One of the many practices used for preventive pest control is exclusion. Exclusion is the practice of keeping the pests out by physically blocking their path of entry.

The pictures below will help to illustrate:

The first picture is of a separation between a door frame, and the brick siding of the home. This opening was large enough to allow many types of pests to enter. Blocking such entries will drastically lower the chances of having pests come inside your home. You may not find all the holes and cracks on the first try, but each one you seal, will be one less entry, and help you to discover others.

The next photograph shows the caulking process at the beginning.

The final picture in this series is the finished product. It will prevent pests, and keep cold air out. It can be painted to match the brick, or the door trim if needed.

Stopping Outdoor Pests From Coming Indoors: 12 Simple Prevention Tips

The article on this page is original, but has been published in other places on the Internet.

Outdoor Pests Indoor Pests Simple Pest Prevention Tips

Keeping pests out of your home is pretty simple really. Just don’t give them what they are looking for. Deny them a place to live, food and cover, water, and a way to get inside. This article will describe a little bit about how to do just that.

Sometimes the pests from outside, like to spend a little time lounging around and snacking inside. It is far better to stop them from coming in, than to try to control them if they do. Here are a few ideas on keeping them outdoors.

1. Don’t plant climbing vines around your windows providing a freeway for a pest convoy into your home. Climbing vines can slowly invade your tiny window openings, spreading them wider, and inviting insects to travel through the openings.

2. Seal around all doors, windows, air conditioning, and plumbing coming into the house. Do this on the inside as well as the outside. Pay close attention to cable inlets, and all inside plumbing inlets.

3. Be certain that your door sweeps are all the way to the edges of the door opening, and reach all the way to the floor.

4. Check all weather stripping to make sure bugs can’t crawl through any gaps.

5. Keep brush and weeds as far away from the house as possible, so that the pests don’t have a base of operation nearby.

5. Rotting wood is the roach’s natural food, make sure that your immediate outside area is free of it, and anything else that might hide pests.

7. Check houseplants before you bring them inside when first purchased or brought in from your greenhouse, or after watering outdoors.

8. Check all shopping bags, fruits and vegetables carefully for insects.

9. It goes without saying, that your home should be clean, with no food sources for pests.

10. keep your trash can lids on, and the can away from the house as far as possible to keep flies away.

11. When you do see a trail of ants or bugs coming into the house, try to trace it back to it’s source, and plug that hole. A simple mixture of water, dish soap and vinegar will take care of the ones already inside.

12. If you have indoor pets, check them when they return from trips outdoors, for hitch hikers.

Of course there are always the things your mother told you. Things like: “Close the door when you go in or out.” You should have paid more attention, you probably wouldn’t have to be reading this list!