Indoor BMPs: Structural: Walls, Windows, Roofs, Eaves
Best Management Practices to Reduce Structural Pests
Wildlife (squirrels, bats, birds, raccoons, and skunks) can enter buildings via the roof, vents, soffits, and windows.
Integrated pest management combines inspections, pest knowledge, control tactics, monitoring, recordkeeping, and communication to reduce pest problems. IPM seeks to minimize environmental, health, and economic risks by using exclusion to keep pests out. Success of an IPM program can be enhanced by including faculty, students, staff, and administration as part of the solution.
Inspection:
- Inspect rooflines in late winter and early fall for signs of possible access (openings)
- Inspect utility rooms, attics, and similar areas on top levels of the building
Exclusion:
- Prune tree branches to be no closer than ten feet from a building
- Seal openings with exclusion products such as hardware cloth, rustproof “steel wool” replacement products, and flexible sealants
- Keep foundation perimeter free of debris
- Keep gable, soffit, roof, and other vents in good repair and made with animal-resistant materials and design
Common Pests
- ants, carpenter
- ants, little black
- ants, odorous house
- ants, pavement
- ants, pharaoh
- Asian lady beetle
- boxelder bug
- brown bats
- brown marmorated stink bug
- cockroach, American
- cockroach, brownbanded
- cockroach, German
- flies, cluster
- flies, house
- mice, deer and white-footed
- mice, house
- Norway and black rats
- spiders
- termites
Resources (PDFs)
- IPM for Dealing with Bird Pests
- Stinging Insect Comparison Chart
- University of Tennessee Maintenance IPM Poster
- IPM Poster for Custodians
- Long-term Management of Structural Squirrel and Bat Problems
- Simple Inspection Form
- University of California IPM: A Curriculum for Early Care and Education Programs
- IPM for Pennsylvania Schools: A How-To Manual
- Action Thresholds in School IPM Programs
For More Information
- NH Asthma Collaborative: AsthmaNow NH
- Wasp and Bee Management: A Common-Sense Approach
- Wildlife Control Information
- Beasts Begone: A Practitioner’s Guide to IPM in Buildings
Supplemental List of Vendors for Exclusion Supplies
This site was produced by the New York State IPM Program of Cornell University, with funding from a Northeastern IPM Center Partnership Grant, in collaboration with the School IPM Working Group. Content reviewed and updated: February 2020.
If you have a disability and are having trouble accessing information on this website or need materials in an alternate format, contact web-accessibility@cornell.edu for assistance.
Regional IPM Centers are sponsored by the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture.