Pest Portals – How Pests Get in Your Home

Pest Portals – How Pests Get in Your Home

Sometimes it seems like pests just appear out of nowhere! In truth, there are a lot of different ways they can access homes, some of which are very sneaky and difficult to detect. The following are some of the ways that pests may be making their way into your home. 

Trees and Bushes

Try to be extra aware of any trees or bushes that may be touching your home or shed. While seemingly harmless, this close proximity of foliage can be damaging in more than one way. Moisture from the bush or tree against your household structures can cause the wood framing under your siding to rot and, on windy days, rogue branches can damage your roof’s shingles, causing a leak in your home. Furthermore, the branches act like a highway for a variety of pests including mice, rats, spiders, and more– taking them straight from your yard onto your roof. Once there, these unwelcome guests often find a way to burrow or slip into your attic and home. Our techs will do their best to help you spot these pesky pest-highways so that you can avoid potential problems.

Utility Gaps

While cracks and crevices in the walls of a home clearly allow access into your home, there are some less obvious gaps that might be letting pests in. Utilities around the home, such as hose taps, electrical boxes, and dryer vents, can often have small gaps or cracks around them where they attach to the siding. To help prevent this check the utilities around your home and seal any entry points you find.

Doors and Windows

Of course, while doors or windows are completely open, your home is at risk of pests easily making their way in… but sometimes pest can use these areas to access our home even when they’re closed. Any holes or tears in screens can allow pests in and there can also be small gaps around the edging of these entryways. As such, it is extremely important to ensure your screens, weatherstripping, or door sweeps are in good condition or, if your door or window is lacking one of these, that they are installed to protect your home.

Firewood

Wood piles are like a haven for pests. Whether its insects or rodents, the pile provides shelter and warmth, inviting pests to come gather and build nests or homes, so it is important to take the proper precautions to prevent these pests from finding their way into your home. Wood piles should be moved to a location at least 30 feet from your home if possible. This will deter any pests that gather in that wood haven from entering your home and disrupting your life. Furthermore, you want to ensure that any firewood you bring into your home doesn’t have any pests riding on them (especially carpenter ants!).

Furniture, Moving Blankets, and Luggage

What do all three of these things have in common? They’re the most common ways that bed bugs find their way into homes. Bed bugs hitchhike from place to place using various methods. This can be of particular concern when you are moving as rented moving blankets are notorious for passing bed bugs if not properly inspected. Either utilizing your own blankets or ensuring any blankets you do rent are properly cleaned and inspected can greatly help reduce the risk of bed bug infestations. Similarly, bed bugs often hide in all kinds of secondhand furniture. If you are ever considering purchasing used furniture, it is extremely important to inspect the items carefully prior to bringing them into your home. Lastly, hotels and motels are some of the most notorious places where you can pick up bed bugs. They crawl into luggage, purses, and clothing to make their way back to your home with you. The best way to avoid this is by inspecting your hotel room before sending the night to make sure you aren’t in an infested room. To learn more about inspecting for bed bugs, click here.

Professional Protection

At Pointe Pest Control, our technicians are trained to search for the root of your pest problems and stop infestations at that source. If we are unable to handle the repairs or adjustments ourselves, rest assured your technician will provide you with recommendations to ensure you are equipped with the information to address with these home changes on your own or with the assistance of contractors experienced in such repairs. If you are experiencing a problem with pests, call us today for quick, friendly, and targeted pest control services!