Spring cleaning and pest prevention overlap almost completely. Decluttering removes pest harborage. Deep-cleaning removes food sources. Moving furniture reveals hidden infestations. Inspecting windows and doors finds entry points. If you add a pest-prevention lens to your existing spring cleaning routine, you get year-round pest protection as a bonus — for zero extra cost.
Pull out the stove and refrigerator. Vacuum and mop behind them. This removes the grease and crumb buildup that sustains cockroach and ant populations year-round. While they're pulled out, seal any wall gaps around utility connections with silicone caulk.
Purge the pantry. Check every opened package for pantry moth webbing or weevil evidence. Transfer open dry goods into sealed containers. Discard anything expired or unsealed. Wipe down shelves.
Clean under the sink. Check for leaks (cockroach water source). Seal pipe penetrations. Remove clutter that provides harborage.
Flip and vacuum mattresses. Check seams for bed bug evidence — dark fecal spots, shed skins. If you don't have mattress encasements, spring is the time to add them.
Inspect stored clothing. Check wool, cashmere, and silk items for clothes moth damage (holes, silken tubes). Launder or dry-clean winter clothing before storing. Store in sealed bins or garment bags with cedar blocks.
Declutter closets and under beds. Clutter provides harborage for spiders, silverfish, and carpet beetles. Less stuff = fewer hiding places.
Replace cardboard with plastic bins. Cardboard is cockroach habitat, silverfish food, and mouse nesting material. This single switch eliminates the most common harborage material in storage areas.
Check for moisture. Look for condensation on pipes, water staining on walls, and musty odors. Address with a dehumidifier and pipe insulation. Moisture is the #1 pest attractant.
Set monitoring traps. Place glue boards along walls — they'll tell you what's been active over winter and what to target with treatment.
Clean gutters. Clogged gutters create standing water (mosquito breeding) and direct water against the foundation (moisture pests, termites).
Pull mulch back 6 inches from the foundation. Trim vegetation touching the house. Move firewood 20 feet from the structure.
Walk the foundation. Check for new cracks, gaps around utilities, damaged door sweeps, and torn window screens. Seal everything before spring pest activity ramps up.
Eliminate standing water. Empty flowerpot saucers, clean birdbaths, check tarps and toys for collected rainwater. Mosquito season starts now — remove breeding sites before the first generation hatches.