How to Keep Animals and Insect Pests Out of Your House

Make your home bug and animal free by plugging gaps and holes, eliminating clutter and stopping moisture problems.

by Lucie B. Amundsen

From The Family Handyman

Change Text Size

Change Text Size
|
Bookmark

Bookmark

Del.icio.us
Digg
Reddit
Facebook
StumbleUpon
TwitThis
|
Print
|
E-Mail

About This Project

If mice, ants, spiders or other pests are getting into your home and claiming squatters’ rights, it’s time to evict them. Like any other guest, pests will only visit if you let them in. Once inside, they’ll only stay if you make them comfortable. This article details three pest-fighting strategies. First we’ll show you how to close the entryways that let critters in. Then we’ll help you eliminate the moisture that sustains them and the clutter that provides a cozy habitat.

Although your walls may appear solid, many walls are full of tiny pest passageways. Small insects can sneak through the tiniest cracks, so you may not be able to make your home absolutely bug-proof. But you can seal most gaps, especially the larger ones that let in mice and larger insects.

First line of defense: Eliminate pest entrancesFind the passages that let pests in
Put on some old clothes, as you’ll have to get on the ground, slink behind bushes and even crawl under your deck to examine your home’s exterior. Take a flashlight and a mirror along. If mice are your main concern, also bring a pencil. If you can slide the pencil into a crack, it’s large enough for a young mouse to squeeze through. Take your time and examine every square foot of your home. Here are the key areas to inspect:

Wall penetrations: Search for gaps around anything that passes through your walls such as gas, plumbing and AC lines, phone and TV cables and exhaust vents.

Siding: Gaps and holes in siding and around trim are usually obvious. But also look under the siding where it meets the foundation. Rot, foundation shifting and sloppy building practices can leave openings there.

Doors and windows: Look for torn screens and wornout weatherstripping that might provide an entryway for bugs. If mice are a problem, make sure the rubber gasket under your garage door seals tightly to the floor (replace the gasket if it doesn’t seal).

Foundation: Look for foundation settling cracks in masonry and make sure basement windows close and seal tightly. If there’s a crawlspace under your house, all the floors above the space are potential entry zones. If the crawlspace is accessible, put on safety glasses, crawl inside and inspect it with a flashlight.

Foliage or wood piles: Anything touching your house can provide a freeway for bugs. Tree branches, for example, can spell trouble even high above ground level. Ants that feed on aphids in trees use branches as a bridge to your house. The solution is to trim back branches.

Dryer vents and exhaust fans: Be sure that dampers open and close freely. Trouble starts when a sticking damper stays open and leaves a welcoming entrance for all sorts of critters, including birds and squirrels.

Soffits and roof: Look for holes and gaps in soffits and fascia, especially where they run into adjoining rooflines (these are favorite entries for squirrels, bats and wasps).

Roof vents: A missing or chewed-through screen on roof vents lets squirrels or bats into your attic.

Chimney caps: Add chimney caps if you don’t already have them. They prevent birds and rodents from making the firebox of your fireplace their summer home.

Gutters: Debris-filled gutters are a favorite nesting spot for corn ants.

TIP: Sometimes you can locate passageways from indoors. On a sunny day, light peeking into a dark basement, garage or attic reveals gaps and cracks. A heavy concentration of cobwebs indoors can also indicate an entry point.