Fall Pest Prevention Tips for Missouri Homeowners

Mice, stink bugs, spiders, and other fall pests in St. Louis are making their ways into homes across the state. As the weather cools, pests look for a nice, warm place to over-winter. The problem is that most of these pests can cause damage to your home and bring illness and parasites indoors. To prevent this from happening, there are a number of things you and your pest control expert can do.

Fall Pest Prevention by the Homeowner

St. Louis homeowners deal with a lot of humidity. This often will create pockets of moisture that insects and mice love. As the weather cools off, they start looking for dryer places where they can stay warm. Pests will enter your house through the smallest of gaps. Check around your windows and doors to make sure they are air tight. If air can’t get in or out, neither can bugs. If you have siding on your house, check it, as well. Any gaps, holes, or seams can allow insects to overwinter in the nice, snug space between your siding and the wall.

Now is a good time to do an inspection of your roof, fascia, and soffits. Look for any shingles or trim that have blown off during the summer. These places will give access to squirrels, bats, and mice as well as any insect that can settle into cracks. Make necessary repairs and caulk seams when necessary.

Besides prepping your house, you can prevent a lot of pest problems by cleaning up the grounds around your house. Remove all dead vegetation and give the lawn one last mowing. Make sure all wood and stones are stacked off of the ground and away from the house.

Professional Pest Prevention in the Fall

Once you have made sure that the pests have nowhere to go, bring in the professionals. Professional exterminators will put down a protective barrier inside and outside your home. This will kill any pests already there and prevent any more adult pests from coming in. Depending on the types of pests you have, you may need the pros to come in during the typical breeding cycle to do another treatment. By killing nymphs, you can break the breeding cycle and have a pest-free home this winter.