7 Essential Tips to Help Prepare Your Home for Spring

7 Essential Tips to Help Prepare Your Home for Spring

Do you need a project to warm you up in winter? Don’t slack off in the cold months. Now is the perfect time to pull on those rubber gloves and prepare your home for the coming warmer seasons.

We have some useful tips to share with you to ensure your property is well protected from the pests & vermin that are waiting for an opportunity or a way to enter your home.

Clean your gutters and drains

Gutters and drains can easily up by leaves and other natural debris, so ensure they are cleared out on a regular basis. Often, gutters and drains are one of the main points of entry for pests like cockroaches, possums, rats and mice. Cockroaches, rats and mice carry various diseases and can contaminate food and living spaces with their faeces and foul-smelling secretions. 

Although possums are a protected species, they can be a huge annoyance if they decide to take up residence in your roof or chimney. You do not want to deal with the incessant ‘click clacks’ at 3 AM in the dead of night. If possums are causing you grief, please make sure you don’t harm them as you may be on the receiving end of a hefty fine. Give your local Flick technician a call to safely remove them from your property.

Weed the garden and its surrounds

Don’t let the weeds around your home and gardens to get out of control. Unfortunately, this is easier said than done, especially since weeds often grow back within a few weeks after spending hours painstakingly removing them. Why not ask your local Flick office about our Non-Selective Weed Control Service? It’s is an effective and environmentally friendly treatment that would leave more time for you to enjoy your flowers, plants and vegetation.

Lop the tall trees

Overhanging trees and tall shrubs should be pruned back where in contact with your home or outbuildings, or where branches overhang roofs and guttering.  The leaves block up the gutters and pests have a ready-made highway straight into your roof or eaves.

Clear vegetation

Leaves, fallen branches, weeds, etc create ideal harbourages for a variety of pests and vermin to nest and breed in.  The closer the vegetation is to your home or outbuildings, the more likely the chance of pest entry into these areas is. 

Check garbage and waste disposal areas

It’s no secret cockroaches, rats, flies and ants are attracted to take refuge near garbage bins and other rubbish. Waste disposal areas are a favoured hang out for a myriad of pest species.

Ensure housekeeping is thorough and regular

Pests require food, water & harbourage.  Leaking taps, pooling water, food spillage, pet foods, dirty drains & grease traps, etc all attract pests.  Render your home & property unattractive to pests by maintaining thorough regular cleaning and sanitation. 

Seal holes and gaps

• Ensure all cracks, crevices and gaps around pipes and other penetrations on the walls of your home are promptly sealed. Cockroaches often travel through the entire house via electrical wiring and pipes.
• If the windows to your home aren’t fixed, ensure flyscreens are securely in place and void of any gaps. This will help keep the flying insects and crawling creatures outside.
• Check that your doors are shut with minimum gaps (particularly at the bottom). Rats and mice can fit through a gap as small as a 20 cent piece so ensure you safeguard your home by filling all the gaps regardless of how insignificant they may seem.

So, now that your home is Spring ready, what about your workplace? For Spring Cleaning tips for your work environment, click here.