How to Pest Proof your home for WINTER

In the fall, when days grow shorter and outdoor temperatures begin to plummet, pests with four or more legs begin to resurface inside homes.

Pests don’t go away when it gets warmer, cooler, dryer, wetter, or windier. They simply adapt to the environment. Homeowners need to take steps to ensure their houses keep pests out rather than in.

This time of year, the house mouse is the most common pest in and around homes. They eat and contaminate our food, chew up woodwork and can create electrical fires by gnawing on wires. Other rodents such as chipmunks, squirrels, raccoons, and opossums can get into open areas seeking food.

The National Pest Management Association offers ten tips for winter pest proofing:

1. Seal up any cracks and holes on the outside of your home including areas where utilities and pipes enter your home.
2. Make sure vents are screened and gaps around windows and doors are sealed.
3. Keep tree branches and shrubbery well trimmed and away from the house.
4. Inspect boxes, grocery bags and other packaging thoroughly to curb hitchhiking insects.
5. Keep basements, attics, and crawl spaces well ventilated and dry.
6. Store garbage in sealed containers and dispose of it regularly.
7. Store fire wood at least 20 feet away from the house and five inches off of the ground.
8. Repair fascia and sofits and rotted roof shingles; some insects are drawn to deteriorating wood.
9. Replace weather-stripping and repair loose mortar around the basement foundation and windows.
10. A licensed and qualified pest control professional is your best resource to ensure these steps are completed properly.

For further, visit pestworld.org and www.PermaTreat.com

Bed Bugs - they're not going away!

Everywhere you look you see updates on bed bug infestations across the U S. Infestations have been found in high and low end residential areas, hotels, hospitals, nursing homes, movie theaters, college dorms and public schools.

Bed bugs are elusive, persistent and increasingly pervasive and YES, there is a possibility that they can reach some of your personal belongings and within a few months your home could be fully infested.

Don't be embarrassed if you're concerned that you might have an infestation. Make the call to your local exterminator. Let them perform the inspection and while they're there ask questions.

Bed bugs are not a seasonal pest. Protect your family as well as your environment.