Wisconsin Fall Pest Control Checklist: How to Prepare Your Home Before Winter

The ‘Ber months are in full swing, which means busy schedules full of activities, holiday preparations, and making family memories. It also means it’s time to prepare your home for winter. This doesn’t just mean switching out the pumpkins for Christmas decorations, but it also means taking steps to deter and keep pests outside. As temperatures drop, rodents and insects start looking for warm shelter for the winter months. If you are looking for Wisconsin Fall Pest Control, it’s important to complete your fall home maintenance checklist before unwanted guests take up residence in your home.

Home Maintenance Checklist

Inspect for Gaps

Inspect your home for any cracks or gaps around your home and seal them up with caulk or weatherstripping where appropriate. Look especially around doors, windows, pipes, and ducts. Fix and seal up any cracks in your foundation. Pests like mice and cockroaches will be looking for any point of entry into your warm and inviting home - keep them outside!

Check for Leaks

Check for and repair leaky faucets and pipes. Run a dehumidifier in moisture-prone areas like the basement and laundry room. Be sure to insulate cold water pipes to help prevent condensation. While insulating those cold water pipes, be sure to also insulate pipes that may be exposed to freezing temperatures, like in your garage or in your crawl space, to help keep them from freezing and bursting. Outside, be sure to drain your outdoor hoses and cover the spigots. Any damp areas around your home, inside or out, will attract cockroaches, earwigs, spiders, silverfish, and many other common home pests.

Deep Clean

Do a deep clean behind and under appliances and furniture and vacuum under couch cushions. Seal up any dry pet food and keep it off the floor. Replace cardboard boxes with plastic storage containers. If you eliminate some of these common food sources, insects are less likely to make your home their own in the cold winter months.

Maintain a Clean Space

To maintain a clean and dry home in the fall and winter, be sure to wash dirty dishes, empty trash, and dust and vacuum on a regular basis. Wipe off bathroom and kitchen counters every day. Eliminate clutter as much as possible, especially in dark corners and closets where pests like to hide. It’s not a guarantee, but doing these steps consistently will make your home an unwelcome environment for wandering critters.

Don’t Forget Outside

Outside, it’s important to clean up yard debris, especially around the perimeter of your home. Trim away bushes and shrubs and any vegetation close to exterior walls. If you have a firewood pile, move it at least twenty feet away from your home. Clean out debris from gutters and downspouts. Rake up remaining fall leaves and remove them. If you haven’t already, empty and store children's toys like water tables and kid pools that may collect water. Keep garbage bins sealed and away from your house. Completing these outdoor tasks will not only help prepare your yard for spring, but it will also help drive rodents and insects away from your home.

Preventative Fall Pest Control in Wisconsin

Before insects start looking for a warm, inviting home to take up residence this winter, it’s important to call the professionals at Mosquito Squad Plus. Maintaining your home and yard is a great first step, but it will not prevent all pests from trying to make their way inside. Our barrier treatment is applied around your home perimeter, killing pests on contact and helping to deter them from entering. We then provide ongoing monitoring and a 100% satisfaction guarantee, making sure we do all we can to help control pests this fall and into winter. Call us today at (262) 333-0395 or contact us for a free, no-obligation quote.