What do house mice, rats, cockroaches, brown recluse spiders, and raccoons all have in common? When cold weather arrives, these winter pests seek the warm and cozy living space of your home. Some pests hibernate, like mosquitoes, flies and bees. Those are the summer insects. But mice, rodents, raccoons, and spiders seek shelter from the cold by camping out in your home.

Here are some tips that every homeowner can use to help prevent these winter pests from getting into your home:

• Have a chimney? Screen the vents and keep attics and crawlspaces ventilated and dry.
• Eliminate all moisture areas, especially leaky pipes. Pay extra attention to kitchen and bathroom faucet areas. This is a perfect breeding ground for cockroaches.
• Seal and caulk cracks and holes on the outside of your house. Mice can fit through a hole the size of a dime.
• Repair damaged screens, both door and window, and replace weather stripping around the basement walls and windows.
• Vacuum frequently and dispose of garbage regularly. And be sure to store the trash in bins, with animal proof lids.
• Store firewood away from the home. Mice and ants love to make their nests in wood piles and can easily access your home from there.
• Keep trees and shrubs trimmed away from the home, cut tree branches that overhang the roof.
• And don’t forget the food … they love the food you leave out on the kitchen counter, under the bed, on the floor. Keep these areas as clean as possible.
• BEST TIP – GUARANTEED – sign up for the Sigma Pest Control Plan

Your home is YOUR castle … not a Holiday Inn for pests. Take the time to follow these winter pest prevention tips AND call (540) 94-SIGMA if you miss a spot.