Every home comes with a pest history — previous owner's habits, existing entry points, dormant populations in wall voids, and moisture conditions that have been developing for years. The first 30 days after closing are the best time to assess, treat, and prevent — before your furniture blocks access to walls and corners.
Walk the interior: Check under every sink for leaks and pest droppings. Open all cabinets and check corners with a flashlight. Pull out built-in appliances (stove, fridge, dishwasher) and check behind them for cockroach evidence. Check the attic for rodent droppings, damaged insulation, and bat guano. Check the basement/crawl space for moisture, termite mud tubes, and rodent activity.
Walk the exterior: Note every gap, crack, and penetration. Check the 15 most common entry points. Assess mulch distance from foundation. Check gutter condition. Note any existing pest damage (termite mud tubes, carpenter ant frass, woodpecker holes indicating wood-boring beetles).
Exclusion first: Seal pipe penetrations under all sinks with copper mesh + silicone caulk. Install door sweeps on every exterior door. Seal foundation cracks. Cover crawl space vents with hardware cloth. Replace damaged window screens. This $20–40 in materials prevents 80% of future pest entries.
Void treatment: Remove outlet covers on exterior walls and puff CimeXa dust into wall voids. This provides 10+ years of protection against cockroaches, silverfish, and spiders in areas you'll never access again once furniture is placed.
Set monitoring: Place glue boards in the garage, basement, behind the fridge, and under bathroom sinks. Check after 2 weeks — what you catch tells you exactly what pest populations exist and where to focus treatment.
Termite inspection: If your home purchase didn't include a WDI/WDO report, schedule one now. Cost: $75–200. This is critical in any state south of the Mason-Dixon line or on the Pacific coast.
Set up a termite bond if you're in a termite-prone area — the annual renewal is inexpensive insurance against damage homeowner policies won't cover.
Establish a perimeter treatment schedule: First perimeter spray application now, then every 60–90 days. This is the backbone of ongoing pest prevention for most homes.