As autumn approaches, you need to maintain your home for two main reasons; to keep out cold weather and to prevent autumn pests. These have both practical and financial advantages. For instance, if you seal cracks and holes in your house, you'll help maintain your heating system and lower energy bills. Also, you'll still keep pests out, preventing the need to spend on professional pest control.

Inappropriate pest control procedures and treatments allow pests into your home in search of warmer temperatures and food. To protect your family and avoid the stressful impact of pest invasions, you must know the preventive measures. Autumn pests include cockroaches, mice, termites, rats, bed bugs, fleas, squirrels and birds. 

Living in a tiny home makes pest prevention even more crucial. Once they're in your home, until you get rid of them, they'll always be constantly bugging you. (pun intended!) The good news about a tiny home is you can spot them faster generally. But prevention is always better than cure!

While infestations can occur in any part of your house, many pests seek refuge in the kitchen cabinets, drains and pipes, garages, garbage bins, wood sheds, storage rooms, bedroom closets or ceilings. If you want to prevent pest infestation this autumn, this post is for you. In the next five minutes, you'll learn the top practical tips to prevent autumn pests.

1. Check For Mice

Mice invasion is the most common problem homeowners face during autumn, as the rodents seek warmer spaces. Therefore, before taking other measures to keep pests out of your house, check for their presence in the house first. To check for mice, shine a flashlight in spots they're most likely to hide, like along baseboards.

If you find rodents, you should try various methods to catch and get rid of them. For instance, you can set several traps on the floor, parallel to the wall where rodents are likely to pass. You can also buy rodents' preferred food and place it in a metal rubbish bin with a tight lid as they can't climb out of the bin. These methods will be effective in preventing rodent contamination through autumn. 

2. Fix Entry Points

Entry points such as doors, windows and chimneys are easy targets for pests to find their way into your home. Also, pests can access your home through small openings like cracks, holes or gaps between your doors and windows.

The best way to deny pests access to your home is by sealing these entry points. You can install screens on your windows, doors and chimneys and still have efficient air flowing throughout your home without access to giving pests. You can also add a layer of protection to the screens by rubbing citronella oil on the screens with a paper towel. Use weather stripping to seal the gaps around your doors and windows' bottom, sides and top. Seal all cracks and holes, and remember to repair broken pipes and tunnels. These measures will help reduce pest invasion during autumn.

3. Keep Your Home Dry

Many pests infest your home in search of food and water. They also like moist and humid areas which they can find in your attic or crawl spaces with leaks. Therefore, check these spaces in your home to ensure they're well ventilated and dry. You don't require professional experience to check for these spaces; look for signs of pooling water, humidity and stuffiness. If you notice any of these, contact a ventilation specialist to perform necessary repairs to make the spaces less appealing to pests.

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4. Inspect Items Before They Enter The House

During autumn, you're most likely to start getting your holiday decorations from the shed, and you're likely to get many packages delivered to you as you're shopping for gifts. Before bringing these items into your house, inspect for the presence of any pests. This also applies to second-hand furniture, firewood, newspapers and groceries. Inspecting valuables before taking them inside your home prevents unwanted guests.

5. Maintain Your Outdoor Plants

Insects and rodents are intelligent and hide in home bushes and gardens. These pets use these areas as a habitat while they wait for a chance to enter your home. Therefore, regularly inspect your outdoor lawns and garden to ensure they're not harboring pests. Also, keep your outdoor plants at least three feet away from the house and keep tall branches from touching your siding or roof.

6. Store Your Food Properly

Leaving your food on the countertop or in open containers sends an invitation to different autumn pests as many pests infest homes in search of food. Sugary fruit, snacks and starchy foods attract many pests. Therefore, carefully watch your foodstuff, and keep all your food in properly sealed containers to deprive pests of access. Use plastic or glass containers with tight lids. Avoid storing food in plastic bags as pests can easily tear them apart. Additionally, avoid putting pet food on the floor and ensure your outdoor rubbish bin is sealed.

7. Declutter

Sometimes, your homes can get cluttered with different things, especially the garage or storage room. A cluttered space is a perfect hideout for pests. To avoid this, organize the clutter in your garage and storage room. Get rid of unwanted items and organise the remaining items to keep the place clean. Declutter all the areas in your house to ensure no pests are hiding.

Moreover, rake any leaves and mulch away from your home. Pile and get rid of them to avoid pests. Also, frequently empty your rubbish bin, and ensure it's clean.

8. Get Professional Help

Regular pest control services can provide an additional layer of protection to ensure that your home remains pest-free throughout the autumn season.

Even if you've taken all the precautions, keeping all pests away from your home is nearly impossible. Therefore, contacting pest control professionals to conduct comprehensive pest prevention procedures and treatments in your home is essential. Pest control experts are experienced in handling pesticides and have practical measures to identify and eliminate pests.

The Bottom Line

Preventing pest infestation isn't a walk in the park; you must be proactive to ensure your home's safety. Fortunately, the above-discussed tips will help you make your home less attractive to pests and eliminate them if they infest. However, as you might not be able to eradicate all pests in your home, you might need to hire professionals to do what they do best.

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