5 Pest Prevention Tips for Thanksgiving

This week is Thanksgiving week. You have a few things that you can count on; a food induced nap, crazy family, and some extra time to do a few things around the house.

With that extra time we suggest taking on one or two of these pest prevention tips to keep bugs (or rodents) out of your home over the weekend and at a minimum in the spring time.

1. Protect the House from Bed Bugs Coming Home from College: It is sad to say that your young adult family members might bring home these nasty little blood suckers home with them from college. At least their freeloading friends will go back to college with them. Bed bugs will stay at your house. Put the kids laundry, and bags if possible, in the dryer for at least 30 minutes on high heat to proactively kill any bed bugs. Might feel like a nuisance, but it is a whole lot easier to deal with than the possibility of bed bugs in your home.
2.  Clean Up Around the House to Prevent Mosquitoes: Mosquitoes are not out and about in this cold we are having in Sevierville. However, the areas around your home that are collecting water are likely the same places that will collect water in the warmer winter days and early spring. Go around the house and find any low lying areas that have water collected. If you cannot fix the problem immediately then put it on your to-do list to have done before spring.
3. Seal Up Areas Around the House: This week is rodent awareness week (yes, there is a week for just about everything) because it is when the weather gets really cold that mice, rats, and other rodents will start to find spots in your home to call their own for the winter months. These spots rodents find can be the exterior facade of your house or even in your home. Believe us, it isn’t fun knowing that you are sharing space with a rat, mouse, squirrel, or other rodent. Get some insulation caulk, or building material you can use to fill in cracks, and go around the house and identify trouble spots. Crawl space access spots, such as busted vent screens, or gaps in crawl space doors, are easy to identify as fixes. Rodents, however, can slip in through some seriously small cracks in brick, siding, or wood work.
4. Clean up and Proof Your Attic and Basement: Your attic and basement are often the forgotten rooms of your house. While you are pulling out that Christmas decor, or hiding the kids presents you bought over Black Friday, take a few minutes to clean up pest areas or look for places that may house some rodents or insects so you can call for an exterminator and get ahead of the problem.
5. Set Up Ongoing Pest Control: If you are not already on some type of ongoing pest control by a pest professional this is a good time to get set up. Winter is not a traditionally busy time for us pest professionals (compared to the spring and summer months). You can get a thorough inspection of your home and set up on a pest service that will help to keep insects and rodents away from your home. Instead of having to react to problems and waiting for service you get ahead of the bugs and the crowds by setting up ongoing service.

We wish you nothing but the best Thanksgiving holiday greetings for your family, friends and yourself.