Hi this is Kara with DoMyOwn.com. Today we're going to be talking about crawl space pest control.
Why are pests attracted to crawl spaces? While they provide dark warm and areas of high humidity protection from frigid winters summer months severe weather and most importantly provide easy access into your home. Since most crawl spaces can't be cleaned as easily as a garage or a house and may not be as easily accessible, treatment methods are going to vary and prevention methods are always going to be needed. So you may be wondering.. how do you prevent pests in your crawl space?
Well eliminating the access points are going to be key just like with other areas of the house. Check for cracks and walls, windows, the exterior foundation, and any other entry points you may notice in your home during inspection. Around windows and doors, you want to be sure to check the weather stripping for any cracks or holes. These areas should be sealed with a silicone-based caulk and steel wool or copper mesh. When using insecticides to treat a crawl space, granule baits or granule insecticides are preferred over insecticide concentrates as most concentrates are not labeled to be used in crawl spaces as a broadcast spray granule insecticides and granule baits are going to be a lot easier to broadcast and give you more options.
Humidity can cause a lot of concerning crawl spaces. When treating for pest control, looking into a dehumidifier to remove any excess moisture is highly recommended.
Let's talk about when you should treat your crawl space. You don't want to treat your crawl space after a hard freeze or when it's freezing outside. Perimeter bait around the exterior of the house in warmer months is recommended. Glue boards can be used year round however. When using insect glue boards, it's recommended to use folded over with the sticky side facing in. This keeps dust and debris from getting on the glue board, which could reduce its effectiveness. Rodent control products generally should be placed in late summer early fall to prevent rodents from entering the crawl space.
The two most common ways to treat your crawl space for rodent control is going to be using rodent glue boards or rodent snap traps inside the crawl space area. When using rodent snap traps, these are helpful as it helps control where the rodent dies and therefore you can easily remove it when a rodent is trapped. When using a tamper resistant bait station, we recommend using these outdoors only around the exterior foundation for rodent control.
Thanks for watching. Please like and comment and subscribe below to DoMyOwn.com. As always we're happy to help with any of your pest control needs.