DIY Outdoor Pest Prevention Maintenance

6/26/2024 by pest expert Matthew Hess

Many pests can be prevented from entering your home and even your lawn by simply staying on top of outdoor maintenance. This includes an eco-friendly approach to pest control called exclusion or pest-proofing. Exclusions work by sealing cracks, entry holes, gaps, and other similar areas, pests are excluded from entering the structure. Pest exclusion is an important part of any outdoor preventative maintenance. Pest-proofing a structure is important because it helps prevent pests before they start. If a small number of pests still get inside, control efforts will be much easier and pest control costs could be cheaper.

What Pests Need to Survive

Food

Pests follow the food, and it’s up to homeowners to disrupt this cycle. Proper sanitation and food-source removal inside and outside your home play a crucial role in reducing pests. By removing organic decaying matter caused by excessive moisture, you can significantly impact the population of predacious pests. This proactive approach puts you in control of your environment.

Other food sources can include tree nuts, wild berries, fallen fruits, garbage, wood piles, compost piles, mulch, and more. Tree nuts can draw squirrels and squirrels love to harbor in attics. Fallen fruits draw rodents, bees, wasps, hornets, ants, birds, and more. Rodents can have seriously adverse effects on property and human health. Wood piles and mulch mean that termites have plenty to eat and should prompt regular termite inspections to ensure your home is not infested. Garbage not properly stored in animal-proof containers can draw wildlife outdoors.

Regardless of the time of year, pests are drawn to food and can potentially infest homes. Even in winter, if food is available near your home, several common winter pests will be drawn to it. This vigilance is especially important in Kentucky, where even winter termite activity is common. By being aware of the year-round nature of pest control, you can stay prepared and prevent potential infestations, especially emerging pests in the spring.

Water (Humidity and Moisture)

All pests need moisture to survive, and moisture is the number one attractant for pests. Most insect pests lose water through their exoskeleton and require high humidity or moisture for survival. Often, areas in and around structures serve as perfect moisture-conserving harborages.

Dense shrubs, ground covering, ivy, landscaping plants, mulch beds, under decks, in plant beds, and several other areas can retain ample moisture to harbor pests. This moisture can be transferred to structure walls, crawlspaces, and basements creating the perfect environment for pests to move indoors. This is of special importance since termites and carpenter ants rely on moisture to maintain successful colonies capable of destroying homes and unfortunately, home insurance policies don’t cover termite damages.

Harborage

If a pest has moisture and food readily available, it just makes sense that they would harbor nearby. Once an outdoor population exists on or near a structure, overpopulation and environmental conditions like extreme heat and cold, or very wet or dry conditions can drive the pests indoors. Now you need indoor pest control to eliminate a problem that never should have occurred.

What Actions Can The Homeowner Take?

As previously stated, outdoor preventative maintenance is key. This includes reducing or removing available food sources, moisture and humidity, and access to harborages. Eliminating conducive conditions that offer optimal resources is necessary to reduce pest activity, especially adjacent to a structure. Don’t underestimate the simple things like keeping your lawn mowed and weeded!

Remove or Reduce Moisture

Keep lawns mowed and weeded
Keep shrubs and plants trimmed at least 16 inches away from a structure
Do not allow trees to arch their branches over a structure
Remove mulch and replace with rock or similar material
If mulch is necessary, keep it under 2 inches thick and use a mulch that is resistant to decay, such as cypress or cedar
Maintain an 18-inch rock barrier between the structure and any mulch
Eliminate fallen leaves quickly
Keep firewood off the ground at least 6 inches and away from the home at least 20-25 feet
Reduce ground covering plants to allow the sun to shine through
Shrubbery and plants should have ample space between them to allow sunshine to penetrate to the ground around the structure, and airflow to work through the area.
Ensure gutters are working properly
Fix any leaky outdoor faucets
Make sure rainwater ground runoff moves away from the home
Direct downspout flow away from the house
Porches, decks, and patios should be sloped away from the structure for proper water runoff
Keep dirt, mulch, rock, and all ground covers at least 4 to 6 inches minimum, below the floor level of the home (and below outdoor siding)

The goal is to create a sort of dry zone around the home. This “dry zone” serves as a more inhospitable environment and, therefore, reduces the likelihood that pests will be drawn to the outside of your home or commercial property. Reducing all possible sources of moisture retention and allowing the sun to shine through and air to properly circulate against the home is crucial in creating such a dry zone.

Reduce and Remove Food Sources

Compost piles should be kept a great distance from the structure or maintained in a compost container
Tree nuts and fruits should be promptly removed once on the ground
Garbage cans should be animal-proof (based on the animals present in your area)
Garbage cans should be emptied on a weekly basis
Monthly garbage can cleaning to reduce buildup inside
Keep garbage cans away from entry doors and preferably away from the home
Reduce flowering plants close to the home

Many pests rely on the presence of other pests for food. Eliminating as many food sources for as many pests as possible will have a chain reaction. This can even help reduce pests that can damage your lawn.

Perform Physical DIY Outdoor Pest Prevention Maintenance

Reduce lighting on a structure or move it off the structure so the light shines on the structure. Many pests are drawn to light, and many of those pests die, fall to the ground, and become food for other pests. Moving the source of light away from the building moves the “fallout” area
Lights that remain on the structure can utilize special bulbs designed to be unattractive to pests
Locate light on the structure away from entryways
Ensure all door seals are in good physical condition, working properly, and create a tight-fitting closure
Be sure attic and soffit vents have been screened
Metal roofs should have end closures and ridge vent closures installed
Screen doors should be self-closing
Window and door frames should be properly caulked to the structure to avoid gaps
Seal all plumbing, HVAC, and electric penetrations
Inspect siding and ensure there are no breaks, rot, or other deficiencies
Maintain window screens in good repair and windows tightly sealed

Homeowners who practice regular proactive maintenance are less likely to experience pest problems than those who do not. Well-manicured lawns and landscaping have a tremendous impact on pest suppression. Although not all the above-mentioned actions that a homeowner can take are necessary to reduce pest populations, each one helps in its own unique way. Performing as many as possible can create a hostile area that pests will avoid and will aid in any pest management program already in place.

The goal is to reduce pest populations adjacent to the home. This will impact the environment around and inside the home, reducing the overall populations on your property and the risk of infestation.

What Can Four Seasons Do For You?

We offer a multitude of pest control plans from our Smart Home Pest Plan to Sentricon Termite Control. Additionally, we offer inspection services that can help identify areas of entry and/or steps you can take to reduce pests. That’s pest services you can trust! Among our offered services include: