In the fall, many outdoor pests, like Asian lady beetles and stink bugs, try to move inside. They’re looking for warm, protected places to spend the winter. Once they get inside, it’s very hard to control them because they can hide in so many different places. The key is to take steps to reduce the number of pests around the foundation of your home, and to stop pests on the outside before they can get inside. And now is the time to do it — early fall —  before pests begin to migrate.

The fewer pests there are around the outside foundation of your house, the less likely it is that pests will find their way inside. Many pests that invade from the outside live or hide in moist areas and feed on decaying plant material like rotting leaves. To reduce the numbers of pests around the outside foundation, keep the area dry and free of thick plants and shrubs and pest hiding places:

• Move wood piles, compost piles, piles of leaves or grass clippings, or stacked boards or stones away from the foundation.
• Pull mulch away from the foundation wall.
• Remove grass, weeds, and ground cover plants that touch the foundation walls.
• Drain standing water around the foundation.
• Reduce outside lights, especially around doorways. Many pests are attracted to lights.
• Ventilate basements and crawlspaces to reduce moisture levels.
• Trim any shrubs or tree branches that touch the roof or sides of the house.

Some fall invading pests fly to your house from other locations, attracted by warm, sunny walls. Keep outdoor pests from getting in by screening, caulking and sealing openings into your house that pests use to enter. You can do this yourself or you can have  Colonial do it for you. Our trained technicians can pest-proof your home by doing whatever is necessary to keep pests out:

• Caulking cracks around doors and basement or ground floor windows.
• Making sure window and door screens fit securely.
• Installing thresholds, sweeps, or weather stripping on ground level doors, including garage doors.
• Caulking openings where pipes and utility lines enter the building.
• Screening outside vents.

Another way to keep pests from getting in is to have the exterior perimeter of your home treated with insecticide. This keeps the pesticide and the pests outside. We can do that, too. Just give us a call…and the sooner the better! Fall, and those invading pests, will be here before you know it.

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