Homeowner Pest Prevention Tips

Pest Prevention tips

Did you know that there are many things that YOU, the homeowner, can do to help prevent pests from getting into your home?

Indoor Tips:

  • Keep air conditioning filters clean. Dirty filters can lead to moisture build-up, which is a magnet for pests.
  • Check for plumbing leaks and seal gaps around pipes. Do this everywhere, but especially behind cabinetry. Water shouldn’t be allowed to accumulate anywhere in or around your home.
  • Check grout around bathtubs and toilets. A good caulk seal assures that even the smallest insects can’t enter.
  • Clear your attic of clutter. Clearing out clutter and sealing cardboard boxes prevents insects from nesting inside.
  • Store food in tightly sealed containers or in the refrigerator. This cuts off potential food sources for pests.
  • Don’t leave pet food or water out overnight. This eliminates a possible food source during a time period when pest activity increases.

Outdoor Tips:

  • Outside doors must be well sealed. If light can be seen from around or under a door, then insects can gain access inside your home.
  • Repair torn screens. Screens are a prime entry point for pests.
  • Seal around soffits and gable vents. This keeps rodents and insects from getting inside the roof or attic space.
  • Seal around conduits and piping where it enters the structure. Many insects and rodents follow power lines or climb conduits and pipes to get inside your home.
  • Check gutter drains to ensure water is kept away from your home. This helps discourage moisture build-up adjacent to your home.
  • Remove excess leaves from the roof and rain gutters. This keeps ants and other insects from breeding under the build-up.
  • Caulk all cracks and crevices. Check and seal under window frames and around pipes entering the side of the home to keep insects from entering.
  • Keep trash cans clean and lids sealed. This keeps ants, roaches, and flies from feeding and breeding in the trash.
  • Keep the garage door closed and make sure the weather stripping is in good condition.
  • Prune excess vegetation touching the home. Pay special attention to eaves and the roof.
  • Remove wood debris and keep woodpiles away from your home’s foundation. This helps prevent rodent nesting or insect colonization next to your home.
  • Ensure your irrigation system is functioning properly. Make sure water doesn’t accumulate near the foundation or sprays onto your home.
  • Guide air conditioner drip line away from the foundation. Extend the piping at least 2 feet.

Where do all the bugs go when it is cold out

Bug behavior during the winter

Someone asked me the other day what our company does in the winter when all of the insects die in the cold. Huh? No, silly! The insects don’t all die in the winter! Basically, they migrate, overwinter, or hibernate. Really, they are not much different than people. Take a playground, for instance. You don’t see any families there right now. But, that doesn’t mean that they all died. Lol. They’re home playing video games and drinking cocoa. But, come spring, that playground will be crawling with kids expending all of that pent-up winter energy. Bugs will do the same this spring. Until then, they often choose to hibernate and overwinter in, under and around people’s homes. That’s where we come in. 🙂 Here’s a great article I found on insect behavior in the winter from the Smithsonian Institution.

Where Do Insects Go in the Winter?

The Ant Institute

The Ant Institute in Central TN

Ants are one of the peskiest pest problems. To learn more about ants and how to protect and safeguard your home or business against them, visit the very informative website for The Ant Institute. Ants are one of the peskiest pest problems. To learn more about ants and how to protect and safeguard your home or business against them, visit the very informative website for The Ant Institute.

To learn more about termites, visit The Termite Institute.

For bed bugs, visit The Bed Bug Institute.

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The Bug Man Employee Training

The Bug Man in Central TN

Each year The Bug Man employees attend ongoing training to ensure that we can provide the safest, most effective pest protection for your home or business.

All of our technicians attended a five-hour class at the Department of Agriculture training facility in Nashville on January 26, 2010. The training class topics covered were:

1. Bed bug identification, inspection, treatment methods, customer education, and proper tools and safety equipment needed for effective control.

2. Commercial kitchen sanitation products, inspection methods, research, and treatment.

On February 2-4, 2010, Vicky and Dan Cassidy traveled to Memphis, TN to attend the NPMA Southern Conference. We attended 14 training classes over the 3 day event. A few of the topics covered were:

  • Ants – research on new products compared to existing products
  • WDI – termite inspection reports, providing proper inspections, evaluations, and recommendations
  • Bed Bug identification, control, and education. (As you can see, bed bugs have returned with a vengeance.)
  • Termite control, new research, new products.
  • Safety equipment and proper use
  • Roaches and new product research

The Bug Man is committed to provide the highest level of service and safety for our employees and our customers.