SEASONAL TIPS

Spring

As spring arrives, give your yard a spring cleaning too. Whenever possible, keep trees or plants three feet away from structures. Plants up against the house can help create pathways for ants and rodents into your home. Over watering your yard and garden can force the ants inside. Please be sure to set your sprinklers only for the amount of time necessary to keep your already beautiful gardens healthy while avoiding over-watering. Changing your outdoor lighting to yellow bulbs can help deter spiders from making webs around exterior light fixtures. Compost bins should be placed away from structures. If your pets aren't on flea control, now is a good time to talk with your vet.

Summer

Keeping weeds mowed and ground cover cut back can help minimize a number of summertime problems, such as harborage for fleas, rodents and other pests. As fruits and vegetables begin to ripen and drop, remove and properly dispose of rotting or fermented fruits and vegetables. When leaving for summer vacation, remember that it doesn't take more than a grain of sugar inside to attract scout ants. Therefore, it is extremely important to make sure all sweets such as jams and honey are in the fridge, and that pantry items are tightly sealed and stored.

Autumn

As the days get shorter, it's a good idea to walk around your house and inspect your attic and subarea vents to make sure you do not have any missing or damaged vents. Also look to see if tree branches are touching the roof or structure. Trimming trees away from roof lines and gutters will minimize animal and rodent access to your roof and attic. Any old, decaying wood piles left over from summer projects should be cleaned up.

Winter

As the rains come, most household pests are looking for someplace warm and dry. Check to make sure that your door sweeps are tightly sealed. If you're feeding birds through the winter months, keep feeders away from structures. Prior to heavy rains, caulking and sealing gaps around windows, window sills, doorways, and plumbing pipes can reduce pest access points.