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5 Pest Control Tasks To Do At Home Before Spring

  • Feb 19
  • 3 min read

As the days start to lengthen, pests begin to wake up, look for warmth, and search out easy food and nesting spots. A little preventative work now can make a big difference later, helping you avoid unwanted visitors and reduce the chances of an infestation just as spring gets going.


Here are five simple pest control tasks you can do around the house and garden before spring, plus when it’s time to call in Stratton Pest Control for professional domestic support.


Seal entry points around doors, windows and pipes

Most household pests only need a tiny gap to get inside. Walk the outside of your home and check for cracks, loose mortar, and gaps around cables, air bricks, and pipework. Pay special attention to:

  • door thresholds and worn weather stripping

  • window frames and old sealant

  • gaps where the boiler flue, waste pipes, or broadband cables enter


Use a quality exterior sealant for small cracks and fit brush strips or rubber seals to external doors. For larger holes, consider wire wool (for temporary deterrence) and proper filler or mortar repair. This one job can help reduce visits from mice, rats, spiders, and crawling insects.

a woman wearing rubber gloves sealing gaps around a drain pipe to prevent pests getting in
Seal gaps around pipes

Deep clean food areas and tighten up food storage

Spring pests are opportunists. If they can smell food, they’ll keep coming back. Before spring, give your kitchen a proper reset:


  • pull out the cooker and fridge and clean underneath

  • wipe down cupboard edges, kickboards, and behind bins

  • vacuum crumbs from drawers and toaster areas

  • clean pet feeding areas and store pet food in sealed containers; rodents can easily gnaw through even the toughest vacuum sealed packaging.


Move dry goods (cereals, flour, pasta) into airtight tubs. This is particularly helpful for preventing ants, pantry moths, fruit flies and other stored-product pests. It also makes it far easier to spot early signs, like tiny droppings, chew marks, or webbing in packaging.

A woman packing dried foods into containers as one of her 5 pest control tasks

Check lofts, cellars, garages and sheds for nesting signs


Quiet, undisturbed spaces are prime real estate for pests. Loft spaces can attract rodents and birds; sheds and garages can shelter insects and offer nesting materials. Before spring:


  • inspect insulation for disturbance, trails or droppings

  • look for gnaw marks on stored items

  • check for gaps at eaves, soffits, and under roof tiles

  • declutter and keep storage off the floor where possible; or book a professional loft clearing service


This is also where it’s worth mentioning Glis glis (edible dormouse). In some areas, Glis glis can enter lofts and roof voids, creating noise at night and damaging insulation and wiring. If you suspect Glis glis activity, don’t ignore it, and avoid DIY handling, as the approach needs to be appropriate and compliant.


Tidy the garden to remove shelter and breeding spots


Your garden can either be a buffer zone or a launchpad for pests. A quick pre-spring tidy can significantly reduce harbourage:


  • cut back overgrown vegetation touching the house

  • clear leaf litter and weeds from patios and borders

  • keep compost lidded and avoid adding cooked food scraps

  • store firewood off the ground and away from walls

  • fix standing water issues (old buckets, clogged drains, water butts)


This helps reduce slugs and snails, ants, midges, and wasps later in the season. It also discourages rodents by removing cover and easy nesting materials.


Inspect waste areas and improve bin hygiene


Bins are one of the biggest pest magnets, especially as temperatures rise. Before spring:


  • clean household and food bins with hot soapy water

  • disinfect and dry them, then use bin liners consistently

  • keep external bins shut and, where possible, in a sheltered area

  • rinse recyclables to reduce odours and residue


If foxes or rodents are disturbing waste, consider bin straps and review where bins are placed. Good bin management helps deter rats, mice, flies, and scavenging pests.

An infographic of a pest control tasks checklist

Feel Free To Contact Stratton For Help With Your Pest Control Tasks


DIY prevention is powerful, but if you’re hearing scratching in the loft or under the floorboards (or sometimes even in wall cavities), spotting droppings, noticing repeat wasp activity, or seeing pests despite your best efforts, it’s time to get professional help. Stratton Pest Control provides friendly, discreet domestic pest control across Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Essex, Cambridgeshire, North London, Oxfordshire, Northamptonshire, Norfolk and Suffolk.


If you’d like reassurance before spring, or you suspect rodents or Glis glis in roof spaces, we can inspect, identify the cause, and recommend a safe, effective treatment plan tailored to your home.


Does Stratton Pest Control cover my area?  Stratton Pest Control covers


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