Winter is nearly done here in the Greater St. Louis area, and the warmer weather and turning seasons make for a perfect time to tackle your spring home maintenance. Depending on your to-do list, you could even be working to prevent pest infestations in and around your house.
Some St. Louis area pests stick around all year, but others like termites and ants get going in the spring. The rainy spring season also means plenty of standing water for mosquitoes. Ants love the warmth and, along with spiders, begin searching for food. You’re better armed to address and prevent infestations when you know what you’re dealing with.
Start Outside
You can build your first line of defense against pests with a well-maintained property, lawn, and home exterior.
Termites especially love wood, although all types of pests can make a nest in your firewood or lumber piles. Clear those piles out regularly and clean around them to avoid the allurement. Mulch can also be prime real estate for wood-chomping termites, so change that out around your landscaping if it’s been there all winter.
Walk along the exterior walls of your home and keep a close eye for cracks in the foundation, brick, windows, or doors. Bugs love to march right in these tiny entrances and take over. Especially if you’re not keeping your shrubs and bushes trimmed and they sit up against the walls of your home.
If you have any standing water (pools, ponds, etc.), clean around these areas thoroughly. Overgrown algae, decomposed leaves from the previous fall, and puddles from leaks can become habitats for pests like mosquitoes and spiders. Regular maintenance will keep things tidy and keep bugs at bay.
Head Inside
Even with all of your hard work on exterior spring home maintenance, there’s a chance that bugs will get into your home. Make sure you’re crossing these tasks off the list, too.
Just like your family loves the kitchen for easy access to food and water, so too do ants and other pests. These common spring pests line up to look for leftovers that may be on your countertops or floors, or in your cabinets. Thoroughly clean your pantry, discard any stale food, store everything in airtight containers, and clean surfaces with a mixture of dish detergent and warm water.
Where there’s moisture, there are pests like roaches and silverfish. Keeping things clean and dry in the bathroom keeps these bugs at bay. Check for and repair any leaking pipes and thoroughly clean out and organize the cabinets below your sink. Wipe down your shower curtain, door, or liner after using and handle clogged drains immediately.
Your basement is dark, it’s great for storage, and you may not use it as often as the other rooms in your home. Because of these reasons, it’s the ideal home for rodents and spiders. Streamline your belongings, clear up clutter, use plastic instead of cardboard for storage containers, and seal up any cracks with caulk.
Some of the same rules for basements apply to your attic. Swap out your storage containers and check for signs of nests that settled in during the winter. Seal off any openings to the outside that rodents can use to make a home in your home. Ensure that the entrance to your attic closes without gaps.
Contact Us
By the time you see signs of pests, that usually means there’s already an infestation. If you’ve done what you can to prevent bugs and rodents in your home but think you may have a problem, the best way to address it is by working with pest control professionals. A team of experienced professionals will be able to inspect your home inside or out safely. They’ll be able to identify what kind of pest could be wreaking havoc and give additional tips, along with suggestions for treatment plans.
While we can’t help you organize your basement or garage, we can help tackle your spring pest control. At PestShield, we offer customized services to meet the pest problem you are facing. Whatever your situation is, we will leave you with a clean, pest-free home you can feel good about. Contact us today to get started!