Welcome back, Winter Visitors! As you know, your vacant homes have been locked up and unattended through intense heat from the summer and humidity from the monsoon. You may find that many pests have taken advantage of your absence and have become squatters in your home. Further, thanks to the monsoon moisture over the summer, we expect a high amount of termite activity this season. Here is a Winter Visitor Pest Control Checklist to make sure you have everything covered as you get settled back into your winter home.

Winter Visitor Pest Control Checklist

1. Have your home inspected for termites. They are a persistent problem here in the Sonoran Desert. So if you haven’t had any problems with them yet in your home it is really only a matter of time. The sooner you find them, the more likely you’ll be able to stop them before they do a lot of costly damage. We recommend at least one inspection per year, and we can provide it for you free of charge!

2. Have your home serviced regularly, inside and outside, by a qualified, certified pest control technician. (Like the ones we have on staff! 😉 )

3. Have crawl spaces under mobile homes serviced for pests, and inspected for termites.

4. Keep debris, boxes, and other items you might store on your property away from the outside wall’s of your home. These items are attractive to pests of all kinds, from insects to rodents and snakes, for shelter and even food.

5. Use care in how you use your exterior lighting. Lights left on around the exterior of the house will attract pests and their predators (i.e., more pests). Be especially careful with lights near windows and doorways, as pests that gather near them can easily come inside once they’re opened for any length of time.

6. Similarly, avoid leaving pet food on the back patio or outdoors. Pests of all kinds are grateful for the free meal, and will bring their buddies and offspring along for the next one as well.

(And when you get ready to leave for the summer, check out this short article for tips on preparing your home before you leave.)

We hope these tips get you off to a good winter start! Be sure to check out our previous post as well for more tips. And as always, don’t hesitate to call or email us with questions, for a free inspection, or for a professional pest control service visit!