Winter is the time of year when pest and wildlife problems seem to be the worst. As the air starts to get colder, many animals look to settle down, make nests and raise babies. Unfortunately, the attics, garages and crawl spaces of homes in Virginia provide great opportunities for wildlife to do just that. If you don’t want to spend winter shacked up with pests, we recommend that you follow the steps on this helpful checklist.
Winter Wildlife Control Checklist
- Store Your Food – Rodents and other pests commonly enter homes while searching for food during the winter. If you make sure any open food containers are covered and leftovers are sealed in secure containers, you can get rid of rodents in your home in Virginia.
- Clean Up Your Garage & Shed – Many pest infestations begin in a garage or an outdoor shed, where rodents and other pests find an easy source of shelter. By cleaning up any piles of blankets or tarps and lidding your garbage cans and other containers, you can prevent pests from being drawn into these areas.
- Keep Bird Seed Away – Lots of homeowners in Virginia love to feed birds throughout winter but, unfortunately, bird seed attracts squirrels and other rodents to your home. If you intend to keep feeding birds during winter, make sure all bird feeders are far out in your yard and not right on your deck so that squirrels aren’t tempted to move into your home.
- Seal Doors & Windows – Even if you consistently keep them shut, doors and windows can let pests like spiders and cockroaches in if they aren’t tightly sealed. To prevent winter pest problems in your Virginia home, add fresh caulk and sealant to any weathered doors and windows to keep them pest-proof.
- Cover Up Openings – If your home has duct or vent openings on its exterior, this creates an easy opportunity for squirrels, raccoons and other wildlife to break in, which becomes doubly tempting to them during winter. You can get rid of squirrels in your home by placing mesh covers over these openings to block their access.
- Call Professional Pest Control – All of these winter pest prevention tactics will reduce your chances of a wildlife infestation, but they aren’t foolproof. Sometimes, rodents and other pests find their way into even the cleanest, most secure homes during winter. If you find evidence of pest activity in your Virginia home, then you should call a local pest and wildlife control company to resolve the issue for you.
We Can Keep Your Home Pest Proof All Winter
Discovering a pest problem in your home in the midst of winter can ruin the holidays, so don’t let that happen. Call Pest Proof Pest Management today if you’d like us to provide pest and wildlife removal and exclusion services for your home in Virginia!
