As a homeowner, you know that being in charge of a house is a full-time responsibility. With this responsibility come numerous amounts of chores that need to be done year-round in order to maintain the cleanliness, comfort, and overall value of your property. These to-do lists often include unclogging pipes and drains, raking leaves, cleaning out garages and attics, and more. Among these tasks, there are few that are more dreaded than cleaning out your gutters. Cleaning out gutters isn’t an enjoyable way to pass time, that’s for sure, but in order to keep our homes in good condition, it’s important that it is done each season.
Why is it important? Clogged gutters can cause a lot of issues resulting from the buildup of water. For example, when the water can’t pass through the gutters to its intended area, it can seep through into the home and cause water damage to ceilings and walls. An unexpected consequence of this is that it may lead to unwanted pest infestations. Moist or wet wood draws in pests such as carpenter ants and termites that like to feed on wood products. Once the pest gets inside, the wet wood acts as a pathway to the solid wood in your home as well. Carpenter ants will use their incredibly strong mandibles to create tunnels and galleries that they’ll use to build satellite colonies all throughout your home. Carpenter ants will cause additional damage becoming even more costly and difficult to repair. Similarly, termites create tunnels—almost to the point where the inside of the wood looks completely hollow. Termite damage reduces the structural integrity of the wood and if they are left untreated the repairs may be extensive and extremely costly. Another consequence of not cleaning your gutters is that the water may become stagnant in one spot for so long, mosquitoes could use that water as breeding grounds. The female mosquito will lay her eggs on top of the water where they will hatch and eventually grow into adults. Mosquitoes are annoying as it is, why would you want to risk having even more directly outside of your home?
If you aren’t sure how to clean your gutters or would prefer your gutter maintenance to be in the hands of someone else, call Spencer Pest Services who will help create a pest free environment around your home. That includes any exterior treatments that will prevent pests from being attracted to your home and making their way inside. Spencer Pest Services believes that the best way to get rid of insects and rodents in your home is to prevent them from getting inside in the first place. Our residential pest control program focuses on figuring out how pests are entering the home and implementing solutions to these problems. Just like gutter maintenance needs to be done each season, so does pest prevention. Spencer Pest Services offers year-round prevention and elimination plans. That means that you can check pest control off your to-do list and continue being a responsible homeowner by protecting your home from unwanted pests.