Spring Cleaning Tips for Your Home to Keep Pests Out

Spring is just around the corner, which means it’s time for homeowners to start planning their spring cleaning schedules. Whether you’re a fan of getting everything done in one weekend-long marathon or prefer to spread it out over the entire season, it’s important to keep pest control on your to-do-list. The warmer weather encourages greater pest activity, and a lack of preventative care could lead to potential unwanted activity inside your home. Some preventative pest control measures may already be part of your spring cleaning agenda, or you may try out some of these suggestions:

For inside your home, the National Pest Management Association (NPMA), recommends you do the following:

• Remove all items from kitchen cabinets and pantry; discard any stale or dated items.
• Wipe down the insides of kitchen cabinets and install fresh shelf paper.
• Pull out kitchen appliances and vacuum behind them.
• Scrub all kitchen surfaces including floors, countertops, and appliances.
• Clean out the bathroom medicine cabinet.
• Wash the shower curtain and liner.
• Check around the sink, bath, and toilet to make sure there is no excessive moisture; fix any leaky pipes or faucets that could be causing the moisture.
• Inspect common storage areas such as the basement, closets, and garage; eliminate clutter wherever possible.
• Transfer stored items from cardboard boxes to plastic bins with sealed lids.
• Caulk any potential pest entry points.

For outside your home, the NPMA suggests:

• Seal cracks and small openings along the house’s foundation, as well as entry points for utilities and pipes.
• Replace weather-stripping and repair loose mortar around the foundation and windows.
• Trim tree branches and shrubbery to keep them away from the house.
• Keep mulch at least 15 inches from the foundation (stones are a great alternative).
• Eliminate sources of standing water around the house, including birdbaths and in clogged gutters.
• Clean out gutters and downspouts.
• Screen all windows and doors.

Making sure that these tasks are on your spring cleaning checklist will help reduce pests from entering your home for the spring and summer seasons. If you see signs of an infestation during your cleaning and don’t want to spend your valuable time solving the problem, contact the professionals at Batzner Pest Control. We are always happy to help!