Is there a time of year where you notice pests inside of your Lincoln home more often? We dare to guess that you are more likely to have pest problems during the late fall months as winter approaches. Some familiar creatures you might find indoors during this time include stink bugs, box elder bugs, rodents, and cockroaches. Why do these pests invade? Because they are looking for a nice, warm place to spend their winter. To help you keep these pesky intruders from getting into your living areas this fall, we have something for you today, a pest prevention handbook.

Clean Up Your Yard

Many pests are drawn onto properties because of clutter, dropped produce, and other enticing things. Keep your yard clean of sticks, leaves, and other organic and non-organic clutter to remedy this. It also helps to mow your lawn regularly and keep up with other landscaping care like picking up fruits, vegetables, and other products that drop onto the ground. Finally, if you host an outdoor gathering or eat outdoors, pick up leftover foods and bring in beverages after you finish.

Create A Dry and Clear Barrier Around Your Home

Some pests cozy up to the side of buildings or use things like branches to access rooves and second and third-story windows. To remedy these problems, create a five-foot dry and clear area around your home's exterior. This includes trimming back branches, removing clutter, and making sure it is getting as much sunlight as possible.

Address Damage In Your Home's Exterior

Overwintering pests need some way to get inside your home. Typically they find entry points in things like damaged screens, unsealed doors, and foundational cracks. To make sure your home's exterior is adequately sealed, here are some exclusion tips to try.

Install door sweeps under exterior doors.
Repair damage to weatherstripping.
Use a caulking gun to fill in holes, cracks, and gaps in your home's exterior foundation.
Close doors and windows when you are not using them.
Install fine metal screens over utility piping and drainage that leads out of your home's exterior.

Remove Food Attractants

Once cockroaches get inside, they then look for things to munch on. Reduce food attractants by making sure trash cans have tight-fitting lids, pick up food messes and drink spills as they occur, keep your living areas as clean as possible, and store leftovers and opened food in air-tight containers.

Fix Moisture Problems

One thing cockroaches love is moisture. When they are inside homes, these pests gravitate to cold, damp, and secluded areas. Use a dehumidifier indoors to make sure your living areas aren't providing cockroaches with the moisture they need. It also helps to wipe down sinks and bathtubs after using them. To reduce moisture sources around your property, make sure your gutters are clean and working correctly and do your best to eliminate sources of water buildup.

Contact A Pest Control Professional

The last and most important tip we have for you is to get a professional involved. If you want to make sure overwintering pests stay far away from your Lincoln home this winter, there is no one better for the job than Pro Active Pest Control. We use advanced pest control treatments and industrial-grade products to ensure our community is safe from annoying, dangerous, and destructive creatures. We also offer detailed pest identification services to determine your home's current pest pressures.

Contact us today to get a quote for your Lincoln home or to have any of your pest-related questions answered by our team of experienced technicians.