With cooler fall weather arriving in Arizona, autumn pests begin to emerge, infesting homes, offices, buildings, and properties across the valley. Termites, bed bugs, cockroaches and rodents seek out the warmth provided by residential and commercial buildings, making themselves homes when the environment suits them well. If you want to prevent a pest problem this fall, ensure you take the proper steps to pest proof your Arizona home.

Termites

Termites typically migrate with the monsoon seasons, ever expanding their colony and taking advantage when the conditions are right. Termite damage can include damage to drywall, ceilings, flooring, doors, windows, and even the structure of your home. Depending on the amount of time the termites have lived at the site, and the size of the colony, the amount of damage inflicted by termites can vary significantly. This is why keeping an eye on your home and a employing a termite treatment & control specialist for routine prevention & checkups can help prevent major termite damage from occurring. This is often the first step Termites migrate in swarms to establish new colonies, so keeping an eye out for signs of termite swarms is the first step.

1. Remove yard debris, including lumber, dead trees & branches, cardboard, etc. from around your home
2. Remove any sources of termite food, including old or rotting wood, paper products,
3. Keep firewood away from buildings
4. Reduce the amount of soil/mulch around your home, prevent any soil/mulch from touching home surfaces that are not concrete
5. Keep plants trimmed back at least 1 ft from home exterior
6. Ensure rain & sprinkler runoff, condensation tubing, and other sources of moisture lead away from foundations
7. Keep your home properly sealed, including foundation, roofs & eaves, windows & doors, utility lines and other potential entry points

Bed Bugs

Bed bugs can enter a home in many ways. Bed bugs often come in as hitchhikers on clothing or luggage from traveling other infested locations. Other items, such as used furniture can also carry the unwelcome pests into the home. Bed bugs can travel through air ducts and cracks in the walls in infested apartment buildings and hotels. It is important to remember that the cleanliness of a home or hotel does not make one location more susceptible to bed bug infestations. Immaculate homes and hotel rooms are just as liable to bed bugs as filthy ones! They just need to find a way in. Once a bed bug infestation arrives, it can be very difficult to completely erradicate without the help of a bed bug removal professional.

1. When traveling, keep dirty clothes in a plastic bag and wash immediately in hot water when you get home
2. Keep your luggage out of reach of bed bugs, like in the bathtub, off the floor, and off the furniture
3. Undress from clothing worn in the hotel on a hard floor to prevent them from getting into fabrics like carpeting

Cockroaches

Cockroaches are nocturnal pests, and will hide in dark, warm areas, especially narrow spaces where surfaces touch them on both sides. Their ability to hide in very small spaces – in cracks as tight as 1/16-inch wide – can make them a challenge to control. Cockroaches tend to congregate in corners and travel along the edges of walls or other surfaces. The most commonly encountered cockroaches in residential settings are the German and American cockroach, respectively. Due to their stealthy nature, breeding rate, and their survivability, complete removing a cockroach infestation typically requires a cockroach removal specialist.

1. Keep kitchen counters, sinks, tables, floors, cabinets, and pantries clean and free of clutter
2. Clean dishes, crumbs, and spills right away – cockroaches love grease and waste
3. Store food in airtight containers where cockroaches cannot access it
4. Seal cracks or openings around home foundations and inside cabinets
5. Eliminate excess moisture buildup (i.e., a leaky faucet)
6. Inspect packages, school backpacks, and laundry bins for signs of cockroaches (and other pests)
7. Keep the landscape plants next to your house trimmed, and don’t use too much mulch, as it can provide an ideal harborage for cockroaches

Roof Rats

Roof rats are present year-round, but they often become a particular nuisance as the cooler fall months roll in. Roof rats will seek out the warmth and shelter of lower traffic areas such as attics or sheds. Once roof rats have entered the home, it can cause an infestation to develop quickly. Not only do roof rats multiply quickly, the scent that they leave behind attracts other rodents. Roof rats are a growing concern in the Phoenix area, which offers all the accommodations necessary for roof rats to survive and thrive. Should you experience an infestation, roof rat removal can be a long and tricky process, and enlisting a professional may be your best bet.

1. Roof rats can fit through extremely small openings; seal cracks and holes on the outside of the home with caulk and steel wool
2. Keep home sealed properly, especially the roof, eaves, utility lines, and any other potential entry points
3. Keep fruit from trees off the ground, and pick once ripe (roof rats love citrus & fruit trees found throughout Phoenix)
4. Rats like to hide in clutter, keep areas clear and store boxes off of the floor
5. Regularly inspect the home for signs of rats, such as droppings, gnaw marks and damaged food

Start Fall Pest Proofing Now

Taken individually, this may seem like fall pest proofing in Arizona is a huge undertaking. However, many pest prevention actions taken aid in controlling additional pests, and even additional benefits, such as lowering cooling costs with a properly sealed home. We highly recommend enlisting a professional for routine pest inspections, prevention, and control services to ensure your home is as protected as possible from invasive fall pests.