Why It's So Important to Winterize Your Home

(ARA) - Right now we're basking in the sunshine, but before you know it, the cooler temperatures of winter will set in. While it's still comfortable outside is a great time to winterize your home or business, especially since the U.S. Department of Energy is once again forecasting a huge hike in residential heating bills.

Here are three simple things you can do that will not only save money but aggravation:

1. Check your home for leaks.
Improperly sealed homes can waste 10 to 15 percent of the homeowner's heating dollars. Prevent good money from going to waste by checking around doors and windows for leaks and drafts. You can find them by holding a lit incense stick up to the most common drafty areas on a breezy day: recessed lighting, window and door frames, electrical outlets. If the flame goes out, you've discovered a leak that needs to be sealed with either caulk or weather stripping.

2. Perform routine maintenance on your home's heating system.
Have a qualified heating contractor inspect and service your system every fall to ensure it is safe and working at peak efficiency. If you have a forced-air heating system, you should also clean or replace the filter monthly and keep heat vents open and unobstructed by furniture. If you have a gas or oil furnace, consider adding a high-efficiency heat pump. It could save you up to 60 percent on heating costs this winter and keep you cool next summer.

3. Bird-proof your home.
Not all birds fly South for the winter. Pigeons, starlings, sparrows and doves are among the species that stay in their home territories year-round, It's not uncommon to find them roosting under the eaves of a home to get out of the wind, taking refuge from the snow inside a chimney, or even making their way into the attic of a home with broken soffit covers to keep warm.

The experts at Bird-B-Gone, the largest manufacturer and distributor of pest bird control products in North America, say that many resident bird species will be looking for warm spots to roost and nest during the winter. Owner Bruce Donoho offers this advice: "Doing a quick check around your home to bird proof for the winter can save time and money in the future". He adds that swallows could be a problem come March, so its best to bird proof ahead of time.

Inside your home and its structures is the last place you want birds to make themselves comfortable. Their nests can carry a host of parasites such as bird mites, which when left untreated, can spread around the home in no time.. Nests and droppings may also block gutters and drains and the acidic droppings can erode building materials. As if that wasn't bad enough, bird droppings can also be a threat to human health as they carry allergens and diseases.

But keeping them away from your house is easy with just a little know-how. Focus on these proven scare tactics:

* Open vents create a good space for birds to nest in the winter. Purchasing vent covers to block the birds' access will force birds to move on to a better spot. Netting and wire mesh can also be used to block these areas.

* If you have pigeons sitting on your roof or window sills putting up bird spikes is the way to go. The plastic or metal devices come in 2-foot strips that are easy to install on roof peaks, flat or curved surfaces, ledges and window sills. They are available in a variety of materials, but stainless steel, which will not warp or rust, is best.

* Just as it can be used to prevent birds from attacking your garden, putting up netting is a good way to prevent them from getting under your air conditioning unit, roosting under eaves, or finding their way into your attic through broken soffit covers. For chimneys, a chimney cap is a great way to deter birds and other pests from entering.

Not sure how to execute these solutions on your own? Get in touch with the experts at Bird-B-Gone, Inc. by calling (800) 392-6915. They can talk you through the steps you need to take to solve your bird problem, or help put you in touch with a pest control company that can help. If you decide to go it alone, you can purchase all the items you need to solve your problem through the Web site: www.absoutebirdcontrol.com.

Courtesy of ARAcontent