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Despite the warm days, it's still winter. And with the chilly nights, you and your family aren't the
only ones who want to cozy up in a warm house. Unwelcome guests such as raccoons, rats, spiders,
ants, and bees are looking for a source of food and warmth. Here's some information that may help
you discourage pests from making your home their home too:
Pests are attracted to places with food and shelter. Just about anything can be shelter, from the
shrubs in the yard to your attic insulation. Pests are non-discriminatory, and can be found in the
most meticulous properties. But you don't have to live in a stone fortress. The other part of the
equation is food, and without it most pests will usually move on.
One of the easiest sources of food for pests is pet food left outdoors. Additionally pests will feast on
birdseed, fishpond food, nuts, berries, fruit, garden crops, animal feces and kitchen scraps in compost
piles. Avoid overfeeding the wild birds and don't pile food on the ground or on stumps. Invest in a
pole type feeder with a squirrel deterrent, which will also hinder rodents. If you have fruit trees
or gardens, remove the old food instead of letting it rot back into the ground. Don't put kitchen
scraps in the compost pile, pick up after pets, and keep recycling and garbage cans clean and
tightly closed.
You should also know that rodents are very flexible and can fit through a hole no bigger than
their head. Keep those garage doors closed and secure pet doors at night. Pests can smell
food through pet food bags and can chew through plastic containers. Keep pet food in sealed metal
containers such as a small trashcan or large popcorn tin.
Rodents aren't the only pests that like human and pet food. Even the tiniest spaces fit small pests
like bees, ants, and flies. Check for gaps in screens, weather strips and vents, such as the dryer
vent or the grates at your foundation and in your eaves. Consider packing openings with steel
wool, which is hard and scratchy to rodents and birds, and inserting a cotton ball with an insect
repelling scent. Check eaves, gutters and bare trees for wasp nests. And don't forget mosquitoes.
Not all of them die in cold weather and places where rainwater collects such as plant saucers,
birdbaths, and clogged gutters can become a breeding ground for them.
Contrary to popular belief, having scores of spiders does not mean you will have few bugs. If spiders
ate all of the bugs, they would starve, and certainly not multiply - so having many spiders
means you have many bugs. Try hosing down the bushes occasionally to blast some of the bugs
out. A mild soapy solution can also help, just as you might use on household plants.
Seek information on "home remedies" such as citrus oil, peppermint oil, citronella, some
bath oils, mosquito "dunks", Gambuzio fish, praying mantis, frogs, and Borax.
Remember, feeding animals outside and leaving other sources of food available can attract strays,
raccoons, rats, mice, opossums, nutria, ants and wasps. Strays may bring fleas, ticks, worms and
diseases like Parvovirus and Feline Leukemia. Raccoons are not cute pets, they are wild animals,
and as well as carrying pests and disease, they have been known to attack and kill household
pets. Wasp stings can be fatal to many people and pets with allergies. Wasps, termites,
certain ants, and rodents will happily destroy your home while making a cozy den of their
own. Raccoons, mice and rats can also carry Rabies and Lyme Disease, and Hantavirus,
among others. And most of us have heard about the West Nile Virus by now. Don't increase
your chances by harboring mosquitoes on your property.
Code Enforcement does not provide pest control or enforcement on most pest issues. Be a good
neighbor and do your part so everyone can enjoy the benefits of pests moving elsewhere.
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