Down Spout

October 3rd, 2005 admin

Down+Spout

Clean Gutters Can Help Prevent Pest Infestations by Casey Jones

Gutters that are left alone to get clogged up with silt, and broken down leaf material will oftentimes harbor the specific types of bacteria that lead to mosquito, fly, ant, and other insect infestations. For this reason, Casey Jones of Loudoun Lawn & Pest Management, a pest control expert in Leesburg, Virginia, says that homeowners should keep their gutters clean as possible.

As we know, excess moisture is what causes most types of pest infestations. Gutters that are full of debris will retain moisture more so than gutters that are free of debris and able to drain properly. Insects and moisture sort of go together; so anytime you have a lot of moisture, your insect activity will usually be kind of high.

Have Your Gutters Cleaned Out
One of the most avoidable causes of pest infestation problems is clogged gutters. Before moving forward with any pest control program for homeowners in Leesburg, I will advise clients to have their gutters cleaned out to see if that helps fix the problem. Without a source of moisture or bacteria, the mosquitoes, flies, and gnats that have been festering will have nowhere else to breed.

Ideally, when the gutters are unclogged and free of debris, water should be running through them rather than down the side of the house. This will keep the area around the foundation of the home as dry as possible, which will reduce the chances of a termite infestation.

When a homeowner in Leesburg calls our company for a pest control inspection, we will frequently begin by checking out the homeowner�s gutters for signs of excess moisture or debris. That is one of the first places that we do look. And when we do a thorough termite inspection, we always look at gutters and gutter down spouts to try and determine how much moisture is lying around the foundation of the home.

Avoid Serious Results
The buildup of moisture and bacteria in gutters, in some cases, can even lead to certain shrubbery and trees growing inside the gutters themselves, further preventing the rain water from draining through the system properly. I have driven up to many houses and seen gutters that looked like they had trees and grass growing out of them, which is never a good sign for the state of the property in terms of infestations and bacteria levels.

However, more serious than the growth of shrubberies and trees inside the gutters is threat of the gutters themselves eventually pulling away from the fascia board on the side of the home. If the gutters do this�which they will, if they are left clogged up for a long enough period of time�then the water that should be draining through the gutters will instead start pouring down from the side of the home during the rainy season.

Rather than going through the gutters, the water begins pooling at the base, which presents a problem to the home�s foundation when. Having excess water pooling around the foundation of a home is conducive to termite activity. Because termites themselves are some of the most dangerous pests to infest homes, it is important that homeowners in Leesburg get them under control as quickly as possible.

Use Leaf Defier System
Those who leave their gutters clogged up and refuse to take care of them are almost guaranteed to get termites in their home at some point in the future. In addition, homeowners with dirty gutters in Leesburg will have other pest control issues, including having infestations of other general insects such as mosquitoes, flies, gnats, and anything that breeds in dirt or moisture. With insects, that means there is going to be an elevated problem when your gutters are left like that.

Rather than allowing your home to get infested with insects, the goal should always be to keep your gutters as clean as possible so that water can flow freely down them without getting derailed. Fortunately, we offer a solution that can make keeping gutters free of debris much easier. We install something called the Leaf Defier system, which consists of a �foam permeable insert� that is fitted and placed down inside a homeowner�s gutters. This foam piece keeps leaves from getting into the gutters in the first place so that the homeowner does not have to worry about getting in there and cleaning them out.

Keeping gutters clean and clear can seem like a daunting task, especially for those living in heavily wooded areas surrounded by trees. That is why I recommend always contacting a pest control company to help prevent pest infestations.

About the Author

Casey Jones is a writer for http://www.yodle.com�">Yodle , a business directory and online advertising company. Find a pest exterminator or more related articles at Yodle Consumer Guide.