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Pest Control
> How
to keep out drafts and leaks
> Moisture
control
>
Pest control
Nobody likes the idea of pests or bugs
flying or crawling around their home. The following pest prevention
tips should help stop these little critters before they become
a big problem. Check for gaps in your manufactured home skirting,
and rips or holes in belly board. Seal and caulk windows and
doors. Repair holes in screens.
Do not install bird feeders right next
to the home. Check roof vents, siding, eaves, gutters and
air conditioner for openings. Treat any wood in contact with
the earth with an insecticide. Keep garbage in covered containers.
Keep food sealed or refrigerated. Check your pets for fleas
and ticks.
Even manufactured homes with metal siding
and metal roofs can be damaged by termites, carpenter ants
and other insects. Periodically inspect your home and spray
seams, corners and interior wood with insecticide. Be alert
for their telltale signs: piles of wings (which termites lose
in the spring), tunnels in wood, tunnels of dirt in foundation
walls, piles of sawdust under wood furniture or siding, and
the bugs themselves.
 To
get rid of these pests try any or all of the following methods.
Spray the interior wood with an insecticide. Use a household
insecticide throughout your home. (Be careful, though. Insecticide
and open pilot lights on water heaters and stoves can cause
an explosion. Make sure to read and follow all of the manufacturer's
instructions.) Call your local exterminator. Keep these pests
out of your home by filling cracks on exterior lumber with
caulking or asphalt roofing cement, and by replacing damaged
lumber with treated wood.
Another area of preventive pest control
concerns wild animals. Don't let animals live in your belly
board. They will destroy the insulation and damage the base
of your house. Contact your local animal shelter or county/state
department of natural resources for advice. Animal shelters
often will lend or rent live traps. Do not use poison outside
because you could inadvertently kill pets. After the creature
is gone, repair the tear and install tight-fitting skirting.
If you want to find out more information
about pests and how to control them, here are some sites you
may find useful:
> How
to keep out drafts and leaks
> Moisture
control
>
Pest control
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