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"  As the temperature outside drops, we cozy up inside our nice, warm houses. Unfortunately, so do insects and rodents. Whether the invaders are as small as an ant or as big as a family of skunks, your best defense against pests is sealing off their entry points into your fortress. Here&amp;#039;s what to do: Evaluate the Exterior Mice are probably the biggest wintertime pest concern, says New York City\u2013based exterminator and president of Green Earth Pest Control Josh Alpert. A mouse can sneak in through a hole no bigger than a dime, while a raccoon-size creature can enter through a 6-inch opening. When examining your home&amp;#039;s exterior walls, experts say to look for light coming through cracks. Also, feel for air movement, which can sometimes point you to a crack you can&amp;#039;t see. Your house should be sealed against the elements anyway, points out Guy Hallman, an insect expert for the U.S. Department of Agriculture. If it&amp;#039;s not, you&amp;#039;re wasting energy, not just letting critters in. &amp;quot;Concentrate on weather-conditioning, and that will essentially take care of the insect problem,&amp;quot; Hallman says. Focus on Windows and Doors These are the most likely entry points for pests. If you plan on ever leaving your windows or doors open, you should fit them with screens, or check the existing screens for tears. Seal any cracks around windows and door frames with inexpensive caulk or foam. Weatherstripping and door sweeps can seal the moving parts of the door, so make sure it&amp;#039;s in good condition.  Put Screens on Vents Not every hole should be plugged up. Some are there for a reason, such as the air vents in the kitchen or under the cupboards. Hallman says. If holes are meant to be there, they&amp;#039;ll be pretty obvious, he says. &amp;quot;They&amp;#039;ll be spaced periodically, maybe every foot or two.&amp;quot; Place screens over them to keep critters out.  Control Your Garden Plants close to the house provide a haven for insects and rodents as they await their chance to dart through an open door. Keep plants 1 to 2 feet away from the house, weeds trimmed to a minimum, and don&amp;#039;t let junk collect near the house, Alpert says.  Double-Check Repairs Often, Hallman says, holes made during installations or repairs don&amp;#039;t get sealed up. &amp;quot;The assumption is that if the homeowner doesn&amp;#039;t see it, it isn&amp;#039;t a problem,&amp;quot; he says. Dishwasher and washing machine installations are frequent offenders, so it&amp;#039;s worth it to pull yours out and check for unsealed spots. Anytime you have plumbing or electrical work done, double-check the job to make sure you aren&amp;#039;t left with holes through which pests can enter. Monitor the Enemy Alpert says that one of the best ways to stay on top of pests is to set out glue traps in attics or other pest-prone areas. &amp;quot;A glue board in place at all times serves as a level of protection,&amp;quot; he says. And since glue traps will grab both rodents and insects, you&amp;#039;ll know what you&amp;#039;re dealing with if an infestation starts. Alpert says the more traps you leave out, the better.  Vigilance is key. Pests mount their primary attacks on our homes twice a year, Alpert says\u2014once when the temperature drops at the beginning of winter, and once when it goes up again as summer starts. Weatherstripping can crack and new holes can develop, so you should check your defenses before the temperature changes. Twice a year is the minimum, says Alpert. &amp;quot;Somebody frightened of bugs should do it as much as possible.&amp;quot; If You&amp;#039;re Invaded Pests are relentless, and despite your best efforts, unwanted critters may sneak into your house and set up camp. Here&amp;#039;s what to do if you have an infestation on your hands: Identify the Intruder You can&amp;#039;t fight if you don&amp;#039;t know what you&amp;#039;re dealing with. If you&amp;#039;ve caught sight of the pest, a quick Internet search should help you ID it. But sometimes you can see only signs of infestation: a chewed baseboard or a few droppings, for example. If this is the case (or even if you&amp;#039;ve spotted the invader but can&amp;#039;t tell what it is), some pest-control companies allow you to send in photos for professional identification. &amp;quot;People email us pictures of what they&amp;#039;ve found all the time,&amp;quot; Alpert says. Plan a Course of Action Many pests can be treated with over-the-counter products you can buy yourself, Alpert says. But make sure you know what you&amp;#039;re doing before you start spraying. The wrong product can be a waste of money, or worse\u2014instead of getting rid of pests, it could drive them into the walls, where they&amp;#039;ll wait only to re-enter your house weeks or months later. Pest killers are &amp;quot;sort of like prescription medicine,&amp;quot; he says. &amp;quot;You need to get the proper diagnosis before you start using them.&amp;quot; Know When to Leave It to a Pro You can&amp;#039;t beat all invading pests, and it&amp;#039;s smart to recognize when to put down the pesticide and pick up the phone. Large, potentially dangerous animals like raccoons should always be handled by a professional (make sure your pest company is licensed in wild animal control, Alpert says). Bedbugs are another one best left to the pros. He says most over-the-counter pesticides with &amp;quot;bedbug&amp;quot; on the label don&amp;#039;t kill them effectively. If you&amp;#039;re sick, elderly, or have kids or pets, then you might not want to tackle a rodent problem on your own, because they carry disease. And if you&amp;#039;re dealing with wood-eating insects like termites or carpenter ants, call a pro immediately. They have insurance that can protect you even if your house sustains severe damage, Alpert says. "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
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