Sep 10, 2021, 09:58 AM by Fred Speer

When it comes to keeping pests out of your home, there’s never an off season. It’s a year-round job that Clark, your friendly pest control, termite, and grounds expert, can work on together with you.

Unless pests hitchhike into your home via packages, luggage, or clothing, they start on the outside, living in the yard or in areas around your home. That’s why your best defense against pests is to deny them access to your home.

Why is your home a destination for pests?

Once food sources become scarce, pests will go into survival mode. Your home is often their top choice for a new place to live because it can provide them with food, water, and shelter.

California’s searing summer heat and dry conditions eliminated many of the natural food and shelter sources (e.g., vegetation) that pests count on. And with cooler temperatures on the horizon, pests will look to get out of the cold and find a place to overwinter.

Mice are a good example of a pest that will seek access to your home in the fall. Mice are small creatures, and thanks to their flexible backbone, they can squeeze in and under small spaces with ease. Mice and rats can fit into apertures as small as one-quarter and one-half inch, respectively.

Once inside, rodents, cockroaches, and other pests can spoil food, spread bacteria that cause food-borne illnesses, or chew on electrical wiring – which increases the risk of fires.

Tips to keep pests outside

Install tight-fitting screens on attic vents, chimney tops, openings for washer and dryer ventilation, and other outdoor openings like mail slots and animal doors. Remember: Rodents are notorious gnawers, so check your screens to make sure these pests haven’t chewed their way through.

Seal doors and windows with sturdy weatherstripping to keep pests out. A tiny crack in a window frame’s weather sealing provides more than enough space for a motivated rodent or insect to get inside.

Keep attics and crawl spaces well ventilated and dry. Most pests need moisture to survive, so consider using a dehumidifier in these areas if needed.

Repair loose mortar or openings around your home’s foundation with the proper materials to seal pest entryways.

Keep kitchen counters clean, store food in airtight containers, and dispose of garbage regularly into sealed receptacles.

Inspect package deliveries and grocery bags for evidence of pests before bringing them indoors.

Do not leave pet food dishes out for long periods of time because they can attract pests, including rodents, ants, and cockroaches.

Watch for signs of wear and tear around the exterior of your home, including the roof. Pests will take any opening in a wall, door, window, or roof opening as an invitation to enter.

Use quality products including caulk, exclusion materials, screening, heavy duty seals, and other suitable products to seal openings. 

Prevention pays

An ounce of prevention can go a long way toward keeping pests outside. It’s more cost efficient to invest the time and money to be proactive in exclusion methods than it is to remove pests once they get inside.

Clark Pest Control is committed to safeguarding your home from pests during these challenging times. Our service technicians use such personal protective equipment as gloves, masks, and respirators, they practice social distancing, they call ahead to notify you before a service, and they adhere strictly to all Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines when servicing inside or outside your home.

Call California’s trusted, friendly pest control expert at (800) WE-NEED-YOU (936-3339) or email us at clarkcares@clarkpest.com to help keep pests on the outside looking in.

Until next time, the pest management professionals at Clark Pest Control