Preparing Your North Carolina Home for Fall: Pest-Proofing Tips

North Carolina is no stranger to several critters. For the most part, we don’t mind those critters as long as they stay outside our homes. Unfortunately, they don’t always follow those wishes, which can distress renters, homeowners, and owners of commercial properties.

In this article, Clegg’s Pest Control will provide you with some of our best tools and tricks for pest-proofing your home and the types of North Carolina pests that are most likely to cause you grief. Then, we’ll work with you to create a plan for dealing with them and show you how expert pest control services can make all the difference.

Most Common North Carolina Pests

Like anywhere, North Carolina is host to a countless number of pests. But we’ll only talk about the ones you’re most likely to deal with because they’ll need the brunt of your fall pest control efforts.

Cockroaches

Cockroaches need no introduction. Often brown or brownish-red, these resilient, challenging pests come in many forms and love spending time in the wet areas of your home. If you’ve left a mess in the kitchen, they’ll find it.

Pest prevention with cockroaches starts at the fundamental level of removing any reason for them to find your home appealing. Keep surfaces clean, don’t let water sit out, and properly dispose of food waste.

Mice and Rats

If you hear a scratching in your walls or a rummaging in your cupboards, chances are it’s a mouse or rat. Catching one of these scurrying across the floor is enough to make anyone panic and should be at the forefront of your North Carolina pest-proofing efforts.

They’re inside for the same reason you are—it’s warm, and there’s food. Fortunately, we’ve developed many traps and techniques for mice and rat prevention, so you don’t have to worry.

Ants

North Carolina hosts a variety of ant species you’ll probably encounter at some point. Fire ants are a hazard due to the painful wounds they can inflict, while carpenter ants can damage wood structures, especially homes. Neither should be welcome around you or your loved ones, so start pest-proofing your home against ants today with Clegg’s Pest Control services. 

Bedbugs

Bedbugs are a tremendous pain. Once you have them, you have to go to extreme lengths to exterminate them, often involving vacating the premises for multiple days.

Your best course of action is to cut bedbugs off at the source. If you have them, chances are they followed you home from somewhere else. If you’ve been traveling, the first thing to do upon your return is throw everything into the washer and never set your luggage on your bed.

Spiders

Spiders are one of the most frightening but less problematic pests overall. However, that doesn’t mean they get a free pass to your home or office. Also, North Carolina is home to the occasional venomous black widow and brown recluse, so you have no reason to take them lightly.

Our Best Pest-Proofing Tips

Now that we know what pests we’re dealing with, let’s figure out what we can do about them. Here are some of our best North Carolina pest-proofing tips.

Seal Entry Points

The first order of business in your pest prevention program is to block them from ever entering your home in the first place. If you’ve found pests entering through cracks or creases in your home, seal those spaces with caulk, weatherstripping, or other appropriate sealants. For rats and mice, use steel wool as they cannot chew through it. Pay special attention to the areas around windows, doors, utility pipes, and vents.

Install Door Sweeps

Install door sweeps on exterior doors to block small pests like ants and cockroaches from entering. These can be either bristles or rubber. Both are fine as long as you have one. You’ll notice very quickly when you do not.

Store Food and Reduce Moisture

Keep food in airtight containers, and don’t leave pet food out overnight. Ensure that your trash cans have secure lids and are emptied regularly. Many pests are hungry, and if you make their next meal easy pickings, then they’re going to call your place home.

Similarly, pests need something to drink. Fix leaks promptly, use dehumidifiers in damp areas, and ensure good ventilation to reduce indoor humidity. This is also a good way to prevent structural damage to your home and make a more comfortable environment for everyone.

Be Mindful While Traveling

You’d be amazed how many pests can hop aboard your luggage while traveling. This is bedbugs’ preferred way to travel. Throw your clothes in the wash and disinfect everything else.

Turn to Clegg’s for Expert North Carolina Pest Proofing

Call Clegg’s and consider it done. Pests can be an exhausting problem which, despite all your efforts to keep them away, never relent. We understand the frustration this can cause, especially when those pests harm you, your family, and your pets.

If the pest-proofing tips provided aren’t enough, employ our tried-and-true pest prevention and elimination services at Clegg’s Pest Control.

We’ve been tackling fall pest control needs with increasing effectiveness every year we’ve been in business. With the combined knowledge of all our professionals, we’re confident there’s no pest problem we can’t solve.

Clegg’s would be honored to service your residential or commercial location. Look here for an estimate, and let’s start down a path toward pest relief together.