There’s only one downside to a beautiful spring in South Carolina and Virginia Beach –- the resurgence of bugs, pests and other unwanted creatures that want to invade your home and disturb your peace of mind.   That’s why your ProCore team compiled these suggestions to help you stay as bug-free as possible as the weather gets warmer.  

Look around the outside of your home. Are fascia and roof shingles damaged, offering insects a taste of the deteriorating wood they love?  Replace or repair weather-stripping, torn screens, cracks, crevices and loose mortar, all easy entry points into your home for insects. Trim the shrubs so they don’t give bugs easy access into your house. Keep mulch away from the foundation, and dig up rotted stumps. Otherwise you are making life easy for termites, which love anything with a woody flavor. 

Termites, incidentally, swarm in the spring, so watch out for winged insects flying out of holes in wood. If you see a swarm, call ProCore and we will respond promptly.   Spring also is a busy season for bees and wasps, which like to build hives and nests in the eaves of homes. We can take care of that problem for you, too.  

Cockroaches and silverfish like moisture, so check bathrooms, one of their favorite targets. Do you have any leaks around under the sink or around the toilet and tub? Washing the shower curtain in hot water is a good way to get rid of silverfish.  Roaches are nighttime creatures, and they’re bad news because they can spread bacteria and organisms that might cause diarrhea and other health problems for people.  

Deep clean the kitchen and other areas where food crumbs can draw ants. Be especially alert for carpenter ants, which don’t settle for crumbs. They like wood. One giveaway: little piles of wood shavings beneath wooden items.  Carpenter ants and other bugs will walk in your door if you leave it open, but they are resourceful, unfortunately, and will make their way through pipes, cracks in the foundation of walls, attic vents and utility lines.  

Rats breed in the spring and again in the fall, so check outside your home for any potential entry points. Keep lids on garbage cans!  Squirrels are cute, but they are rodents and they will chew their way into your home. Keep them off roofs and tree branches that let them hop onto your house.