New Year, Pest-Free Home: A Complete Pest Prevention Checklist for Georgia Homeowners

The new year is a great time to reset your home’s pest prevention. Winter is actually the best time to find and seal entry points, pests are less active and the damage from summer and fall infestations is easier to see with landscaping thinned out. Work through this checklist before spring pest season kicks off, and you’ll start the year ahead of the problem.

Exterior, Start Outside

Foundation and walls:

• Walk the entire foundation line looking for cracks, gaps, and holes larger than ¼ inch
• Inspect where all utilities enter the home (electrical, plumbing, cable, HVAC lines), seal any gaps with steel wool plus foam or caulk
• Check the seals around exterior faucets (hose bibs)
• Look for mud tubes (termite sign) along the foundation, in the crawlspace, and on any exposed wood

Doors and windows:

• Test all exterior door weatherstripping, it should compress and seal when the door is closed
• Replace worn door sweeps, especially on the garage door
• Inspect window screens for tears or gaps, repair or replace damaged screens
• Make sure window frames are well-caulked on the exterior

Roof and attic access:

• Check soffit vents and gable vents, screens should be intact and firmly attached
• Look for gaps where the roof meets any vertical surface (chimney, dormer walls)
• Trim any tree branches that are touching or within 6 feet of the roofline

Yard:

• Move firewood at least 20 feet from the house and store it elevated off the ground
• Clear leaf piles, debris, and clutter from around the foundation
• Check mulch beds, keep them thin (2 inches) and pulled away from the siding
• Walk the yard for standing water or chronically wet spots that could breed mosquitoes in spring

Garage

• Inspect the garage door seal along the bottom, should lie flat with no gaps
• Look in corners and along walls for rodent droppings, nesting material, or gnaw marks
• Check stored cardboard boxes, roaches and mice love them. Switch to sealed plastic bins
• Inspect where any pipes or wires pass through the garage walls

Kitchen

• Pull out the stove and refrigerator and clean behind them, crumbs and grease behind appliances are major cockroach attractants
• Check under the sink for dripping pipes, fix any leaks (moisture is a key roach and silverfish attractant)
• Inspect where pipes pass through cabinet walls under the sink, seal gaps
• Move pantry items from paper/cardboard packaging into sealed hard-sided containers
• Check dry goods (rice, oats, flour, pasta) for signs of pantry moths or grain beetles, discard anything with webbing or insects

Bathrooms

• Check under sinks for leaks and inspect pipe penetrations
• Look at the base of toilets and around tub surrounds for gaps in caulk (moisture intrusion points)
• Inspect exhaust fan, if it doesn’t have a damper, it’s an entry point for insects

Basement / Crawlspace

• Check for standing water or excessive moisture, a key indicator of a pest-hospitable environment
• Look for wood-to-soil contact, any wood touching the soil is a termite risk, including form boards and debris
• Inspect vapor barrier for damage or gaps
• Look for rodent droppings, tracks, or gnaw marks
• Check all foundation vents, screens should be intact

Schedule Your Professional Services

DIY prevention is valuable, but a professional inspection catches what you miss. January and February are ideal times to:

• Schedule a termite inspection before spring swarm season (February-April in Georgia)
• Set up a recurring general pest control program so treatments are applied before spring populations explode
• Address any rodent issues identified during your home walkthrough

Start the year pest-free. Contact Kilz Pest Control for a free home inspection and let us help you build a prevention plan for 2026. Call or text (706) 754-6248, we serve all of northeast Georgia.