There are lots of little critters that accidentally enter homes in Worcester. There are two reasons we get these unwanted guests. The first is population. If you have lots of critters around your home, there is a greater chance that some of those critters will accidentally find a way into your home. The second has to do with something called entry points. When there are gaps and cracks in your foundation or outer walls, little critters will get in.
Attractants
The reason you have lots of potential pests near your home is that you have attractants that are luring pests in close. There are many conditions that can attract pests. The most common are:
Light: Many insects are attracted to exterior lights and the light that shines out of windows at night.
Insects: When insects are drawn to a home, they become an attractant for other bugs and animals that eat them. Spiders are a good example of this.
Moisture: There are many ways moisture can attract pests. It can directly moisturize creatures that require moisture. It can dampen wood and lead to wood rot, which attracts wood-destroying organisms. It increases plant disease and attracts plant-damaging pests, which are food for other pests.
Food: There are many things pests consider to be food. As we mentioned, they will eat each other. But they'll also eat garbage, birdseed, dog droppings, dead animals, pet food, honeydew, wood, and a long list of other things.
Harborage: Pests hide in lawn clutter, leaf piles, ground holes, underneath structures, and in many other places.
You can reduce pest populations by reducing or protecting these attractants. Here are some suggestions:
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Replace white lights with yellow lights.
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Keep shades closed.
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Keep your perimeter dry by clearing out your gutters, trimming tree branches, and reducing unnecessary vegetation in your landscaping.
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Keep your exterior trash in covered receptacles.
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Clean receptacles routinely.
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Put bird feeders at least 20 feet from your exterior.
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Inspect your yard and pick up animal dropping or dead wildlife.
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Refrain from feeding pets outside, or put food down only during mealtimes.
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Water your plants in the morning to prevent moisture from sitting on your vegetation overnight.
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Remove wood sources from your yard.
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Never bury wood in your yard.
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Consider painting wood that is unpainted or stained.
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Remove yard clutter.
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Rake leaves up.
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Fill in ground holes.
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Apply fencing to protect potential food sources or locations of harborage.
Breeding
Another reason you can have a high population of pests in your yard and near your home is that you have breeding sites. Here are some examples:
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Standing water provides a breeding site for mosquitoes. A female mosquito can lay her eggs in stagnant water that is a half an inch deep. This water source must be available for more than a week for adult mosquitoes to develop.
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Rotting organic matter provides a breeding site for flies and some cockroach species. Good sanitation is key to lowering pest populations.
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Ground cover. When an object lays on the ground and blocks the sun, it can create a damp, dark location underneath for pest breeding. Millipedes can grow large populations under leaf litter and other debris.
Entry Points
Once you reduce pest populations around your Worcester home, it is time to consider potential points of entry. There are many ways pests can get in. These are only a few of them:
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Cracks in foundation walls and gaps around pipes.
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Gaps around window and door frames.
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Holes in frames and sole plates created by wood-destroying pests.
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Missing or damaged weatherstripping, door sweeps, or screens.
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Missing exhaust vent covers.
Control Products
For the best barrier, it is necessary to apply pest control products to your exterior. These should be selected and administered by a licensed pest management professional to ensure effective control of pests, and to prevent hazardous products from being used. This is where the pest professionals at Big Blue Bug Solutions can help. We use EPA approved products that are known to be least toxic to humans and pets. These are applied according to safety regulations at routine times during the year to give complete coverage. If you'd like to learn more about how we can help you bolster the barrier around your Worcester home, reach out to us. We're here to help.
