New Haven residents – are you ready for Spring? March and April bring wonderful weather to Connecticut, and as the snow melts, the ground thaws, and the trees start to blossom, citizens of New Haven can rejoice in the warming sunlight. However, something else is also looking forward to the coming springtime: pests.
Warmer weather brings more pests, and spring is often the most active season for insects and rodents. Common critters this time of year include ants, roaches, and termites, all of which are trying to get into your home to cause trouble. Rats and mice are also ready to come out; they’ve been hibernating all winter, and now they’re ready to play.
If you aren’t proactive in your pest prevention, these organisms could spell major trouble for your household. Rodents can create serious damage in your home’s infrastructure, chewing floorboards, furniture, and occasionally your pipes or insulation. Additionally, many pests carry the risk of diseases, from E. coli to Salmonella and some can cause serious allergies. Let’s dive into how to keep pests out of your New Haven home this spring.
Spring Cleaning
You might have assumed that “spring cleaning” is just a random tradition, but springtime is actually the best time to deep clean your house. Since pest activity is at the highest during this time, insects and rodents are looking for the best places to nest, and clutter is the best place to nest in. One of the most common reasons for an infestation is because the pests found a place to hide and reproduce, so spring cleaning is an essential part of your pest prevention agenda.
Make sure you tackle the following in your spring cleaning to-do list:
Remove all clutter in and around your home, especially in dark, cool places like your closets, garage, attic, and basement.
Clean up outside as well. Piles of leaves from the previous autumn are a great place for pests to hide, as are piles of rocks or lumber, or an outdoor shed.
Scrub every square inch of your house, especially the oft-forgotten nooks and crannies beneath/behind heavy appliances. These spaces are often left uncleaned throughout the year, and pests will take advantage of this unless you clean everywhere you can.
Where Pests Hide Best
A clean home will look a lot less attractive to pests. Still, a home is a home, and your prevention plan isn’t complete without also addressing the ways that pests get inside.
For starters, you’ll want to make sure that there aren’t any cracks in your house’s exterior that pests can enter through. The smallest fissure in a doorway, window, chimney, or rooftop can attract the worst infestation on the block. Be sure you caulk and cover any cracks in your home; additionally, make sure that there aren’t any holes where your house meets the ground, as this is how many pests burrow their way into your home’s foundation.
Other Pest Prevention Tips
Finally, pests love two things: water and light. Turn off your exterior lights before you go to bed, otherwise, you could wake up with the start of an infestation. Also, pests are often attracted to moist spaces, especially termites. If your crawl spaces or outer walls have a lot of moisture, they can attract termites from miles away. In time, your house will start creaking and sinking from all the damage termites bring, so be sure to check for and address any moisture issues around the house.
These prevention tips can help secure your home for the long run, but even the best prevention plan doesn’t always work out. If you think you need an extra layer of pest prevention, or if you think you’ve already got an infestation, you’ve already found the solution: learn more about the services at Connecticut Pest Elimination, LLC, or reach out to us so we can help you manage your pest problems today.