Preparing for Fall in Florida

As the beautiful Florida temperature starts to drop in September and October, we can expect to see an increasing number of bugs and pests seeking shelter indoors.  These can include spiders, cockroaches, and rodents.  By December or January, many are hunkered down for the winter, so it’s important to do some maintenance now in order to keep your house and yard relatively vermin and bug free.  These maintenance activities include:

1. Clean up the yard.  Make sure you don’t have decaying vegetation and foliage piled up around the house.  You want to remove any and all clutter as items that are stacked or piled up will attract all kinds of creatures.
2. If you have items that must be stacked outside, like firewood, keep it well away from the house.
3. Sweep out gutters, grates and drain covers. As leaves drop into these areas, it will start to compost which attracts bugs and insects.
4. Search for easy entrance points such as cracks or crevices around doors and windows. This also includes utility openings such as those for water pipes or gas meters.  Bugs and even rodents can fit into relatively small spaces, so be particular and check closely.  For doors or windows, you can use door sweeps or rubber seals.  For water pipes, some type of silicone or caulking usually works well.
5. Check the attic. Make sure nothing like a raccoon or bat has gotten in and taken up residence.  If you have a vent in the attic, you can cover it tightly with fine mesh to discourage larger critters from seeing it as an easy entrance into your home.
6. Check the foundation. If there are cracks or holes, get them sealed quickly.
7. Keep food in airtight containers and off the counters. Bugs not only want to move to a warmer spot, they will also be attracted to any food sources.  It’s also important to keep trash bins covered and secured, compost bins covered and secured and even pet food bins sealed tightly.
8. Search for leaking water. Even a small plumbing leak can attract multiple types of pests.  By getting these fixed as soon as you can, you are doing yourself a huge favor.

If you’re unable to do maintenance on your own or if you find evidence of infestations, you will want to contact a pest control professionals.  These professionals not only help with a current infestation, with the years of experience they have, they can also provide great advice on what maintenance items are most important for you to complete.