Why Pest Proofing A Structure is Important

By pest expert Matthew Hess – 06/20/2024

If you have pests in your home or business, you may wonder how they get in. Of course, there are a plethora of ways for a pest to enter a structure, but the most common is through gaps and cracks. Here at Four Seasons Pest Solutions, we understand the importance of pest-proofing a structure and the better quality of life it can offer. No matter what kind of structure you own, what kind of gaps and cracks exist, and where the gaps and cracks are, we have a solution to button up your home or business, making it nearly impenetrable to pests.

What Is Pest Proofing?

The simple answer is limiting pest access into a structure. However, this can become as complicated as removing portions of a concrete slab to repair broken pipes (allowing phorid flies to reproduce and infest a building). There’s no shortage of ways to pest-proof a structure and these can range from simply sealing small gaps and cracks in a foundation to replacing walls, roofing, windows, doors, and other, more serious repairs. If a pest can access the structure in any way, that mode of entry must be stopped to successfully complete a pest-proofing job.

Besides limiting pests’ entry into a structure, pest-proofing can also include limiting or preventing interior pest movement and/or reducing the areas where pests can harbor, access food, or access water. Such measures aid in providing long-term control solutions that reduce the need for pesticide use. These measures can be reactive, (stopping a current pest problem), or proactive, (preventing a potential pest problem). Pest-proofing is considered the ultimate form of Integrated Pest Management.

Simple, Inexpensive Pest-Proofing Measures

Sealing cracks and crevices is the easiest most common form of pest-proofing. Using approved sealant designed for the specific application is key. Water-based caulking used outdoors are not going to hold up to the elements whereas outdoor caulking with solvents should not be applied indoors. Additionally, making sure the caulking either matches the application area or is paintable will yield more aesthetically pleasing results.

Using the proper caulking to seal up gaps and cracks of 5/8 inch and smaller usually works well. A trained and skilled individual may caulk much larger cracks with great success, however, using backer rod, foam spray, or other filler inside larger gaps and cracks can allow for much cleaner lines when the sealant is applied. Avoid using expanding foam in areas where moisture is present or where the foam is exposed. Foam can draw and retain moisture leading to other more serious problems in the future. Hiring trained pest-proofing technicians (a licensed pest control company) can reduce the risk of improper sealant applications. However, if you want to DIY, here are some simple tips and areas to target:

  • Use caulking/sealant that expands and contracts with weather (usually solvent based) when sealing outdoors
  • When sealing baseboards, remove them and first seal the wall to the floor (preventing pests from migrating indoors) and then replace the baseboard and seal it to the wall (preventing pests from hiding and harboring behind the baseboard.
  • When sealing plumbing penetrations under cabinets, remember that the bottom of the cabinet is the SECOND opening. There’s also an opening in the floor, under the cabinet, that leads below the home to the basement or crawlspace. This area needs sealed first and foremost.
  • Seal all gaps and cracks in foundation, including penetrations for plumbing, electric, or HVAC lines.
  • Seal windows and door frames on the outside where the frame meets the structure. Be careful not to seal weep holes!
  • When sealing HVAC duct vents and returns, simply remove the decorative (or functional) grate and seal the gap between the duct and the floor or wall. Be sure to use a non-solvent based, odorless sealant here!
  • For cracks under doors, replace the sealing strip for the threshold or purchase a secondary strip that fastens to the inside of the door creating a sweep seal (known as a door sweep).
  • When sealing a chimney, be sure to fit the chimney with an approved cap that allows any exhaust coming from the chimney to escape the structure.
  • Sealing electric outlets and light fixtures is simple but potentially dangerous. First, be sure any electric is turned off to the area in question. Next, remove the plate (or fixture) from the wall/ceiling and seal the gap between the electric box and wall/ceiling.
  • Interior trim can be sealed to the wall and/or ceiling to prevent harborage areas for roaches. Additionally, in mobile homes, sealing these areas may stop flies, Asian lady beetles, stink bugs, and other pests from entering the structure.

Don’t underestimate the gaps and cracks under and around doors leading to the exterior of a structure. These are the most common entry point for many pests. Repair parts exist for most doors and can be readily purchased from several home improvement stores. Repairing the seal under and around doors is relatively straightforward, simple, and inexpensive but yields great results when pest-proofing a home or business and can aid in energy conservation.

Extensive Pest-Proofing Measures

In some situations, pest-proofing may require more detailed and serious measures. Take, for instance, when a metal roof is missing vital closures (that seal the ribs on a metal roof) or missing ridge vent closures, this means much of the metal roof must be loosened to add the closures, or that the ridge cap must be removed, the vented closures added, and the ridge cap replaced. Most of the time, these areas can allow bats, squirrels, flying squirrels, rodents, Asian lady beetles, stink bugs, wasps and bees, and other pests easy access to the attic. Once inside, the pests may find several ways to gain access to the living quarters.

Although it is possible to DIY even the most extensive pest-proofing, sometimes it’s best to hire a skilled professional so you know the job is properly performed. Although it might be tempting to hire a handy man, most handymen know nothing about reducing pest entry and therefore are unqualified to perform the job. In these cases, it’s best to hire a trusted professional exterminator and get the job done right the first time.

What Pests Will Pest-Proofing Stop?

Depending on the type of pests in your area and the type of pest-proofing performed, it’s possible to stop almost all pests. From nuisance wildlife, birds, and rodents to small flying and crawling pests like Asian lady beetles, wasps, centipedes, and water bugs, pest-proofing can be aimed at just about any pest (except your in-laws). Once these pests have lost their way into a structure, it becomes nearly impossible for them to remain active there. In turn, this means less pests inside and a better quality of life for you, your loved ones or your employees and coworkers.

What Else Can You Do to Prevent Pests?

Besides pest-proofing, another great means of reducing pests in an area includes sanitation. Sanitation covers a broad range and doesn’t mean only indoors in kitchens and restrooms. Sanitation, simplified, means keeping areas, places, or things free from dirt, dust, debris, infection, disease, and so on by maintaining cleanliness, removing waste, garbage, and trash, limiting clutter, and providing a hospitable and healthy environment for humans. When we think in terms of sanitation to reduce pests, this includes limiting harborage areas, food, water, and resources that pests need to survive in an attempt to reduce their numbers and provide a safer and healthier environment for humans.

We should start by keeping all trash and litter picked up and placed in trash receptacles inside, that are emptied often. Once emptied, those trash bags should be taken to exterior garbage receptacles that are away from the structure and pest resistant. This may mean bear-proof if you live in an area with bears, or it may simply mean a can with a closing lid, if your area isn’t prone to nuisance wildlife.

Trash receptacles, whether indoors or outdoors, should be cleaned regularly, especially during spring, summer, and fall. This helps stop the smells which attract a variety of insects and wildlife.

There are many other ways to practice good sanitation around a structure. Here’s a small list that many people can practice themselves:

  • Mow grass regularly
  • Reduce indoor and outdoor clutter
  • Remove outdoor items that may hold water after a rain
  • Clean up any tree litter (fruit, limbs, or leave)
  • Keep weeds and brush to a minimum
  • Maintain proper downspout drainage from the gutters away from the structure
  • Keep firewood stored off the ground to at least 6 inches, and 20 feet from the structure (more if possible)
  • Keep structure exterior clean (from mold, dirt, and scum that buildup over the years)
  • Have gutters checked and cleaned regularly
  • Trim trees, bushes, and shrubs away from the structure
  • Replace mulch with aggregate such as stone, gravel, or pebbles

How Can Four Seasons Pest Solutions Help?

We’re glad you asked! We can provide many of the listed items you just read. Whether pest-proofing or providing sanitation, when it’s pest-related, we do it all. If you need any of the mentioned work performed around a structure you own, we’re here to help. Our goal is to reduce pests and provide people with a quality of life that is pest-free. You’ll soon see why everybody says that it’s good to have Four Seasons on your side!