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Your Nashville yard is full of life. You can see the birds fluttering through the air and perching on branches. You can see squirrels scrambling up trees and chasing after each other. But there are a lot of animals you don't see. When you flip a rock, you can find insects and invertebrates hiding underneath. When you look under your deck, you might find a spider looking back at you from its web. If you dig up soil, you could get some worms. Most of the life in your yard won't present a threat to you or your home, but there are some that can become problematic pests. We're going to take a quick look at a few of them, and offer some helpful tips to prevent outdoor critters from becoming indoor pests.
Nuisance Pests
These are the critters that get in and drive you crazy. We have a lot of these, but here are a few of the pests we see the most:
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Ants
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Earwigs
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Centipedes
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Millipedes
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Asian lady beetles
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Boxelder bugs
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Stink bugs
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Fruit flies
Pests That Damage Belongings
These are the critters that can put holes in the things you own.
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Clothing moths
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Silverfish
Pests That Can Damage Your Home
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Termites
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Carpenter ants
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Powderpost beetles
Pest That Can Harm You
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Mice and rats
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Cockroaches
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Ticks
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Fleas
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Mosquitoes
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Houseflies
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Some spiders species
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Wasps
Pest Prevention
Many of the pests listed above can fit into more than one category, and there are far more pests in our Nashville service area than the few we mentioned. The goal of this quick list was to give you a reference as to what pests can be a problem, and some of the ways they might be a problem. Now, let's take a look at a few specific ways you can manage these pests and the threats they present.
Seal Entry Points — Pests get in because they can. If you take the time and make the effort, you can naturally exclude pests by reducing potential entry points.
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Replace weatherstripping around exterior doors.
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Install or replace door sweeps.
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Seal gaps around door and window frames.
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Use a caulking gun to fill in any holes created by wood-destroying pests.
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Fix screens and broken glass panes.
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Seal gaps around foundation penetrations.
Yard Work — One of the best ways to prevent indoor pest problems is to make your exterior less inviting to pests.
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Remove leaf litter and leaf piles.
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Move woodpiles away from your exterior.
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Pick up any wood that sits on the ground.
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Remove yard clutter.
Reduce Moisture — Water is a building block of life. It is important to not only address standing water, but to reduce damp habitats around and inside your home.
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Clean your gutters and make repairs to your gutter system.
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Remove weeds from your landscaping and trim bushes.
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Remove containers that capture rainwater.
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Fix plumbing leaks.
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Install dehumidifiers in humid spaces within your home.
Sanitation — Many pests are attracted to rotting things both outside and inside your home.
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Keep bagged trash in covered trash receptacles.
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Remove trash before smells develop.
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Clean trash receptacles to remove odors that attract pests.
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If you have a dog, be sure to pick up droppings from your yard.
Added Protection
There is no better way to stop pests from getting into your home than to invest in an effective pest control plan. If you live in Nashville, we'd love to tell you about our Perimeter Plus pest protection. It is a year-round service plan that gives you coverage for over 47 of Nashville's most common household pests. We can also provide management of stinging and biting pests that might live in your yard and accidentally get into your home. Speak with one of our friendly agents today to learn more.