Unseasonably warm temperatures throughout the Southeast have ushered in a new set of pests and the professionals at Terminix Service, Inc. want to share six tips to prepare for the Spring season.
“With Spring already here, homeowners should have their primary focus on sanitation both inside and outside of their homes,” shares Kevin Hathorne, Technical Director at Terminix Service, Inc. “By taking the time to do a little extra cleaning inside and outside your home, you can reduce the chances of an unwanted pest infestation and spare yourself the extra expenses.”
Pest prevention tips for spring include:
- Keep landscape mulch away from foundations. Keeping mulch less than 2 inches thick and at least 12 inches from foundations will greatly reduce the chance of ant and millipede infestations.
- Seal any cracks or holes. Sealing any cracks, holes or spaces around windows and doors will keep spiders, millipedes and ants from crawling in.
- Reduce clutter. By storing winter clothes in plastic bags and removing all toys, clothes and pet food from the floors can prevent fleas, cockroaches and Brown widow spiders from spreading.
- Switch exterior lights to yellow “bug” light bulbs. Changing the light bulbs will attract fewer flying insects and eliminate house spiders from congregating.
- Remove or limit heavy, ground covering vegetation near foundations. Reducing or limiting vegetation controls wolf spiders and millipedes from cultivating which will bring down the chances of them entering homes.
- Store firewood or lumber as far away from the home as possible. Storing firewood away from foundations and covering it with a tarp will stop cockroaches and carpenter ants from invading wood and interiors.
Should any pest infestation issues persist, call your local Terminix Service Inc. pest control professional to schedule an appointment.