Bugs crawling into your house through your air vents and nesting deep in your ductwork…The idea is scarier than any Halloween horror flick, isn’t it? If you want to know how to stop bugs from getting in your home, here are some things you can do to pest-proof your HVAC equipment.
Put Screens Over Air Vents
Air vents are the number one way for bugs to get in. If you’re seeing small insects and spiders in your house, there’s a good chance that they crawled in through a duct opening. One solution to this problem is installing insect screens on your indoor and outdoor vents. This is a service you can have done for you, but you can easily DIY by removing the vent cover, then using that as a pattern for how big a piece of insectscreen you’ll need to cut. If you need to attach the insect screen to an outside wall surface like brick, use caulk, and replace the vent cover.
Search for Cracks and Plants
While you’ve still got the caulk, use it on any cracks in your walls, foundation, and windows, so that no bugs can slip through the cracks!
Also, as you can imagine, having your A/C unit inside a forest is a great way to get bugs crawling inside it! So, clear away any foliage that’s within a foot of your A/C. Plants and flowers are nice, but you don’t want insects clogging up your unit. They may not be able to get into your house that way…unless you have a window air conditioner. Window units have “fins” on either side to keep the window sealed tight, but often it’s easy for bugs to crawl through them. Either add some insect screen over these panels, like we mentioned above, or have one of our professionals come out to check whether the unit was installed properly!
Call the Pest Professionals…
Speaking of professionals…if you’re still experiencing a bug infestation, don’t do anything hasty before calling an exterminator. We mentioned a “simple” DIY project above, but since you’re probably not a bug or HVAC expert, you should stay away from doing anything potentially dangerous to fix your pest problem. For example, whatever you do, don’t spray pesticide in your air conditioner ducts! When the A/C kicks on, the dangerous fumes from the pesticide will spread all over your house and make you and your family sick.
Similarly, your furnace produces toxic byproducts from combustion, and then your pipes carry the toxins like carbon monoxide out of your home. However, if those pipes have been blocked by a larger creepy-crawly like a bird, then the carbon monoxide remains in your home.
In either case, calling an exterminator is the most surefire way to get rid of your scarier-than-Halloween critter problems.
…Call the HVAC Professionals!
Lots of creepy crawlies, from scorpions to spiders to roaches, can squeeze through the smallest spaces looking for a damp, dark, warm place to stay. You might have seen news articles about cockroaches or stink bugs looking for a warm home in the winter. Both of these insects can produce a smell lowering the air quality, especially if your heater is on. Many insects can cause allergies through their feces and saliva.
If you think stink bugs smell bad normally, imagine how they smell being cooked in your heating ducts!
Does all of this sound unthinkably scary and gross, despite fitting in with the Halloween spirit?
Book an appointment with us and we’ll thoroughly inspect for any cracked, damaged, or open parts of your HVAC system. We will ensure that everything is pest-free and sealed uptight! Call us at (248) 986-1506 or schedule an appointment online.
