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While regular pest control is an important
part of all homeowner’s routine maintenance, it
is especially important for those who own homes
nestled under the trees. Trees provide a
wonderful habitat for bugs and small animals to
thrive. But when tree branches are above or
close to your roof, a highway for pests to enter
your home is created.
Your first line of defense is to make sure
that even the smallest open hole to the interior
of your home is secured against pests. In
addition to ants, spiders, roaches, flies, and
other species of bugs, small animals may also
enter the home though open holes. Squirrels,
flying squirrels, bats, rats, mice and raccoons
all may enter your home through these portals.
Tree branches provide the perfect ladder for
these creatures to access your roof. Make sure
that your chimney caps are sealed completely to
avoid providing shelter to bats and flying
squirrels. Additionally, all of your vent pipes
should be sealed to keep pests out while still
functioning properly. Inspect your roof to make
sure that there are no openings where pests
could enter your home including the eves and
flashing. Also, for smaller pests, make sure all
of your doors and windows are sealed completely.
If you find yourself in the middle of a bug
or small animal infestation you might want to
take the following actions as well. Hire an
inspector to discover the problems with your
roof. Some critter control services will do this
as well. Roofers and sometimes a handyman
service will be able to assist you with the
repairs. Once all of the openings to your home
have been secured, asses your attic for pests.
Set traps. If the house has been sealed
properly, then the pests nesting in your attic
will have no exit. Without food and water they
will ultimately die, but that will create a
smell problem and potential health hazard. Try
to trap them with baited traps before they die.
Your goal is to remove them before death. They
will be searching for food as they have no exit
and grow hungry. Once you have caught the
animals in traps, then hire a pest control
company to come spray the exterior of the home
to create a barrier for smaller bugs and pests.
There are many companies which can provide
critter control services to trap the larger ones
for you before the pest control companies come
to spray. If you choose to do this yourself,
make sure that you do not touch the dead animals
in any way. Pests carry disease. Use a shovel
and a bag to seal them in, but do not come in
contact with them. If you trap animals such as
bats and raccoons, call your local animal
control to pick up the animal and test it for
rabies. If they were loose in the interior of
your home, then your house pets could be in
danger. It is always best to be cautious and
know the rabies status of a dead animal on your
property.
Once your
home has been sealed and you have treated the
source of the problem rather than fighting the
symptoms, then a local pest control service can
set you up on a regular spraying schedule, while
also protecting your interior as a second line
of defense with pest control designed to kill
pests at all sources of moisture in the house,
i.e. around the plumbing pipes under the sinks.
Also, ask your landscaper or lawn service to
prune all the trees with branches that extend
over the house or touch the structure. Anything
you can do to shut down the highway between the
trees and the house will aid you in your total
pest control plan All of these measures together
will all ensure that you can maintain a pest
free home under the trees and prevent the damage
that pests can inflict on the structure of your
home as they shared it with you. |
