How to Keep Bugs Out of Your Basement: 4 Important Tips

While you want to do what you can to keep them away, basement bugs are likely lurking beneath your feet. Bugs love basements because they’re typically attracted to dark and damp spaces. Basements also tend to provide more hiding spots than the rest of your home and pests can hang around longer (and breed) undisturbed.

Bugs can also sometimes find their way directly into a basement via foundational areas around the home. Bugs can fit through the smallest cracks and can squeeze into your basement this way.

If you’ve ever gone to the basement and lifted a storage bin or box, only to find a bug scurry out, you know exactly what we mean. Bugs love coming inside for an escape from the elements, but they don’t want to get caught.

While that’s not to say that bugs won’t be found in other areas of your home (some of the other likely spots include kitchens, bathrooms, and attics), basement bugs are probably the most common.

That’s why, in this article, we’ll address how to keep bugs out of your basement. We believe you deserve to have peace of mind when spending time in your basement. You shouldn’t have to be worried about what’s lurking down there!

How to Keep Bugs Out of Your Basement

Some of the bugs most commonly found in the basement include spiders, centipedes, millipedes, silverfish, roaches, and crickets.

Here are a few of our best tips for dealing with basement bugs.

#1: Declutter

As we’ve mentioned, basement bugs love to hide. They are rarely out in the open, other than when they’re scurrying from one hiding spot to the next. One way to address these pests is to declutter and eliminate their hiding spots. You’ll make your basement less “comfortable” for these unwanted houseguests.

Get items up off the floor, put valuables in air-tight containers, and vacuum up debris. It can be a lot of work, but it’ll also make your basement more enjoyable and organized.

#2: Eliminate Moisture

Since many basement bugs prefer moisture, you can also take steps to make your basement dry with waterproofing and/or a dehumidifier. This is also helpful in preventing water damage. 

Dehumidifiers work by collecting water from the air. Since bugs love moisture and humidity, you’ll make it a less hospitable environment for them to live in.

In addition, if you have any leaky pipes or faucets, these can also be bug attractors. Fix up any areas where water gets out.

#3: Seal Up Cracks

To keep bugs out of your basement, you’ll also want to think about how they’re making it inside in the first place. Sealing up cracks is another way that you can help deter bugs from coming inside. 

You can also patch torn screens and seal up excess space around windows and door frames.

Of course, since bugs can squeeze through teeny-tiny cracks, sometimes it’s challenging to eliminate ALL of their entry points. But you can still make an effort to reduce their chances of getting inside.

#4: Invest in Pest Control Services

Each of the efforts above can make a difference in reducing the number of basement bugs lurking around. But the best way to keep bugs out of your basement is to invest in pest control services.

That’s because even with your best efforts, bugs are likely making their way inside. A cozy home (even if it’s decluttered and dry) is still more appealing and comfortable than being stuck outside in the cold or the baking sun. 

Ideally, if you want to prevent pests from making it inside, then pest control is an effective solution. It works by performing a barrier around your home that shields pests from coming inside in the first place.

Of course, if you think you already have bugs in the basement (as most people do), you might be wondering how to get rid of bugs in your basement (as opposed to preventing them). 

For existing bugs, things like traps and vacuuming them up (out of their hiding spaces), can make a difference. 

You’ll also want to clear spider webs and other bug debris you find around the basement. But going forward, with preventative pest control in place, you’ll start to eliminate food sources (after all many bugs eat other bugs) and reduce future bug-breeding in your home.

Choosing Seacoast to Get Rid of Basement Bugs (and More!)

At Seacoast Turf Care, serving New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and Maine, our pest control services cover most of the common household pests. It also covers mice (which also like to hang around the basement). And, it’ll keep bugs out of other areas of your home, too, because it will prevent them from coming inside in the first place. 

With effective, quarterly treatments, you can keep many pests out of your home. This is important as sometimes a simple bug problem can become a full-blown infestation if given the chance. Certain pests, like German Cockroaches (as an example), can breed quickly and your problem can multiply. 

If you truly want peace of mind that you’re keeping pests away, investing in professional pest control is a wise choice. By taking the right steps, you’ll be able to get back to enjoying life as usual.

Want to learn more about how pest control services can protect your family and give you peace of mind? At Seacoast Turf Care, we service NH towns near Stratham, North Hampton, Exeter and many more. Get pest control pricing for your Southern NH, Southern Maine, or Northeastern Massachusetts property.

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