcases very carefully for roaches or bed bugs before you bring them into the house, just to be safe.
It can be a hassle making your house pest proof, but it’s less of a hassle than trying to get rid of them once they’ve already entered your home. For more information or to receive quality pest control services, contact Midwestern today.
