6 Late Summer Pest Prevention Tips for New Jersey Homeowners

As unpleasant and time consuming as those items on the ‘Honey Do List’ can be they play an important role in keeping our house in tip-top shape.  We all know how important home maintenance is to the integrity and value of our home. And some home projects protect the health of those that live inside the home and help us avoid costly repairs down the road. But, did you know that certain home maintenance items around the home will help to keep the pest populations to a minimum?

As the old saying goes, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of the cure. And it certainly is true when it comes to preventing pest infestations in and around your home. Take a look at the following seasonal home maintenance list that can help control pest populations around your home for the remainder of the summer:

1. Don’t just clean your gutters (or pay someone to do it) actually inspect them.  Clogged gutters are a prime breeding place for many pests including those pesky mosquitoes that stop you from enjoying your backyard in the early evening hours.  We recommend you not only clean your gutters but use a ladder and actually get up close and inspect them.  This is particularly important if you have trees around your home or notice water pouring over the edges of your gutters during rain storms.  Often times homeowners have gutter guards installed and assume this will solve the problem of debris build-up.  But if the gutter guards are the wrong type for the types of trees on your property or if over time debris has built up underneath them it could prevent them from working properly.  So, get out that ladder and take a close look at what is going on with your gutters.  Inspect whether they are actually cleaned out beneath the guards or if you or the company you are hiring are simply blowing debris off of the top.
2. Keep your lawn and garden neat and your lawn well-fertilized and trimmed.  Thick, healthy, and regularly mowed lawns are not as attractive to pests like ticks and Cicada killers.  Nuisance wildlife like skunks, ground hogs, and birds in search of a meal like grubs and other pests will be less likely to invade your lawn if it is healthy than your neighbors if it is poorly fertilized and infested with grubs and other pests. 
3. Dry out that damp, musty basement or crawlspace.  Pests like camel crickets, spiders, and even termites love the high humidity found in a basement and dirt crawlspace.  High-powered, whole-house dehumidifiers, unavailable in box stores, will dry out your basement, improve the air quality throughout your home, stop mold and mildew growth and discourage pest activity.  
4. Inspect and exclude pests on the outside.  Late summer is a great time to work on patching up any holes or entryways that rodents and pests will use as a gateway into your home.  Look closely at your window and door screens, areas around pipes, windows, doors, attic and stove vents that pests may use to gain access to your home.  A mouse can squeeze its body through an opening the size of a nickel!  Seal those gaps with caulk use screen replacements and copper mesh to keep rodents and other pests on the outside looking in.
5. Trim trees, shrubs, and other vegetation around the perimeter of your home.  Thick vegetation, overgrown shrubs and tree limbs that extend to the house are all ways in which pests and nuisance wildlife can access your home.  Regularly maintaining the trees, brush, and plantings around your home will cut down on pest populations around the perimeter of your home that will be looking for a place to overwinter shortly when the weather turns colder. 
6. Prevent late fall and winter stink bug invasions by acting now!  If stink bugs were falling from your ceilings last winter act now to prevent this nuisance pest from reinvading in the fall.  Revisit our stink bug blog to learn why early planning can help ensure a stink bug free fall and winter. 

While you are enjoying the summer months remember to take some time to maintain your home.  Your partner will thank you and the pests will look elsewhere for a place to overwinter!