Every home is susceptible to pests of all shapes and sizes, year round. Whether you have to deal with creepy, crawly insects, potentially dangerous rodents, or even something potentially more dangerous such as bees and wasps, it is possible that all of these pests will find their way into your home.

Of course, a good pest control service will be able to help you out in the most dire of situations, but there are many preventative measures that you can take in order to avoid having to deal with all of these creatures.

1. Secure Your Home

There are many different ways that your home can be infiltrated by the smallest of pests. Among those are the various openings that are found around your home. Openings such as any place where wiring or piping comes into your home, or places like gas meters, outdoor facets, or dryer vents. All of these can potentially allow pests such as spiders or mice into your life, but there are ways to seal these places up nice and tight. Caulk, cement, expandable foam, or even copper mesh can do a wonderful job in sealing up any openings such as these.

2. Consider Your Windows and Doors

If there are any small cracks or entrances into your home, the common pest will use it to get in. This includes both windows and doors, both of which may be the perfect point of entry for unwanted guests. This can be solved with the use of weather stripping, or with acrylic latex and silicone caulk as an alternative, to seal cracks or gaps in doors and windows. Before attempting this, however, you should ensure that the sealing areas are well cleaned and devoid of any caulk that has been used to seal it up in the past. This will ensure that the new caulk adheres well.

3. Screens are a Weakness

While screens are a wonderful way to get a pleasant breeze in your home, or to allow some fresh air in, they are quite fragile. Any tears or rips in a door or window screen will allow many types of pests into your home. Namely flies, ants, and spiders, among many other insects. A thorough checking of all the screens in your home is recommended, and any defects should be either repaired or replaced completely in order to avoid an infestation.

4. Cap that Chimney

If you have a chimney installed in your home, you may or may not be aware that you essentially have a very large hole in your roof. Naturally, a chimney is the perfect place for bats to settle or birds to explore, leading them directly into your home if not protected. Provided with how cold and harsh a winter can be, who can blame a variety of critters for seeking shelter in your warm, welcoming chimney? Installing a fine wire mesh into your chimney will help you avoid any unwelcome guests on a cold night, allowing you to enjoy your fireplace in peace.

5. Consider Pest Nests

It might not be a bad idea to take a walk around your home and ask yourself what it is that draws any pests to your home. It could be something that you’ve never thought about. Such as a neat little stack of fire wood leaning against your home, or even that small area of shrubbery that compliments your home so well. Both of these draw insects to your home, and with such a close proximity, it is only a matter of time until they show up at your doorstep. Moving any little nests like this a bit further from your home can take away a large possibility of suffering an infestation.