Pests are called “pests” because they are not only irritating, but they also cause mayhem wherever they are found. So it can be almost disastrous when they take up residence in your home. With the rain we’ve been getting here in North Texas, we would all be wise to seek out some pest prevention methods that we could put into play in order to protect our homes. Here are just a few we found from the Community Associations Institute’s Spring 2018 magazine.
And when it comes to pests, our homes need protection. We’ve discussed the damage termites can do to your home in a previous post. Another silent terrorist you want to be aware of is the carpenter ant.
Why are they called carpenter ants?
Because similar to the way termites eat wood, carpenter ants like to do their dirty work in wood. Both of these pests live and die by destroying the wood in your home. While the destruction caused by carpenter ants is not as severe as that caused by termites, it has the potential to grow into a devastating amount of damage over time.
As the ant colony grows, it will continue to expand into other wooden elements of your home including framing, support beams, floor joists, posts, ceiling joists, siding and wall studs. Carpenter ants will typically only nest in wood softened by moisture, so pay particular attention to their potential points of entry such as your attic vents, foundations, cracks, electric wires, and plumbing pipes.
Other types of pests to protect your home against are rodents. 
These critters are already unsavory houseguests due to the diseases they can carry, but their indiscriminatory tastes will have you trying to kick them out before dinner once they’ve made their way into your home. Squirrels typically will chew their way through roofing or siding near roofs and under eaves, making their way into your attic. Mice and rats usually eat their way into your home on the ground level.
When I say they have indiscriminatory tastes, I mean they will eat or chew through just about anything! This poses an obvious threat to the belongings in your attic or garage, but more than this is at stake.
Rodents will cause damage to your home in a myriad of ways through gnawing, nest-building and defecation. They will chew on just about anything that they deem necessary to build their nests. They will chew up wood to create shavings for the rugs. Insulation isn’t safe either as they will burrow into it to create their beds and sofas. They will even chew through wiring around electrical outlets and appliances, thereby installing their very own entertainment room!
Aside from the wood shavings, the damage caused to your home by rodents chewing through insulation and electrical wiring puts your home at risk of catching on fire. Because of this, it’s important to take steps to “pest-proof” your home as best you can.
Eliminate possible food sources
Keep food in thick plastic or metal containers with tight lids
Secure garbage in similar containers with tight lids
Keep outside cooking areas clean
Clean up spilled food right away and wash dishes and cooking utensils soon after use
Keep compost bins away from your home
Keep pet or other animal food stored in thick plastic or metal containers with airtight lids
Eliminate excess moisture
Fix up dripping taps and leaking pipes
Make sure your gutters’ down spout deposits water at least a couple of feet from your foundation
Fill or remove any indented areas of your lawn close to your home so that they won’t hold standing water
Seal all the holes and gaps inside and around your home
According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, mice can squeeze through a hole the size of nickel and rats can squeeze through a hole the size of half dollar. And of course, ants enter through holes we might not be able to see. Keeping ants out can be trickier, but it’s not impossible if you follow the steps below.
Seal interior holes:
Inside, under and behind kitchen cabinets, refrigerators and stoves
Inside closets near the floor corners
Around the fireplace, doors and windows
Around the pipes under sinks, washing machines, hot water heater and furnace
Inside the attic, basement or crawl space
Between the floor and wall juncture
Seal exterior holes:
In the roof among the rafters, gables and eaves
Around windows and doors
Around the foundation
At attic vents and the crawl space
Under doors
Around holes for electrical, plumbing, cable and gas lines
While we here at Classic Construction won’t come clean your dishes for you, we can provide you with the best sealant work in DFW. If you need help making sure you catch all the nooks and crannies that need new caulking, contact us for a free estimate today.