Advice
How to Pest-Proof Your Home
Pest-proofing means removing the food, water, shelter and entry points that attract unwanted visitors, and most of it can be done safely with simple jobs.
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Pests follow the seasons, and knowing what to expect in each part of the year helps Devon householders spot problems early and act at the right time.
Most pests are driven by temperature, food and shelter, so their activity rises and falls through the year. Insects become active as the weather warms, while rodents and some others look for shelter as it cools. Knowing the pattern lets you check the right places at the right time.
Devon has its own character. The mild, damp climate means some pests stay active for longer than in colder parts of the country, while coastal homes, farmland and the edges of the moors each bring different wildlife close to the house.
As the days lengthen, insects that spent winter hidden begin to move. Ants emerge and start looking for food, flies appear, and wasp queens that survived the winter look for a place to start a new nest. Early nests are small and easy to overlook in lofts, sheds, eaves and garages.
Spring is a very good moment for a walk around the outside of your home. Look for gaps in brickwork, broken roof tiles, loose soffits and holes around pipes, and deal with them before the busy months begin.
Warm weather brings the greatest range of insect problems. Wasps are at their most visible in late summer, when nests are large and the workers search for sugary food. Flies breed quickly around bins and warm kitchens, ants can enter in numbers, and fleas can multiply in warm homes with pets.
This is also when holiday lets and seaside properties are most in use, with open doors and windows letting insects in. Keep bins covered and cleaned, wipe up sugary spills, and use fly screens where you can.
As nights cool, rodents begin looking for warm, sheltered spaces, and a farmhouse, cottage or terrace in Devon offers plenty of them. Mice can squeeze through very small gaps, and a house backing onto fields, hedges or the moor edge is a natural target. Spiders also become more noticeable as they move inside.
Wasp numbers fall away late in the year as the colony dies off, but cluster flies and similar insects may gather on warm walls and then find their way into lofts and window frames. Autumn is the time to proof the house before the cold arrives.
In winter, rodents are the main concern. Mice and rats stay active, and they may nest in lofts, wall cavities, under floors and in outbuildings. Signs include scratching noises at night, droppings, gnawed wires or packaging, and a musty smell.
Indoors, damp rooms can develop booklice and similar small pests, and dry stored food can attract moths and beetles. Bed bugs and fleas are not seasonal in the same way, since they thrive in heated homes at any time of year.
Whatever the season, do not handle rodents or put down poison yourself, do not go near a wasp nest, and do not use sprays randomly around the house. These steps are risky, and they often only move the problem elsewhere without solving it.
Call a professional if you see droppings, hear noises in the roof or walls, find a wasp nest, or see the same insects return after cleaning. We will identify the pest, find the cause and treat it safely, and we will tell you plainly if a problem is not worth treating.
A short routine each season is usually enough to keep most problems away. In spring check the outside of the building, in summer manage food and waste, in autumn proof against rodents, and in winter listen for noises and keep damp rooms ventilated.
Add a quick look at loft spaces and outbuildings twice a year. Catching a small sign early is far easier than dealing with a problem that has taken hold, and it often means a straightforward fix rather than a major job.
Queens start small nests in spring, and colonies grow through the summer, becoming most noticeable in late summer when large numbers of workers are searching for food. Activity drops in autumn as the colony dies off. If you find a nest, keep away and ask a professional to deal with it.
As temperatures fall and fields are harvested or cleared, mice look for warmth, food and shelter. A small gap, no wider than a pencil, may be enough for them to get in. Sealing gaps and keeping food stored securely before autumn makes your home far less attractive.
No. Many insects go dormant, but rodents stay active and look for warm spaces, and pests such as bed bugs, fleas and booklice can live in heated or damp homes all year. Winter is therefore a good time to listen for noises and check lofts and stores.
Late summer or early autumn is ideal, just before rodents start moving in, though sealing gaps at any time helps. A spring check of the outside of the property also helps to stop wasps and ants. Good proofing is worth doing whenever you notice a weak point.
If you would like a professional to look at the problem, call us on 01392 590 140 or send an enquiry.
Pest-proofing means removing the food, water, shelter and entry points that attract unwanted visitors, and most of it can be done safely with simple jobs.
Read the guide →Pest-proofing means removing the food, water, shelter and entry points that attract unwanted visitors, and most of it can be done safely with simple jobs.
Read the guide →Call us, message us on WhatsApp or send an enquiry. We will agree the price with you before any work starts.