Who Invited You?

          Every Thanksgiving sometime after the big meal, my family has a tradition of watching the movie Christmas Vacation. Why on earth did we begin to watch a Christmas movie on Thanksgiving Day? Heaven only knows. No matter how many times I have seen that movie, it never seems to lose its luster. There is something to laugh about it in almost every scene. For those of you who have not seen it, Eddie, a cousin-in-law to the main character is the fun-loving screw up that keeps many of the scenes light-hearted and easy to laugh at. The premise of the story is the main character desires to have an “old fashioned” family Christmas at his home and everyone is to stay in his home. By everyone, I mean all the guests he actually invited. One particular evening just a few days before Christmas, Eddie appears in the front lawn with his family, uninvited and intend to stay through and beyond the holidays. While Clark Griswold could not prevent his extended family from entering his home, there are things you can do and inspect to keep uninvited guests, particularly rodents, from entering your home this winter.

            There are several measures you can take to keep rodents and other pests from entering your home. Traps can be placed, baits can be used and sprays can be applied to kill bugs before they make it too far. But often times one of the most effective methods of control is simply to make it as difficult as possible for pests to find a point of entry in the first place. With a thorough inspection of your home and maybe just a little work, you can drastically reduce your chances of having a cousin Eddie this winter.

            One of the easiest ways a rodent or any other pest can get into your home is through openings you have “provided” for them. The best examples of this are utilities going into your home. This can be anything from water, to gas, electricity to cable; any opening to allow pipes in or out needs to be examined and sealed off if necessary. Don’t forget about the dryer exhaust vent. Examine the vent on the inside and outside. Rodents are notorious for chewing their way into things and they may just chew threw the stretchable connection from your dryer to the exhaust connection on the wall. Once you have examined these areas, move on to all door frames and window sills. Poorly sealed windows and doors are easy access for unwanted pests as well. Rodents and other pests can follow drain lines as well, examine the point of entry into the wall or floor and seal the cutouts if necessary.

Protecting your home this winter can be as a simple as ensuring all openings and cracks around the perimeter of your house are properly sealed up. As I have learned from National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, the holidays are all about spending time with the guests you HAVE invited.