rodents Archives - IMEL PEST CONTROL
Pest Control Tips for Winter Weather in the Granite City, IL area
Keep pests from cozying up indoors with you!
It’s still February in Granite City, IL, which means you’re probably huddled up inside, enjoying the radiant warmth of your home’s heating system and keeping yourself out of blustery winter conditions. However, it’s not just you that’s enjoying your warm home. More often than not, pests are also using your home as a refuge from the wet and the cold during this season. While the idea of sharing your Winter retreat with a bunch of insects may be unbearable, there are things that you can do to limit the infestation of pests, rodents and other bugs this winter. Read below for realistic tips that you can use to keep your home pest-free!
Keep Food Sealed
There are two main reasons that pests come into your home during the Winter months: food and warmth. By keeping food in sealed storage containers, you’ll make it hard for pests to smell the food and to access to food if they find it. If they can’t find a source of food, there’s no reason for them to be there.
Seal Cracks & Holes
While you may not think about it, there are probably quite a few cracks and holes in the exterior of your home for pests and rodents to fit into. Whether it’s spaces around plumbing fixtures and pipes, small cracks that have appeared over time or even your chimney, it’s important to do an inspection, find and seal any openings on the structure of your home.
Organize Clutter
One of the easiest steps that you can take to keep your home pest-free is by organizing your clutter. Rodents, in particular, love cluttered messes of junk, debris, garbage, brush, etc. It gives them a place to hang out and stay safe while allowing them to access the warmth of the house. By clearing clutter, you’re giving potential pests fewer places to base their operations.
Proper Firewood Storage
Many families in the Granite City, IL area rely on the use of a fireplace to keep their home’s warm and their heating bills down. However, it’s important to ensure that you’re using the right storage techniques and practices. Like brush piles or piles of clutter, firewood provides a great environment for pests to hide in with easy access to your home. They can even hitch a fast ride inside when you bring some into place on the fire.
The best practice is to keep a pile of wood outside, covered from the weather and far enough away that pests won’t have access to your home. Also, bring wood inside as you need it to limit the unwanted guests that find their way inside.
Clean Gutters
While you’re rushing around to clean the clutter in your garage or around your home, you may be missing one important place that could harbor all sorts of pests and rodents. We’re talking about your gutters, of course. If your gutters are filled with leaves and other debris, this provides an optimal environment for pests during the winter, and it gives them easy roof access.
Do an Inspection
The best tip that we can give you is to do an inspection yourself. Use the tips that we have provided to evaluate your home and find places where your pest protection is lacking. The more you look, the more you’ll find potential points of entry and ways to keep pests out of your home!
Call a Professional
Worried that pests have too much access to your home? Especially for rural homes, even pest prevention tips may not help keep all the pests out. Don’t hesitate to call a local pest professional for the help you need to keep your home pest-free!
What winter pests call O’Fallon, IL their home?
Watch out for these pests this winter!
Finding a pest indoors is a nightmare scenario for some. Furthermore, some people believe that during winter, they’re safe from pests. However, this is not true. Some pests even prefer the winter months indoors because they don’t hibernate like some insect species. Unfortunately, you still may need pest treatments, even when there’s snow on the ground. Take a look at the following pests that could still be active in this area, even after the last leaf falls!
Rodents
Two pests that love to take refuge inside of warm homes are mice and rats. Rodents have long, flexible bodies that can fit underneath doors, in between walls, in your HVAC system and almost anywhere else. Furthermore, they sneak out at night to feed on crumbs and other food they can get to. Fortunately, you can prevent mice and rats by cleaning up after yourself – give them nothing to eat and nowhere to stay!
Roaches
The roach is another insect that you may find seeking a warm, dry area inside of your home. There are many species of roaches, but not all of them like the same conditions. You may find roaches in your pantry, bathroom, around your drains and other places. Call a pest professional if you have an infestation.
Bed Bugs
Considering they live most of their lives on the inside of homes, bed bugs can thrive in winter conditions. Additionally, you may carry them from a hotel to your home without ever even noticing it. Make sure to check your bed and hotel room carefully for bed bugs, and make sure you get any problems taken care of right away!
Spiders
Spiders love to spend the winter in attics and basements where they can get away from the cold, damp conditions. This means be careful when sticking your nose into dark, hidden places where spiders like to hang out. You may get more than you bargained for!
Pest problems? Call Imel for a home that’s pest-free for the holidays!
Pest prevention for your Columbia, IL home
Check out these pest prevention tips
As the calendar turns to April, many people are starting to realize their winter dreams of backyard barbecues and long, sunny afternoons. However, if pests had it their way, they’ll crash the party before you even start to enjoy the warmer temperatures, bringing with them their colonies, disease and other health hazards. However, it doesn’t have to be this way. We’re here to tell you that there are methods you can use to cut down on your insect problems this season. While there are many things that you can do, here are the top five pest prevention tips to keep your home free of insects this spring and summer!
Seal Doors, Windows & Openings
First, it’s smart to seal any openings that an insect may use to gain access to your home. Start with the obvious places, doors and windows, and move to lesser-thought-of areas like around plumbing, light sockets and other tiny spaces you can find throughout your home. From a tiny crack in the wall to the space underneath your door, it’s important to seal off any and all access points that you can find!
Keep Clean & Tidy
When pests make their way inside the home, they’re usually looking for two things – food and shelter. Don’t aid their search by leaving out old food containers, leftovers or even crumbs. Additionally, clean up all clutter, such as piles of clothing and unread mail, to ensure there are no places for these critters to hide and reproduce.
Fix Plumbing Leaks
Many insects are drawn to damp environments, which makes your pipes and space around any plumbing fixture a place that could be targeted by bugs. Insulate pipes with foam insulation to cover condensation and fix any leaks that could be attracting insects. You want to be relaxing by the water all summer, not providing a resort for pests to enjoy inside your home.
Yard Maintenance
There are many things that you can do inside the home for pest prevention. However, there are somethings you can do outside the home, as well. Keeping a yard that’s clear of brush piles, log piles, and other detritus materials. Moreover, any organic material left near or up against the home (like a pile of logs) could harbor an entire colony and provide an easy access point for termites, rodents and more.
Call a Professional
While the other tips can be highly effective at preventing insects, they only real way to keep your home bug-free is to call the professionals for pest treatments that are catered to your specific needs. Professional pest control specialists can identify your risk areas, find current infestation and provide treatments for both. Contact Imel in the Columbia, IL area for more about how professional pest control can benefit you!
