Pestproofing Before Your Holiday Trip

Pestproofing Before Your Holiday Trip

Getting away for the holidays is great! Getting ready to get away for the holidays is… not great. It’s hard not to stress out about leaving your home for any extended period of time. Worrying about gross bugs and rats getting in while you’re gone can’t help, either. Unfortunately, pests aren’t about to give you a break just because you’re busy.

A lot of pest infestations occur right before or during the holidays. Pests are kind of like Home Alone’s “wet bandits”; they’re just waiting for the right opportunity. Don’t give them that opportunity. Here are Griffin’s four best tips for winter pestproofing. Follow these instructions before you go on your trip, and even the most clever bug bandit won’t be able to get its grinch during the holidays.

Find Drafts

Find and seal drafts to prevent pest infestationDrafts happen when a gap in the wall of a home allows cold air to seep in. That cold air replaces warm air in the home by sucking it out the same gap where it got in. Pests feel this hot air from outside and follow it, hoping to find a place to keep warm. Mice are particularly good at finding and following drafts. Just about any gap wide enough to create a draft could be wide enough to let mice in.

Most drafts happen around doors and windows, or in basements and attics. Inside the home, drafts feel like cold areas in otherwise warm rooms. If the problem is bad enough, you may even be able to hear the “whoosh” of air escaping. Drafts may also cause visible or measurable humidity problems. Seal the gaps that create drafts with caulk and/or insulation material where applicable.  

Fix Leaks

Fix plumbing leaks to prevent pest infestationsAll living creatures need water to live, even overwintering pests. Moisture and humidity attracts pests almost as much as the promise of warmth. Little insects don’t require much water to get by, so even a small plumbing leak works just fine. Pests find the moisture they need by sensing air humidity or smelling loose moisture. Even small plumbing leaks can drive up a home’s humidity enough to attract pests.

Don’t assume you don’t have any plumbing leaks. Dripping faucets, hairline fractures, and other minor problems are hard to notice, but pests will find them. Even “invisible leaks” can attract pests if they’re leaking water into the walls or ceiling. You can use your water meter’s “leak indicator” to figure out if your home has a leak. This indicator moves to tell you when water is flowing through your pipes. If it’s moving when your home’s water is turned off, you probably have a leak.

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Store Food

Store food in sealed boxes to prevent pest infestationsFood attracts pests just as reliably in winter as it does the rest of the year. Cereals, bread, and other grains are particularly attractive to pests. Some pests, like rodents or boxelders, are content to simply munch on food through winter. Others, like pantry moths, might infest your food and even lay eggs in it. You don’t want to come home to a pantry moth infestation.

Start by disposing of any food that’ll go bad while you’re away. Put food you’re throwing away in airtight plastic bags, and take it to your outdoor dumpster directly. Have a neighbor put out your garbage, so leftover food doesn’t sit around in your dumpster for weeks. Store any food you’re keeping in your house in airtight, hard plastic containers. Finally, clean up the kitchen and dining room right before you leave, so you don’t leave crumbs behind.

Seal Entryways

Seal entryways to prevent pest infestationsWe started talking about this during the draft section, but it bears repeating. Entryways like doors and windows are the number one way pests get into homes. Tiny gaps naturally develop near doors and windows in several ways. The elements wear away at thresholds and weatherstripping. Continual use may warp or damage joints, housing, or moving parts. Some pests even work away at sealing surrounding thresholds themselves.

Weatherstripping on doors and windows is sturdy, but it also wears away quickly. You should consider re-stripping each door and window in your home seasonally. While you’re at it, make sure doors and windows sit properly in their frames. If you can see light peeking through corners, you should reinstall the fixture. Seal any gaps you find in thresholds with caulk. If your older windows look worn down or don’t fit their frames properly, consider having them replaced.

 

Even if you’re busier than ever during the holidays, taking time to pestproof your home before a trip is worth it. Following these four steps doesn’t take long at all, and they’ll buy you some much-needed peace of mind while you’re away.

Speaking of peace of mind, remember: even if you end up with a pest infestation this winter, don’t panic. Just call Griffin Pest Control and we’ll take care of it quickly, effectively, and permanently. You’ve got enough to worry about this time of year, so let us sweat the small stuff. Happy Holidays!

What Are Those Bugs in Your Basement?

Bugs in your basement

Bugs LOVE a basement. They’re dark, quiet, warm, and usually pretty humid to boot. If you have a bug infestation in your home, chances are they’re hanging out downstairs. Basements are a little spooky even under better circumstances, so we’re guessing you’re not terribly pleased to hear this.

There’s more bad news. Some bugs like basements more than others. The ones that really like basements are some of the freakiest-looking bugs around. Before you burn your house down, however, consider: these bugs are mostly terrifying because you don’t understand them. They aren’t the most dangerous pests in Michigan, or the scariest, or even the most stubborn. They’re just the freakiest ones that are here. This is everything you need to know about the monsters in your basement. The more you know, the less afraid you’ll be (we hope).

Earwigs

earwigWe’ll grant you: earwigs look like they crawled directly out of a nightmare. They’re about two inches long, with dark brown, reddish bodies, creepy light orange extremities… and GIANT PINCERS ON THEIR BACKSIDES. Earwigs are actually harmless to humans (and definitely don’t crawl into people’s ears) but… yeah, we get why you’d want to give them a wide berth. These insects love basements because they’re attracted to darkness and humidity. They feed on decaying plant material and sometimes hunt other insects.

Earwigs can’t fly or climb very well, so if they entered your home, they did it from the ground level. They usually find cracks near window wells and frames, or cracks in the foundation of the home. Earwigs often end up behind wallpaper or crammed into basement insulation after they sneak through low gaps. If you have earwigs in your home, it’s probably because your basement has a humidity problem. Consider investing in a dehumidifier and look for leaks.  

Silverfish

silverfishSilverfish are those tiny, silver-grey insects that really look more like shrimp than fish or bugs. Their long, thin bodies wiggle back and forth when they crawl, making it look like they’re swimming. “Silver” because of the color. “Fish” because of what they look like. Like earwigs, silverfish love moisture. They’re also attracted to warm and dark places where they can move around without being bothered. Silverfish are nocturnal, so chances are you’ll only see them at night.

Silverfish eat the starch naturally found in materials like paper, cotton, glue, carpeting, and other common household materials. They may also destroy clothing. Silverfish make use of their tiny size and thinness to get into homes. Usually, they sneak through narrow gaps in baseboards or flooring. They may even live inside walls if they can find a wide enough pathway. Humidity control is important for controlling silverfish, as is temperature control. Silverfish need temperatures of over 60℉ to breed.

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Pillbugs

pillbugPillbugs are very small, black bugs that are about as wide as they are long. Their backs are made up of seven overlapping, segmented plates that look hard and shiny, like a beetle’s shell. Pillbugs roll into a ball to protect themselves when threatened. These “bugs” (they’re actually related to crabs!) are a common sight in gardens. They consume decaying vegetable matter beneath the top layer of soil. Most pillbugs live bury themselves several inches under soil, because they’re very temperature sensitive.

Pillbugs can’t climb sheer surfaces, so they only enter basements via the ground level of the home. Usually, they’ll find gaps under the soil, around baseboards, foundations, or siding. Once inside, pillbugs generally cover themselves by hiding under furniture, boxes, or other clutter. Pillbugs can only survive in a basement if they have a source of moisture. Check for plumbing leaks, condensation, or puddling, especially around corners and the bottom of the wall.

House Centipedes

house centipedeIf basement pests are monsters, then you probably think of this guy as the “big bad”. House centipedes are inch long, tan-yellow bugs with very long longs. Those legs enable the bug to move very quickly, often in a rapid, darting motion. House centipedes are nocturnal predators that use their speed and venom-injecting claws to hunt other insects. These centipedes are capable of using these claws to “sting” humans too. The venom injected isn’t serious, but it hurts like a bee sting would.

House centipedes commonly follow their prey into homes through gaps near windows or cracks in the flooring or siding. Once they’re inside, they spend their days hiding and their nights hunting. Like most of the pests on this list, house centipedes love moist environments. Check for leaks and puddles in your basement, and consider a dehumidifier. Patching gaps may help with the humidity problem and deprive bugs of their access points at the same time.

 

We hope this blog helps you feel less afraid of venturing into the dark abyss that is your basement at night. Even if it doesn’t, however, at least now you can take action? Remember: your basement is your turf, not those bug’s. Even if house centipedes are just about the scariest things ever.

If you ever decide you need a little help with your basement monster slaying, feel free to call Griffin Pest Control anytime. We’re always happy to lend you our sword.