The cooler temperatures in Raleigh and pumpkin spiced everything is evidence that fall has officially arrived. Now that all the bugs seem to be disappearing, you may not be thinking about how to pest-proof your home, but fall is a crucial time for this. Here are a few tips that can make a big difference in preventing a critter invasion in the coming months for your triangle-area home.

1. Poke around in the attic: It may be dusty and kind of creepy, but you want to keep an eye out for things like mouse and bat droppings. If you find none, be happy, but then work to keep it that way. Seal up any large openings they could enter by screening your gable windows and sealing any drafty spots along the edges.
2. Check the garage: Pests love clutter and often one of the most cluttered areas of your property is likely the garage. Make sure there aren’t piles of junk that could be utilized by unwanted guests. The garage is a middle zone between the outdoors and indoors so it needs to be seen as a potential entry point to be monitored.
3. Crawl into the crawl space: Another of these middle zones is the crawl space. It is also a not quite inside not quite outside area so it can be used as an entry to your home. Don’t ignore the crawl space and just allow insects, rodents and other pests to set-up shop there. If they get too comfortable, it’s only a short trip into the rest of your home.
4. Survey the outside: Do you have pet dishes sitting on your deck or your front steps? Is your trash can close to the house? Is there a woodpile within a few yards of the home? All of these are not the best state of affairs as pests are looking for good places to go for the colder months. You’re telling the neighborhood that yours is a home with food and good places to hide.
5. Mind the openings in your home: Many people love to sleep with the doors and windows open on a crisp, fall night. This occasionally can be seen as an invitation though to pest passers-by. This could cause the immediate problem of a squirrel or bird in the home. There are also more subtle issues from openings around doors and windows. Checking all the windows and doors for gaps and then applying weatherstripping or caulk is important to keeping out the sneakier pests. It’ll save you money too when you turn the heat on.

Now, if all of this prep work doesn’t do the job, you may have to call a pest control company here in the Triangle. Whether it’s bats in the attic, opossums in the crawl space or a bug infestation, give the professionals a call to get the job done right the first time.

Call Critter Control of the Triangle in Raleigh, NC and Durham at 919.382.0651 or visit our contact page for more information or help with animal removal, cleanup and more.