Pests pose a threat to your family’s health and damage your home’s structure. However, there are other hidden costs associated with a pest infestation in your home. Rodents, termites, insects and other pests invade your crawl spaces, create holes in the roof, burrow into your insulation and unearth tiles, which can cause your cooling or heating to escape and send your energy bill soaring. At this very moment, pests might be invading your home and creating costly air leaks. Fortunately, common pest prevention techniques can also improve your home energy efficiency.
Seal To Keep Pests Out And Air In
Inspect your entry ways, and you’re sure to find a number of unsealed gaps, which provide easy entrance paths for bugs. Proper sealing remains one of the best ways to keep insects out and lower your home energy bill. Remove damaged weatherstripping and apply new ones to the perimeter of door frames to keep bugs from entering along the sides or top of the door. Clean the surface first so the weatherstrip will adhere when you put in on. Apply clear caulk along the bottom of the frame and where the door meets the wall to seal up the joints.
Don’t forget your walls. While they may appear solid, there might be a number of tiny pest passageways. Seal up the gaps in your walls to bug-proof your home and keep air from escaping. Other key areas to inspect are dryer vents, roof vents and around the foundation.
Clean Your Ductwork to Conserve Energy and Eliminate Pests
Your home’s ductwork is an attractive shelter for rodents and insects. They invade the space through faulty seals where ducts meet and in unsealed return systems. If you use flexible ducts, rodents can chew through the material to get inside, leaving holes that cause air to leak out into your attic and other crawl spaces. Apart from increasing your home heating and cooling costs, pests will also deposit contaminants such as hair, droppings, dead insects and nesting material, which pose a threat to your family’s health. Regular checks for pests can help you to catch them before they become a major and costly problem.
Inspect Your Insulation
The attic is a common hiding place for roaches, rats, termites and ants. When they find shelter in your attic, they’ll erode the insulation and reduce your home’s energy efficiency. Cellulose insulation, made from recycled newspaper treated with pesticide, gives pests a reason to move somewhere else. Therefore, the insulation serves a dual purpose: it acts as a pesticide while keeping your home warmer and more energy efficient.
If you suspect insect or rodent activity in your attic, a pest control technician can inspect the area, identify pests, and devise a plan to eliminate them. They’ll also evaluate the condition of the insulation and let you know if it needs replacing.
Regular pest control treatments are an excellent way to avoid pests or spot them before they create a major problem. Preventative treatments also help you to take control of your energy bill, so you’ll save money in more ways than one.
