Winter Storm Stella: Pest Defense

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With Winter Storm Stella getting ready to hit the entire East Coast, we have no doubt that you are all preparing for the worst.  Now, while you are out there salting your driveway and sidewalk, and stocking up on bread and eggs, there is something else you should keep in mind: pest defense.  Pests find storms as an opportune time to get into your home, but luckily, there are easy ways to defend against them.  Read on to find out more!

Pests, like people, have the ability to know when to seek warmth, and these dropping temperature will provide them the reason to seek out your home.  Not only that, but with the higher-than-average temperatures for the past few weeks, many pests have started to come out of the woodwork (no pun intended).  This increased pest population, in combination with soon plummeting temperatures, makes for a whole lot of pests looking to get nice and cozy alongside of your for this storm.  

Now, just because there are more pests seeking shelter, does not mean that you need to go frantic with the pest defense.  Just a few simple things are all you need to make sure that these critters do not get in, and have the opportunity to create a full-time infestation.

One of the easiest ways that you can do this is to remove any brush or other plant material from the side of your house.  You should be doing this anyway for storm prevention (especially because winds are expected to gust over 50 mph), but doing this eliminates a home for the pests to ride out the storm in.  If they are taking refuge in some brush next to your siding, what is stopping them from finding a crack and getting inside, where more are sure to follow?

In addition to this, if you have a nasty draft coming from one of your doors, plugging it up may be the best thing to keep you warm and to keep the pests at bay.  Something as simple as putting a rug in front of your door should be enough to keep the air out, and with it, any tiny pests that may want to find their way inside.

Finally, our last tip for you is that if you plan to engage in some of the traditional snow storm activities—making hot chocolate, soup, or other type of warm food—make sure that you clean up after yourself.  Pests can smell this from a great distance away, and may be all they need to want to find a way into your home.

A snow day may not be a guarantee, but pest prevention can be.  Just follow these simple tips, and you should be good to go!

For more tips or for help with an infestation after the storm, be sure to give us a call!

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