While we’re all staying home and practicing social distance, now is the perfect time to complete some of those home maintenance projects you’ve been delaying. Plus, staying active will help you beat boredom and combat anxiety. The following ideas can help you stay busy while taking care of your home.

Clean out the garage/attic/basement/shed. Most of us accumulate a lot of “stuff” over the years, and those can make perfect hiding places for unwanted pests. Grab three large boxes or bins, and begin sorting your stuff into things you want to keep, things that should be thrown away, and things that you can donate to a thrift store.

Call ahead before hauling items to the thrift store or local dump, to see if their drop-off procedures have changed.

Inspect your home and seal up entrances. Walk around the outside of your home, and look for foundation cracks, holes near windows and doors, and any other potential entry points. Seal these up to protect yourself against rodent and insect invasions. Then repeat this process from the interior of your home.

While you’re inspecting your home, be on the lookout for signs of termites. These might include

  • “Dirt tunnels” on the foundation of your home or leading up walls
  • Piles of something that looks like wood shavings
  • Discarded wings near windows and other entrances
  • Damaged wood structures or trim

Clean out and organize your pantry. The pantry can become a major pest attractant over time, because we tend to get sloppy about our food storage habits. Go online and order a food storage system (if extra purchases are possible right now). Throw away old, expired food, properly organize and store what is left over.

Right now is the perfect time to donate to a local food pantry, if you discover items that you aren’t going to use. Many in your community might have suddenly become food insecure due to our ongoing public health crisis.

Catch up on yard work. Getting outdoors can help you beat cabin fever, even if you’re just enjoying your own yard. Clean away wood piles near the house, overgrown shrubbery, and tree limbs that approach your exterior walls or roof. These can offer encouragement to pests who hope to take shelter in your home. Check, also, for rotting stumps or diseased trees in the yard; these can make the perfect home for a colony of termites.

One word of caution: Tree work can be dangerous, so call a professional rather than attempting that work yourself.

If you spot signs of termites or another pest control issue, give us a call and we’ll be happy to offer our assistance.