Pest Control

Nobody likes the idea of pests or bugs flying or crawling around their home. The following pest prevention tips should help stop these little critters before they become a big problem. Check for gaps in your manufactured home skirting, and rips or holes in belly board. Seal and caulk windows and doors. Repair holes in screens.

Do not install bird feeders right next to the home. Check roof vents, siding, eaves, gutters and air conditioner for openings. Treat any wood in contact with the earth with an insecticide. Keep garbage in covered containers. Keep food sealed or refrigerated. Check your pets for fleas and ticks.

Even manufactured homes with metal siding and metal roofs can be damaged by termites, carpenter ants and other insects. Periodically inspect your home and spray seams, corners and interior wood with insecticide. Be alert for their telltale signs: piles of wings (which termites lose in the spring), tunnels in wood, tunnels of dirt in foundation walls, piles of sawdust under wood furniture or siding, and the bugs themselves.

To get rid of these pests try any or all of the following methods. Spray the interior wood with an insecticide. Use a household insecticide throughout your home. (Be careful, though. Insecticide and open pilot lights on water heaters and stoves can cause an explosion. Make sure to read and follow all of the manufacturer's instructions.) Call your local exterminator. Keep these pests out of your home by filling cracks on exterior lumber with caulking or asphalt roofing cement, and by replacing damaged lumber with treated wood.

Another area of preventive pest control concerns wild animals. Don't let animals live in your belly board. They will destroy the insulation and damage the base of your house. Contact your local animal shelter or county/state department of natural resources for advice. Animal shelters often will lend or rent live traps. Do not use poison outside because you could inadvertently kill pets. After the creature is gone, repair the tear and install tight-fitting skirting.

If you want to find out more information about pests and how to control them, here are some sites you may find useful:

doyourownpestcontrol.com
orkin.com
terminix.com
Pest Control Equipment