How to Keep Insect Pests Out of Your Home

Insect pests often look for somewhere warm to retreat when it’s cold outside and that somewhere could be inside your home.

To keep insects out of your home:

Seal Exterior: Seal any cracks or holes around the outside of your home, such as those found around plumbing pipes, outside spigots, clothes dryer vents, and foundation vents.

Repair Leaks: Fixing any leaks that can provide a source of water for pests.

Trim Shrubs: Keep shrubs and other plants trimmed back away from the siding and foundation.

Remove Debris: Clean leaves and other debris from planting beds near your home, and don’t store wood near or under your house.

Apply Insecticide: Spread a barrier insecticide around the perimeter of your house.

Tools and materials needed to keep pests away:

• Work gloves
• Pruning shears
• Caulking gun
• Exterior grade caulking
• Spray foam insulation
• Weather stripping for doors and windows
• Insecticide

Further Information

• Wood Mulch and Termites (article)
• Formosan Termites: A Growing Threat (article)
• How to Control Silverfish (article)
• Tips for Eliminating Fleas in Your Home (video)
• How to Get Rid of Pantry Moths (article)
• How to Deal with Voles (Field Mice) (article)
• Do Ultrasonic Electronic Pest Repellents Work (article)

VIDEO TRANSCRIPT
Danny Lipford: There’s a number of ways to prevent pests from getting inside your home. One way is to use a barrier insecticide that’s spread all the way around the perimeter of the house, and it stops the insects right at this point.

There’s a number of other things to keep a close eye on. One, I noticed this faucet was leaking a little bit. And what this does is provide moisture that any insect and rodent just loves, so just eliminating that will eliminate a big problem that you may have around the home.

Also, keep a close eye on your landscaping, and keep all of the decomposing leaves and debris out of the beds. And that will take away the habitat that, again, the pests just love. And make sure that the landscaping and plants are trimmed back away from the house, that’s another environment that they really thrive on.

Now, just as you make your home more energy efficient by sealing up the envelope of your home, by doing this will also prevent the pathway that many insects enter your home through, just like this small crack around this plumbing vent. It’s not very large, but it’s large enough for many different types of insects to get inside the wall, and then look all over your house for a source of food.

So by a little bit of attention to detail and a little bit of insecticide, whether you do it yourself or hire a professional, will keep those unwanted guests out of your house.