If you are a pet owner, you’ve probably heard the phrase “if you’re cold, so are they” with an accompanying urge to bring them inside to stay warm. Even if you don’t have pets, you know that if it’s cold outside, you want to come in and heat up. Well, the same principle goes for pests; as the temperatures plummet, critters of all sorts will look for ways to get warm, and that usually means entering into homes and other buildings where they aren’t particularly welcome. Here are a few DIY winterization tips that will keep your home pest-free this season.

1. Reduce Potential Habitat Sites

Pests looking for a new, warmer home to spend the winter in and will be drawn to your house. With its heating system and cozy nooks, a warm home will definitely draw in unwanted guests. The first step to preventing this is making sure the pests don’t have anywhere to set up camp. This means that you’ll have to look around and spot areas that could provide a nice home for those creatures. Here are some places to pay attention to:

• Gutters – if you haven’t cleaned your gutters this fall, they could be filled with leaves and debris, which provides nice hiding places for squirrels, mice, and insects.
• Organic Debris – check around your home for leaves, compost piles, or stacks of firewood. These make easy hidey-holes for pests, so take care to remove them or store them away from the house.
• Pipes – just like people, pests need water to survive. Leaky pipes or pooling water can provide that necessary moisture, so make sure your pipes are in good condition and there’s no standing water.
• Landscaping – insects tend to live in trees and bushes, so make sure that there is a good amount of distance between these landscaping items and the house. If there is physical contact, it’ll be that much easier for them to make the voyage to your home.

2. Fill in the Gaps

As you do your walkthrough around the outside of your house, pay special attention to any gaps, cracks, or openings you may find. Even cracks that seem insignificant could have a larger opening somewhere that you can’t see. Ants, spiders, and other creepy-crawlies can easily enter the smallest of gaps in the outside of the home. Take particular note around the foundation, windows, and doors, and seal up any openings you find. Bathroom vents and chimneys also provide easy entry to the home, so make a point of covering these up when not in use.

3. Keep Food Away

Primarily, the heat of a home is what draws pests inside. But what keeps them there is easy access to food and water. If they can make a comfortable home living off of your food, there is no reason for them to leave on their own, which means you could be hosting pests through the warmer seasons as well.

To prevent rats and mice from setting up camp, make sure that all food in the home is stored away in airtight containers or in the fridge or freezer. You should also make sure food debris is swept off the floor each day and that trash cans have a lid that can close tightly. Finally, since plants are often food sources for insects, you might want to consider organic pesticides like peppermint oil or diatomaceous earth.

4. Call Baystate Wildlife

If you’re struggling to keep your home pest-free in the winters, it might be time to enlist the help of professionals. Baystate Wildlife can help you rid your home of uninvited guests and make sure that they don’t come back during the winter.

Making sure your home is ready for winter means making sure it’s all set to keep out unwanted critters. By following the above tips, you’ll have the perfect pest-free home that’s safe for you and your whole family.