WHATCOM COUNTY, WA (MyBellinghamNow.com) – Spooky season is upon us! That means ghosts, ghouls, spiders and rats abound. While protecting yourself from the ghosts may be a little out of their wheelhouse, pest management companies can handle those more solid-bodied creatures that go bump in the night.

The best move before you need to call the pest control experts, however, will be to make sure you don’t have a problem in the first place.

Sealing up nooks and crannies in the house will stop things that should stay outside from coming in. That means crawlspaces, basements, windows, doors and where the wall meets the eves of the roof should be checked for access points and places where a rat or mouse could take residence.

Some foundations in Whatcom County are just wood panels on the sides of an open crawlspace. Going around the outside of the house to spot where the wood may not be the sturdiest and where some added protection may prevent rodents from making their way inside is a good idea at this time of year. It’s still warm enough most days that some outdoor work on weekend can be perhaps pleasant.

Another reason to check the home’s perimeter comes from what the rodents might do when they’re inside the home. Yes, they may eat your food, or scare the daylights out of you, but they can also wreak havoc on wiring in the walls or damage other important parts of the home, leading to some costly repairs down the line.

“It’s always more economical to prevent pest issues than to deal with an active infestation,” Bio Bug’s local pest expert Steve Cornwell said. “Bio Bug will do a free inspection of exteriors, attics and crawlspaces and make suggestions on how to prevent an infestation.”

The spectre of spooky ghouls can be a good laugh to terrify your family and friends, but you don’t want the lights to go out suddenly because the rats were having a meal on your wiring.

When in doubt, calling your local pest management expert will help you find those problem areas and make sure that the only things going bump in the night are you and yours.