If you own a home, you know that being a homeowner requires a constant stream of investments into your property to keep it running smoothly and in good shape. One area that you may not invest in often enough is pest control. Keeping pests out of your home is incredibly important, as they can cost you thousands of dollars’ worth of damage or transmit diseases to you and your family. Continue reading to find out about five updates you can make to your home to protect it from wildlife.

Repair Entry Points
One of the most important steps you can take to protect your home from pests is to find any areas where they may be coming into your home. It is important to inspect your house from top to bottom in order to find even the smallest gaps, holes, and cracks. Start your inspection by looking all around your home’s foundation, both inside and outside. Then move onto your walls, and where your roof meets the walls. Check all along your roof, particularly where your roof contacts a chimney or any other structure. If you found any holes or cracks in these places, you can repair entry points by sealing them with an all-weather sealant, or you can patch over them by using thin sheet metal. Also check any pipes and outlets that come out of your home, as any gaps or cracks in these areas can often be fixed with sealant or simply plugged with some steel wool. A final entry point to check is your windows and doors. Be sure that the weatherproofing is in good shape and make sure they are always closed tight. Be thorough, and you can really seal up your house well from pests.

Install a Snake Fence
In many places across the country, snakes commonly find their way into people’s homes. These snakes are generally non-venomous, but no one likes living with snakes either way. Snakes are a lot like mice and rats, in that they do not require a large opening to enter homes. In addition to a home invasion by snakes, it is important that you keep venomous snakes out of your yard, especially if you have pets or children. To accomplish this task, a great upgrade you can make to your property is installing a snake fence. These snake fences are highly effective at keeping snakes out, both venomous and non-venomous, providing you with protection in your yard and within your home. If you live in venomous snake territory and have children, it is one of the wisest investments you can make.


Set Up Bird Spikes
Birds are one of the most annoying nuisance animals to have around on your property. They leave their excrement everywhere, including on your vehicles, grills, gardens, and every other item you possess. They can also make their way into your chimney or even into your attic if you give them enough time. Luckily there is a product called bird spikes that will ensure they won’t hang around on your property. Bird spikes are literally spikes that can be anchored to your roof, or wherever your problem area with birds is. Once you have set them up, they discourage birds from landing there and sitting there by poking them. This is one of the best ways to deter birds, as it is cost-effective and lasts for years.

Clean Up Your Yard
It might surprise you to learn that by simply making your yard less appealing to nuisance wildlife, that they will less likely end up in your home. One of the best first steps you can take is to simply lock up your garbage and pet food. Leaving these two things out unsecured is a surefire way to entice nuisance animals onto your property, and potentially into your home. Clean up any woodpiles, brush piles, or tall grass and weeds, as these are all great places for rodents, snakes, and bigger pests to hide. Finally, clean up any fallen fruit from any fruit trees you have. This is the best upgrade because it is completely free!

Repair Your Deck
Even if your deck is in perfect structural condition, it can still bring pests close to your home, and eventually into your home. If the stain or paint has worn off of your deck, it is much more likely to be invaded by termites, carpenter bees, and carpenter ants. Stain or paint your deck to reduce the risk of the wood retaining moisture, which attracts those insects. Keeping them off of your deck will definitely keep them away from your home as well.