The kitchen is the number one entry point for cockroaches, ants, and rodents. It has everything they need: food scraps, moisture under the sink, warmth from appliances, and plenty of dark crevices to hide in.

• Store dry goods in sealed containers. Open bags of pasta, rice, flour, or cereal are an open invitation. Transfer everything into airtight containers.
• Fix any dripping taps or leaks under the sink. Cockroaches and rodents are drawn to moisture. A slow drip is enough to sustain a colony through winter.
• Pull out and clean behind large appliances. Grease and crumbs accumulate behind the fridge and oven. These are prime harbouring zones for cockroaches.
• Check the seal on your bin lid. Uncovered or poorly sealed bins are a reliable food source. Use bins with tight-fitting lids and empty them regularly.
• Inspect cupboard corners and under the sink for droppings, egg casings, or gnaw marks. Early signs are far easier to deal with than an established infestation.

Quick tip: Wipe down bench tops and behind the toaster every night. It takes 30 seconds and removes the food trail that guides cockroaches in overnight.

Humidity is the bathroom's biggest pest risk. Cockroaches thrive in warm, moist environments, and silverfish are almost entirely humidity-dependent. Getting air moving through your bathroom is the single most effective prevention step.

• Run the exhaust fan during and after every shower. Leave it on for 10-15 minutes after you're done. Reducing moisture levels makes the space less hospitable to cockroaches and silverfish.
• Check under the vanity for leaks. Even slow pipe weeps create enough moisture for cockroaches to survive for months. Fix them promptly.
• Seal gaps around pipes and plumbing penetrations in the wall and floor. These are common entry points for both cockroaches and rodents.
• Check inside the vanity cabinet for silverfish activity. Look for irregular feeding damage on toilet paper rolls, cardboard packaging, or paper towel. Silverfish are nocturnal, so you may not see them directly.
• Remove clutter from the floor. Wet towels, bath mats, and accumulated items on the floor create the dark, humid conditions silverfish love.

Quick tip: A silicon bead around the base of your toilet and along skirting board joins takes minutes to apply and closes off entry points pests use to move between rooms.

The roof cavity is where rodent problems almost always start in winter. Rats and mice move in from trees and neighbouring properties as soon as the temperature drops, and they can cause serious damage to wiring, insulation, and stored items before you ever hear them.

• Listen for scratching or scurrying sounds at night, particularly in the first few hours after dark. Rodents are most active shortly after sunset.
• Inspect the roof perimeter for gaps at ridge capping, eave junctions, and around vent covers. Rodents can squeeze through a gap as small as 2cm.
• Check roof vents and exhaust fan outlets. These should be fitted with pest-resistant mesh. If the mesh is rusted, torn, or missing, replace it before winter sets in.
• Trim back any overhanging tree branches to at least a metre from the roofline. Branches are the primary highway rodents use to access rooftops.
• Look for fresh smear marks, droppings, or gnawed edges at the manhole entry. These are reliable indicators of active rodent use.

Quick tip: If you suspect rodents in the roof, call a licensed technician before self-treating. Roof cavities are hazardous environments, and incorrectly placed baits can cause secondary poisoning of pets or birds of prey.

Garages and storage rooms are often overlooked during pest-proofing, but they're a primary winter staging ground for silverfish, rodents, and spiders. Clutter, cardboard, and infrequent foot traffic make these spaces ideal for pest activity to go unnoticed for months.

• Declutter thoroughly. Boxes of old paperwork, magazines, and fabric items stored directly on the floor are a silverfish magnet. Raise items off the ground using plastic shelving.
• Switch from cardboard boxes to sealed plastic storage containers. Cardboard is both a food source and a nesting material for silverfish, cockroaches, and rodents.
• Check the garage door seal. The rubber weather strip along the base of the garage door is one of the most common rodent entry points in Australian homes. Replace any that is cracked, flattened, or missing.
• Inspect corners, behind stored items, and along the junction of the wall and floor for spider webs, rodent droppings, or silverfish damage.
• Do not store pet food or birdseed in the garage unless it's in a sealed airtight container. Loose pet food is one of the fastest ways to attract rodents.

Quick tip: Spider populations in garages spike in late autumn and early winter as they seek shelter. A seasonal general pest treatment applied to the garage perimeter at the start of winter significantly reduces harbourage.

The exterior of your home is your first line of defence. Sealing entry points and removing conditions that attract pests before winter begins is far more effective than treating an active infestation once they're already inside.

• Trim overhanging branches away from the roofline, guttering, and any exterior walls. This removes the bridge rodents and possums use to access your home.
• Seal weep holes in brick veneer using purpose-built stainless steel weep hole covers. Weep holes are a primary entry point for cockroaches, spiders, and rodents.
• Check door and window seals around the full perimeter. A gap at the bottom of a door that lets light through will also let cockroaches, ants, and spiders through. Fit door sweeps where necessary.
• Clear leaf litter, mulch, and debris from against the house walls. Damp organic matter harbours cockroaches, slaters, and provides cover for rodents.
• Check for standing water in pot plant saucers, blocked gutters, or low-lying garden areas. Mosquitoes can breed in as little as a bottle cap of still water.
• Inspect exposed timber on decking, pergolas, and fencing for signs of termite activity: mud leads, soft or hollow timber, or small mud-packed holes. Winter slows termites, but does not stop them.

Quick tip: A licensed pest technician can apply an exterior perimeter barrier treatment before winter that prevents most crawling pests from entering. This is one of the most cost-effective preventative steps available.