New homes feel sealed, but small gaps round pipes, garage doors and loft hatches still let pests in. A short checklist done twice a year catches most of them.
Most pests come in because something invites them: a way in, food, water or shelter. Remove one of those and the home becomes much less attractive. This is a checklist you can run through in an afternoon. It is written for a typical modern house, the sort found across Lindhurst, a newer development in the Mansfield area, but it applies to any home.
Walk the outside slowly with a torch in the evening, when gaps show up as darker lines. In newer homes, the weak points tend to be the places where services pass through the wall, where the garage door meets the floor and where the fascia meets the brickwork.
Pests need food and water, but they do not need much. A few crumbs under the oven or a drip beneath the sink will do. Store dry food, pet food and bird seed in lidded containers made of hard plastic, metal or glass. Wipe up spills, empty bins regularly and fix leaks quickly. Look behind appliances once a season for droppings, gnawed packaging or the dark traces cockroaches leave.
In spring and summer, wasps and ants become active and moths and flies start to breed. Check eaves and sheds for early wasp nests, and keep sweet food covered outdoors. In autumn, rats and mice look for warmth as the weather cools, so check for new gaps and listen for noises in the loft or behind units. Winter is a good time to inspect the loft, since scratching sounds or fresh insulation damage are easier to spot.
Gardens matter as well. Compost heaps, bird tables and open food waste draw rats and mice close to the house, and wood piles and dense shrubs against a wall make shelter. Standing water in buckets and water butts attracts flies and gives wasps a drink. None of this is a problem in itself, but when these features sit next to a back door they tend to bring pests within reach of a gap.
If you find signs of an infestation, or just want a second pair of eyes, a free pest prevention survey and free advice come with all treatments. Call 0115 937 5117 and we will arrange a visit that suits you.
A thorough check twice a year is a good habit, with a quick look at any change in noise, droppings or damage in between. Autumn and spring are sensible times.
Yes. Gaps round services, garage doors and lofts occur in any building, and pests can move in with deliveries or second-hand items. Prevention is as relevant in new homes as old ones.
Tell us what you have seen and where, and we will come back to you. Prices are fixed and there is no call-out charge.
