When the weather turns, many pests may sneak their way into your home in the fall. Like us, insects try to escape cooler weather. Some bugs migrate to warmer climates, some spend the fall and winter months under garden debris, and others will find their way into your home.  

Outdoor Insect Prevention

The first line of defense for keeping pests out of your home is to keep them from coming in. Begin by inspecting the outdoor perimeter of your home. Seal any entry points where pests can enter your home.

• Check for general signs of insect activity.
• Review corners around garage doors, especially if your garage is attached to your home.
• Inspect all weather stripping around windows and doors. Replace if necessary.
• Repair or replace any missing or broken windows and screens. Fill any gaps around window sills.
• Look up and look down: Check the eves of the house in the corners and under decks and where the deck meets the house; seal these areas.
• Review your home’s foundation for cracks or openings. Seal any found
• Remove vegetation growing within two feet of your home foundation. Remove any dead leaves or debris.
• Check and seal any other voids where pests can enter.
• Look for other entry points, especially where dissimilar building materials meet, such as where brick and wood siding meet.

Indoor Insect Prevention

Once inside your home, bugs and insects can: Get into your food, spread disease, cause structural damage, and even bite or sting humans and pets.

Some of the most common pests to have inside your home are ants, cockroaches and spiders. While not always harmless, they can be a nuisance and sometimes congregate in mass. 

Ants

Ants in your home during winter can cause problems. They can infest walls, attic, basement or your pantry. Some species can also tunnel through softer materials like silicone and sealants used to seal small gaps around sinks, windows, and baseboards. They feed on pretty much anything, but especially sweets.  They commonly nest in wall voids near pipes or heaters.       

Spiders

Spiders can find their way into your home during any time of year, but they are most prevalent during winter when most of their food supply moves inside. They do not move into your home to escape the cold, but rather to find food because flying insects are scarce. You will have an increased chance of spiders in your home if you have a fruit fly or some other insect infestation. Most are harmless with the exception of the black widow and brown recluse spiders. Wolf spiders can bite if threatened.

Tips for spider prevention:

• Store clothes and shoes inside tightly closed containers
• Shake all clothing stored in a hamper, on the floor, or in storage before wearing. 
• Check items that are not used often, such as boots, gloves, and sports equipment with caution. 
• If you have a kitchen compost bin, keep it tightly closed and empty it often. This is an ideal environment for fungus gnats and fruit flies. Spray inside the bin to control and repel these pests.
• Keep a clean and tidy house. Remove items you don’t need or want anymore. This will eliminate hiding places for pests. Store these items in closed bins and off the ground. 
• Keep up with kitchen chores. Wipe up spills and crumbs to keep pests away and empty trash before any decomposition
• Clean out pet food and water bowls after meals and store them in pest-free areas. 
• If you have fireplace, close the flue when not in use. Keep firewood at least twenty feet from your home and six inches off the ground to deter spiders from hiding in the wood. 

Related: The Gnats We Can’t Escape! Fungus Gnats in Houseplants

Cockroaches

Urban legend says cockroaches are more adept at surviving nuclear radiation than humans. Cockroaches reproduce incredibly fast and it only takes one female and one male to cause an infestation. They have also evolved to resist certain pesticides.  Because they are difficult to control once they have established themselves in your house, preventative measures are the best method of control. To avoid a roach infestation:

• Wipe down counters, seal all garbage receptacles, and clean after every meal. This includes sinks, stovetops, and any other food prep areas. Keep food safe by storing food in sealed containers.
• Inspect any cardboard boxes, packages or any other item before bringing them inside. 
• Repair leaky faucets and dripping pipes as they are a major attractant to cockroaches. Also check bathtubs, sinks and washing areas for leaks. 
• Keep pet water dishes empty overnight. 
• Keep bathroom items such as toothbrushes sealed and dry.

Use Earth’s Ally Bug Barrier

Earth’s Ally Bug Barrier is an insecticide and repellent for use inside the home. The encapsulated essential oils kill ants, roaches and spiders on contact and repel cockroaches for up to 90 days.

For the best protection, apply Bug Barrier in locations where bugs enter the home, as well as places where they frequently congregate once inside. These include doorways and window frames, near plumbing and under sinks, along baseboards, in basements and around appliances.

Non-staining on most surfaces, Bug Barrier should be applied to hard, non-porous surfaces. Before applying, test on a small, inconspicuous spot. It should not be applied to carpets, fabric, or plants.

Reapply once per season or every 90 days.

Related: Expert Tips for Using Earth’s Ally Bug Barrier

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