As we move into March, spring is on our doorstep, and temperatures are warming in much of the country.
For homeowners (and soon-to-be homeowners), this means spring cleaning! While there are many good articles offering spring cleaning tips, another task goes with spring cleaning and is often overlooked: spring pest control.
Spring pest control begins inside your home
Warm spring weather brings bugs and other pests out of hibernation. To prepare your home for the pest onslaught, you can perform these important tasks inside your home:

• Remove all items from your kitchen cabinets and pantry – discard any stale or dated items.
• Wipe down the insides of your kitchen cabinets and add fresh shelf paper.
• Remove your kitchen appliances and vacuum behind them.
• Scrub your kitchen floors, countertops and appliances.
• Clean out your bathroom medicine cabinet.
• Check around your sink, toilet and bath to make sure there’s no excessive moisture – fix any leaky pipes or faucets causing the moisture.
• Reduce and eliminate clutter from storage areas such as your closets, garage and basement.
• Transfer stored items in cardboard boxes to plastic bins with sealed lids.
• Add caulk to any potential pest entry points.

Outdoor pest prevention tips
Spring and summer are usually the most active seasons for pests such as ticks, mosquitoes and ants. Here are some tips to help prevent them from getting inside your house:

• Seal cracks and small entry points along your home’s foundation
• Trim tree branches and shrubs to keep them away from your house
• Keep mulch and leaves away from the house.
• Clean out your gutters
• Add screens to all windows and doors
• Get rid of standing water (mosquitoes are attracted to water)

Spring is the time to prevent pets from invading your home
If you perform these important tasks now, you’ll be less likely to have a pest problem for the remainder of the year. But sometimes these tasks aren’t enough and you still need a professional. You can contact a licensed professional exterminator through the National Pest Management Association website.