Deter Those Pests
It's natural to want to hibernate indoors as the weather turns colder. Unfortunately, pests have the same idea. And they want to move into your home for the winter.
If you're going to do something about it, now's the time. Everything from tiny ants to grey squirrels are trying to get into your house now or are already there.
Historically, spring and autumn tend to be the busy times for pest control companies, and it is all down to cooler temperatures and heavy bouts of rain. Here are some tips for dealing with nature's incursions:
- Any opening more than a ¼-inch wide is going to bring pests in. Look closely at where the siding meets the foundation, where the air conditioner goes into the house, where utility lines enter the house, and cellar windows. Older cellar windows may not have a tight seal and would give smaller pests a pathway in.
- A good rule of thumb is if you can fit your finger in an opening, seal it up. But use the right material. Rodents chew through foam insulation. Steel wool, a common material used, rusts and degrades, becoming inefficient. Aluminium or copper screening and concrete are your best choices.
- Several insects want to spend the winter in your home – ladybirds, spiders, stinging insects such as hornets, earwigs, centipedes and ants among them. Insects tend to invade through open doors and windows, so it's important to check with a qualified pest control exterminator on the best way to prevent the tiny critters from multiplying.
- This is also the time of year people start seeing mice. The cool nights drive them inside, so set traps and make sure you don't leave food out, including dog or cat bowls.
- Squirrels love attics and are known to chew through siding. They often get in during warmer weather and, pardon the pun, squirrel away food there for the winter. Again, do visual checks and call in the professionals if you suspect you have a problem. You can get rid of squirrels, rats and mice either through humane trapping or lethally.
- Bats love attics and soffits. They often enter a home through vents, but their presence can be dangerous, as they can carry diseases such as sudden acute respiratory syndrome. Their waste, known as guano, not only stinks and damages the home, it contains fungus that can cause histoplasmosis or Darling's disease, which can be fatal if left untreated. Do not try to remove bats from your home by yourself. Call a professional.
It is important to remember that a pest control professional's options largely depend on who lives in the house. If there are children or pets, baits cannot be used in areas where the kids or pets have access to them.
It is certainly not advisable to "go nuclear" by putting out poison or sprays everywhere before identifying the problem and taking action to prevent any further incursions. You should spray or bait the perimeter of the house first, and double-check and repair points of entry such as doors and windows.
SDA Pest Control, "Long Acre",
Bluntisham Road,
Needingworth,
St. Ives,
Cambridgeshire
01480 465684