Ninety percent of your pest problems originate outdoors, the remaining ten percent of the pest problems inside your living area have either crawled in or flown in from outside. Pests are often more common during the fall and winter as the weather turns cooler; they are seeking winter harborage and want to stay warm and dry. These fall pest problems can include mice, ants, crickets, wasps and bees, lady beetles, skunks, raccoons, opossums, flies, many kinds of roaches, and even bats. In an integrated pest management program, the best way to prevent such pest from causing damage inside your home is to block their entry while trapping any pests inside your living space.

First check all entry points to your home. If you have an attached garage, check the garage door seal. Does it fit tightly against the floor and sides? If not, consider new compression seals for the bottom and weather stripping along the sides. This will stop a major entry point for millipedes, crickets, and mice. Remain inside the closed garage and have another person outside the door shine a flash light around all sides of the door to check for cracks. Remember mice can squeeze through a crack as small as ¼ inch wide.

Make the same checks for all entry doors to your home. Your local home improvement store has a variety of weather-stripping and new door sweeps (for the bottom of your doors) to block pest entry points. Lights near your doors also invite flying insects to come inside. Re-locate fixtures or switch to a “bug free” light bulb.

Clean the window frames from debris, leaves, and dirt where pest hide. Seal cracks and gaps around windows, particularly on lower levels. Another way to test for gaps is to carefully move a lighted candle around all windows and watch for the flame to flicker. If it does, you’ve found a gap that needs to be caulked. While you are outside, carefully seal and caulk around water faucets, utility meters, lines, wires, dryer vent, and any other access points in your home. Repair any cracks or holes in the walls and/or foundation.

On a rainy day, gather your rain gear and head outside to check your gutters and down spouts. Are they draining properly and diverting water away from your home’s foundation? If not, clean gutters and consider adding longer downspouts. Standing water along your home’s foundation can create an environment favorable to termites, who love to eat wood. Moisture can also increase the presence of indoor mold and mildew. Now look up, just below your shingles. The vertical board your gutters are attached to is the fascia board. Just under this board is the soffit (a horizontal board which may contain vents). Are there damaged soffit or fascia boards at the roof line? These are popular entry points for unwanted mammals including bats, birds, mice, squirrels, and rats. Before you seal any holes, ensure all furry guests are gone to avoid trapping them inside your attic. Repair any damaged wood and close openings. Ensure mesh screens behind all vents are intact and replace with fine-gage screen if needed.

From the roof, inspect attic rents, ridge vents, pipes, and chimney caps to ensure holes are sealed and screens are intact. Squirrels and raccoons like to enter your home through the chimney or roof vents. If trees and shrubs hang over the house, you are making it easy for them to jump to your roof.

These “pest-proofing” activities are perfect for a fall weekend. If you don’t have time or need help, call your local pest management professional to inspect your home for pest entry points and treat your home to prevent fall pests.