Also, What Pest Control Can Do To Help
Professional pest control is the best – and often only – way to keep insects and spiders out of your home. But no pest control is perfect. The techniques and technology we use are designed to eliminate pests indoors and form a barrier to protect against pests outdoors, but some bugs will still find their way:
- Flies can fly through an open window.
- Spiders can crawl through an opening the size of a few human hairs.
- Bedbugs get carried inside in luggage.
There are other ways to prevent – and treat – these types of pests, including interior pesticides, fly strips, and more, but while pest control is amazing at keeping general pests out, it is not possible for them to prevent all pests because your home is not in plastic wrap. There may still be openings that allow pests to cross.
That is why the next step in pest control is to try to figure out where these pests may be and then see what we can do to make it harder for them to enter.
One place we have to look is the roof.
We typically only think about our roof when it’s protecting us from the rain and, sometimes, the sun. But it is a part of the property that offers protection from all elements, including pests, and unfortunately that is where roofs can cause problems.
That is because, within all the roofing materials, there are many places where pests may be able to enter:
- Lifted or Damaged Shingles – Creates gaps where ants, termites, and spiders can crawl under.
- Deteriorated Flashing – Gaps around chimneys, skylights, or roof valleys let pests in.
- Uncapped Chimneys – Open chimneys invite bees, wasps, and birds (which bring mites/fleas).
- Cracks Around Pipes & Cables – Gaps around plumbing stacks, HVAC lines, or electrical conduits.
- Rotted or Gaps in Wood – Carpenter ants, termites, and beetles exploit soft, decaying wood.
- Peeling Paint or Caulk – Small openings let in tiny insects like ants and spiders.
So many different kinds of bugs can simply fit through multiple places on your roof, even if you feel like your roof is solid.
It’s also important to remember that your roof may not be intact the way you think, even if you have a new roof. Your roof may be older and deteriorating. Your roof may have been poorly installed. You may have roof damage that isn’t affecting leaks, but is causing problems under the surface. Any number of issues may be occurring.
Should something be wrong with your roof, pests can – and will – enter. And if they enter, pest control can eliminate the problem, but you’ll also want to consider contacting a roofer to take a look and see if there are any easy issues to solve. Sometimes, all it takes is a few small fixes and you’ll have yet another barrier to help you in the fight against pests.
