Nashville Homeowners' Pest-Prevention Checklist

Yard Pest Control

Before pests get into your home, they come into your yard. There are many reasons a pest might select your property. Some attractants are unique to a single pest. Some attractants lure many types of pests in Nashville. What is most interesting is that some pests become an attractant for other pests.

Use these tips to manage all of them:

• Keep your grass trimmed.

• Keep your trash in covered receptacles.

• Clean trash receptacles if they begin to smell.

• Reduce exterior light where it is not a security concern, or replace white lights with yellow, insect-resistant bulbs.

• Address conditions that create standing water and remove containers that capture rainwater.

• Remove any objects that don't need to be in your yard.

Perimeter Pest Control

When bugs and animals come into your yard, their next stop will be your landscaping. While you can't keep them out of your landscaping, there are some things you can do to make the habitat around your home less than ideal for pests:

• Rake leaves, sticks, and other organic debris away from your exterior.

• Remove spider webs and properly dispose of them.

• Move bird feeders to at least 20 feet from your exterior.

• Have your gutters cleaned.

• Repair broken gutters, splash blocks, and downspouts.

• Trim bushes and shrubs away from your exterior.

• Remove unnecessary vegetation.

• Water your plants in the early morning.

Entry Points

When bugs and animals come near to your home, you don't want them to find entry points or pathways to get into your home. Use these helpful tips to keep pests from finding a way inside your home:

• Seal gaps around pipes and wire conduits.

• Seal cracks in your foundation walls.

• Fix chipped mortar.

• Install weep hole protectors.

• Apply a seal around window or door frames.

• Fix gaps in the weatherstripping around exterior doors.

• Replace damaged door sweeps.

• Fix or replace damaged window and door screens.

Interior Pest Control

When bugs or animals get into your home, you don't want them to find an ideal environment. There are three reasons pests stay in your home: Food, water, and harborage. You have some control over two of them. Can you guess which two? If a pest wants to stay in your home because it provides a safe place to live, there isn't much you can do about that. But you have control over whether or not you put food and water out for them.
 

• Reduce moisture in your basement by installing dehumidifiers.

• Repair leaky faucets or pipes.

• Use your bathroom fan when you take a shower or soak in the tub.

• Put pet food and water down only during meal times.

• Keep floors and carpets clean.

• Take out the trash often, and keep all trash cans sealed with tight-fitting lids.

• Keep your interior trash in receptacles that are clean and covered.

• Clean spills up quickly.

• Consider putting your pantry foods in sealed glass or plastic containers.

• Place dirty dishes in soapy water rather than next to the sink in a stack.

• Put fruit in the refrigerator.

• Remove spider webs.

Trash Can Management

Trash cans both inside and outside the home are often a hot spot for pest activity due to the buildup of leftover food that can accumulate inside them as well as the paper and trash material that can be used for nesting material. Improper waste disposal is a huge factor leading to infestations from ants, flies, rodents, and numerous other pests, so here are some quick tips to keep you from inadvertently attracting pests through your trash:

• Take out the trash frequently.

• Ensure all interior and exterior trash cans have tight-fitting lids.

• Keep lids closed on trash cans whenever not in use.

• Place exterior trash cans at least 20 feet away from the exterior of the house.

• Stay on top of trash days; do not let too much trash accumulate outside your home.

Get Some Help

The best way to get control of pests around your home and to keep pests from entering your home is to invest in a residential pest control program. This is where we can help. We offer Perimeter Plus Pest Control to help Nashville residents get control of over 47 different pests! This program gives you essential pest control maintenance, like spider web removal, exterior preventative applications, outdoor misting treatments, and indoor treatments upon request.

If termites are a concern for you, we meet this threat by providing the highest level of termite protection with a $1,000,000 termite damage repair warranty for qualifying homes.

If fleas, ticks, chiggers, fire ants or mosquitoes are a concern, we have you covered. Our Stinging & Biting Insect Yard Treatments or All-For-One Complete Care can get the job done.

Reach out to us today to learn more about the Nashville pest control services we offer, or to schedule a meet with one of our friendly and informative service team members. We're here to help.

View Our Home Pest Control Services Offerings