HELPFUL TIPS

Dec 8, 2006 Pest Control Buzz Online Newsletter

FAIRFAX, Va. — The National Pest Management Association has some suggestions to help keep pests out of your (and your customers’) home this winter. "Pests adapt to the changing environment and seek refuge indoors during the colder months," said Cindy Mannes, vice president of public affairs for NPMA. "During the winter rodents such as house mice become one of the most common invaders and can cause serious property damage in and around the home."  The house mice can squeeze through spaces as small as a nickel making it easy to get into homes through cracks and crevices. Once inside the home, pests can cause major problems including tearing insulation, chewing electrical wires, contaminating food and leaving unpleasant odors. NPMA experts offer tips for winter pest proofing: Seal up any cracks and holes on the outside of your home including areas where utilities and pipes enter your home. Screen vents and openings to chimneys. Keep tree branches and shrubbery well trimmed and away from the house. Inspect boxes, grocery bags and other packaging thoroughly to curb hitchhiking insects. Keep basements, attics, and crawl spaces well ventilated and dry. Store garbage in sealed containers and dispose of it regularly. Store fire wood at least 20 feet away from the house and five inches off the ground. Repair fascia and sofits and rotted roof shingles; some insects are drawn to deteriorating wood. Replace weather-stripping and repair loose mortar around basement foundation and windows. Call a qualified pest control professional for additional advice and treatment if necessary.

Things you can do to help keep insects away from your home:

1. Clean leaf accumulations from gutters & down spouts. They can serve as breeding sites & hiding places for a vairety of insects including earwigs, millipedes, springtails and psocids.

2. Don't allow ivy, groundcover, shrubbery or tree branches to grow in direct contact with the foundations, exterior coverings & roofs. This creates the ideal year-round pest harborage & protected bridging points to your home.

3. Replace loose fitting window screens or torn, damaged screens.

4. install new door sweeps & garage door seals as they wear out.

5. Patch cracks & crevises in masonry, mortar joints, exterior utility & vent penetraions.

6. Repair any water leaks promptly no matter how small they seem to be.

ROACH PREVENTION & CONTROL TIPS & FACTS :

1. Check boxes & bags for roaches BEFORE bringing them into the house. Remove old boxes & papers from the home. Get rid of stacks of newspapers & paper bags. NEVER stuff bags between the wall & the refrigerator!

FACT: Roaches are hitch-hikers. Sometimes eggs are already laid in boxes in warehouses that then hatch in your home.

2. Seal off cracks, openings around baseboards, behind kitchen & bathroom counters, around water pipes, doors & windows.

FACT: Roaches spend most of the time hiding. Cracks are their favorite. A young roach can squeeze into a crack the width of a dime, an adult needs the width of a quarter.

3. Keep your home dry. Wipe off counters & clean spills quickly. Don’t leave dishwater or dirty dishes in your sink. Fix any leaking faucets & pipes.

 FACT: Roaches need water to live. They can live up to a month without food, but die within a week without water.

4. Store food in sealed containers. NEVER leave food, crumbs or trash uncovered anywhere in your home. Do not leave uneaten pet food out overnight. Clean up spills & crumbs right away. Don’t leave open bags of candy or food around. Eat at your table instead of walking around the house with food (that includes children snacking!)

FACT: Roaches can find a snack anywhere! They eat crumbs, pet food, dead leaves & trash. If really hungry, they might eat glue or soap. They will do anything they need to to survive.