Just Moving In?

There are still a ton of people moving in Texas. Some are new to the state and others are just relocating to a different city or just a different home. No matter what the reason for the move, one thing all new home owners have in common is, they need their home treated for bugs. Especially those that are moving in from out of state, we have some bugs here that many people are not used to. We get a lot of calls from customers that are just moving here from out of state and it is absolutely the best time to call and get your home serviced. If we can have access to your empty home before anything gets in it, that is great. For those of you that have walked through a home in Texas that has been sitting empty, you may have noticed a couple rather large cockroaches on their backs. That's completely normal but it is also completely understandable that you don't want to share your home with these pests.

That's where Guard Pest Control comes in. We can treat your home and get you on preventative services so that you don't have to worry about sharing your home with any pests. It's our goal to keep you pest free and eliminate problems before you see them. Give us a call or check out our website at www.guardpestcontroltexas.com (281) 245-9736 Support our small business and protect your home from pests. There are a lot of homes both new and old that need to be protected. Have a question regarding pests? Just ask. We're here to support you.

Entry Points of Top Concern

There are many ways that rodents can gain entry into your home, and most of them are due to how the home was constructed. There are certain things that are done in almost every home that are neccessary for construction but can be a right of passage for pests trying to gain access to your home. The picture above is a vent for an attic space. Your attic, without vents would hold onto all the heat trying to leave your home and eventually would cause your walls to sweat. While they are necessary, they should also have screens behind the vent you see here to keep birds, bats, rats, and larger animals out. The vents in this home had a screen on the back of them at one time, but due to age, the screen wore out and started to fall apart. Birds made their way into the home and there was a nest in the attic as well as some large mud dauber nests. A small 1/4 inch wire mesh or smaller can be applied to the backside of these vents to keep pests out. Normally this is found in the garden section at Home Depot.

The next area of opportunity that is very common is weep holes. On brick homes there is most often a gap between bricks at the base of the exterior wall. This is to help your walls to breath and not develop condensation as well. While these also have a purpose in construction, they are a gateway for ants, cockroaches and other insects, even mice. It is recommended to use the same wire mesh used above to seal these holes as well. This will allow your home to breathe as it is designed but will also keep out mice and cockroaches. Another common practice with these weep holes is to use a pesticide in them, normally a dust formulation that will last a long time and take care of any insects trying to find their way in. If you're worried about your home and how it may have some similar conditions, we can help. Not only can we inspect your home and notify you of the areas that need to be sealed, we can also give you a proposal and complete the work for you. Give us a call today at (281) 245-9736 or check us out online at www.guardpestcontroltexas.com

Is Your Garage Allowing Rodents Into Your Home?

If your garage is anything like mine, there's a chance that you are on the verge of a rodent infestation in your home. In the past couple of weeks, I have spent numerous hours removing rodents from peoples homes. The common denominator in almost all of these infestations was the garage. Here in the greater Houston area many of our homes have these garages that are not attached to the home beyond a breezeway so many people don't think of the fact that they are actually still attached to the home. These breezeways often times are the route for our electrical lines from the panel in the garage to the interior of our home. Due to the fact that the wires need to run through, they are most often not sealed to prevent pest activity. Take a look at my garage where it leads into the breezway...

As you can see, someone at one time put some chicken wire to prevent squirells or racoons from getting into the home but it is not enough to stop a rat or mouse. Often times we are attracting these rodents to our garage by storing bird seed, pet food, even grass seed in unsealed containers. Rodents are drawn by the food and if they can find a nice place to stay warm and dry too, they will. This past few weeks with our cold temperatures we have seen a lot more rodents making their way indoors. They need to stay warm too. More often than not, it is the mama rats that are looking for a warm place to have their litter. Most of us do a thorough winterization of our hose spigots, pipes, even plants, but the thing that is almost always forgotten is pests. A great course of action in the fall months before the cold comes is to check all of your door seals, make sure your home and garage are sealed up tightly and make sure to thoroughly seal the spot between your garage and your home.

Don't forget these gaps! We operate on a system called the rule of thumb. If your thumb can fit through a hole, a rat can fit through it too. Rats have exceptionally flat skeletal systems with the largest part being their skull. If their head can fit, the rest of them can too. If the hole is the size of your pinky or greater, a mouse can fit in as well. Other methods is using the end of a ballpoint pen.

Adding these door sweeps to your doors will go a long way as well. The rubber ones often get chewed through by mice and rats if they want in an area bad enough. Make sure the seals go all the way down to the seal plate and don't leave any gaps. This one on my door was put in after seeing the squirrel netting and cages. It was clear that there was a problem once but they never addressed the root cause. The entry point. If you need any help with a rodent inspection, we can help. Even if you don't currently have a rodent problem, we can help you with preventing one. Give us a call and set up an inspection. We can also help do the repairs. Our number is (281) 826-2930 and we are always happy to help. Otherwise, visit us at www.guardpestcontroltexas.com and check out our offerings as well as more information on rodents at RODENT CONTROL.