“Set mouse traps” was somewhere in the middle of this year’s fall checklist until just the other day as I walked into my utility closet, aptly dubbed the “mouse closet” years ago by my children, and spotted a tiny gray field mouse scurrying up the back side of my fireplace chimney. After the mouse traps were checked off my list, it was time for a closer inspection of my home and garden. Despite my diligence in maintaining my home, there is always work to be done, and I’ve learned a few lessons the hard way, like most homeowners.  

My adventures are not limited to mice. Several years ago during a routine inspection, a service person discovered two ducks in my chimney. Because the chimney cap was loose, the ducks found their way into the open flue. While some cultures consider ducks a sign of abundance, good luck, and prosperity, that day was unlucky for the ducks and expensive for me.  

Years ago, when my children were in high school, my daughter’s friend shrieked when she saw a chipmunk scampering through my kitchen. I was successful in capturing the critter in a live trap and releasing it outside. Multiple times. Scouring the house for an entry point, I absent-mindedly picked up a crumpled sweatshirt from my son’s bedroom floor only to discover a small pile of acorns underneath it. Now on an escalated mission, I discovered a quarter-sized hole in the screen near the bottom of one of my patio doors. I slammed the patio’s glass door shut, took the screen to the hardware store for repair and, to this day, only have chipmunks scampering outside my house.   

One late fall evening after a long day at the office, I was relaxing in my family room enjoying a glass of wine while watching the news. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw something flying in a circle near the ceiling. I had only a sip of wine. I called my neighbors, Gary and Bonnie, asking them to help me because “a bird was flying around in my house.” They arrived within minutes, Gary with a fishing net in hand. With one deft swoop, he netted the critter. It was a bat. We released it outside and then finished the bottle of wine. A pest control service found bats roosting in my attic, safely removed them, and installed exclusion devices to prevent their return. Lesson learned: wine and bats don’t mix.   

I’ve also learned valuable skills like how to start a fire without even trying. Every Saturday morning, I loved hopping on my garden tractor to mow the lawn, breathing in the smell of freshly cut grass and feeling the warmth of the sun on my face. That was true until the chilly fall day my lawn tractor engine started on fire, spreading so quickly that the volunteer fire department had to put it out. A concerned, albeit sassy, neighbor quipped that outsourcing lawn care was likely a better option for me. So, take it from me and make sure to clean your equipment regularly from dried grass or other debris, and know when to seek professional help. Lawn care help, that is. 

To help you with your fall maintenance journey, I offer my handy and exhausting checklist to make sure your home is warm, safe and critter free until spring. 

Loose shingles, branches overhanging the roof and leaf-clogged gutters are among the most common fall home exterior issues to be addressed.

Home Exterior – Visual Charm & Safety

• Inspect your roof for cracked, curled, loose, or missing shingles. Ensure chimney caps and protective shrouds are in place and secure.
• Clean gutters and downspouts. Make sure your downspouts extend at least six feet from your home to protect its foundation from water damage. Lawnmowers, critters, pets, and children (of all ages) can loosen or damage downspouts during the summer. 
• Inspect and seal your deck to ensure it is safe and sturdy. Inspect decks for decay, damage, insects, and loose boards or railings. 
• Repair your driveway and sidewalks because snow, ice, and salt can further damage cracks in concrete and asphalt. Pull weeds before fixing any cracks or gaps. 
• Shut off outdoor water spigots, drain excess water, and insulate them with outdoor faucet covers. Empty and store garden hoses. 
• Check your home’s foundation for cracks. Caulk where masonry meets siding or where pipes or wires enter the house. Fill gaps between cement patios or stairways and your house with steel wool to prevent mice from entering your home as the weather turns colder. Several years ago, I rented a thermal imaging camera to detect where heat was escaping my house. After filling any noted gaps with steel wool, my home stayed mouse-free over the winter.   

Lawn & Garden Care – Prevention & Preparation

Lawn

• Mow your lawn a final time for the year to about two inches.
• Aerate your lawn to allow micronutrients, water, sunlight, and oxygen to sink into the lawn’s root system. A healthy root system protects your lawn from weeds and unwanted grasses. 
• Spread pre-emergent to prevent weeds from germinating and robbing nutrition from the soil during the winter.
• Apply lawn fertilizer two or three weeks before the first frost.
• Clean your lawn care equipment thoroughly before storing it for the winter. 

Fall weeding helps to prevent spring weed growth. Seed-producing flowers, like coneflowers, should be left for finches or other birds searching for food over the winter. 

Flower Gardens, Trees & Shrubs

• Water your trees after their leaves have fallen and before the ground freezes. Be sure to do this before the temperature drops below 40°.
• Add a thick mulch layer to the base of your trees, shrubs, and bushes to protect their roots from snow and ice. Shredded fallen leaves from your yard are a cost-efficient mulch.
• Wrap small trees and shrubs to protect them from cold, wind, and snow. 
• Consider pest prevention measures, like removing dead branches and weeds, to protect your plants from deer, rabbits, mice, or other potentially destructive critters searching for food or shelter in the snow.
• Leave plants that dry and go to seed, like coneflowers, for birds to enjoy as warm weather food sources become scarce. 
• Keep dried leaves and desirable plant matter in your gardens so bees and beneficial insects have places to winter. 
• Dig up non-hardy bulbs, like dahlias, after the first hard freeze. Allow any leaves to wither and dry. Keep some dirt around the bulbs and allow them to dry before storing them in a dark, cool area in an unsealed cardboard box.

Layers of compost and mulch discourage spring weed growth. 

Vegetable Gardens

• Remove dead vegetation and weeds. Fall weeding is important because one unpulled fall weed can produce hundreds of seeds to grow weeds in the spring. 
• Start or add to your compost pile or bin. Make sure not to add any diseased plants to your compost. 
• Cover your garden first with a layer of finished compost and then with a layer of mulch to discourage weeds and protect the soil. Use a layer of shredded dry leaves as mulch. 
• Perform a soil test to see if any nutrients are needed or pH adjusted for healthy levels of soil acidity and alkalinity.
• Repair or expand any fencing or raised beds.
• Plan next year’s planting! 

Outdoor Tools & Accessories

• Empty gas from small engine tools such as weed whippers and blowers so oxygen cannot break down and ruin the gas. 
• Install your lawn tractor’s snow shovel hookup after your final mowing.
• Fuel and test your snow removal equipment.
• Stock up on ice melt for your sidewalk and driveway. Keep an extra gallon of windshield wiper fluid on hand. Pile firewood close, but not next to your house.
• Store and cover your lawn furniture. Place outdoor furniture cushions in covered bins to avoid damage from mice or squirrels. 
• Clean and swap out bird feeders. Remember birds need higher calorie feed, like suet, to maintain body heat in cold weather.  

Indoor Preparation – Cozy & Safe Sanctuary

• Check your attic for signs of bats or mice. Enough said. 
• Have your chimneys cleaned by a professional to avoid chimney fires, prevent carbon monoxide poisoning, and improve heating efficiency.  
• Check your smoke detectors. The National Fire Protection Agency (NFPA) recommends ensuring there is at least one smoke detector on every level of your home, in all bedrooms, and near all sleeping areas. They further advise testing the detectors monthly, replacing their batteries any time they chirp, swapping detectors after 10 years, and using interconnected smoke detectors for full home protection.
• Check your carbon monoxide (CO) detectors. NFPA recommends testing CO alarms at least once a month; replace them according to the manufacturer’s instructions. If the audible trouble signal sounds, check for low batteries. If the battery is low, replace it. If it still sounds, call the fire department. If the CO alarm sounds, immediately move to a fresh air location outdoors or by an open window or door. Make sure everyone inside the home is accounted for. Call for help from a fresh air location and stay there until emergency personnel arrive.
• Inspect your fire extinguishers by confirming the pressure gauge is in the operable range. NFPA recommends “know when to go as fire extinguishers are one element of a fire response plan, but the primary element is safe escape.” 
• Clean the dryer vent to the outside of your house to avoid fire.
• Reverse your ceiling fan direction to create an upward draft to redistribute warm air. 
• Check any screens that stay on your doors or windows over the winter, especially patio doors, for holes or other damage. 
• Check your basement for leaks or signs of moisture, sump pump problems, and signs of pest activity. Check your basement windows for drafts and damaged frames and panes. Repair or add window wells. 
• Check your exterior door sweeps for cracks, gaps, or other damage to discourage mice from entering your home in the winter and from toads in the spring. Believe me on this one. 

Heating Systems – Warmth & Efficiency

Emergency HVAC repairs can run an additional $40 to $80 per hour and seem to be needed at the least convenient times, particularly on weekends when guests are about to arrive. 

• Schedule an inspection and tune-up with a licensed heating, ventilation, and air conditioning professional. 
• Replace air conditioning filters in the fall and furnace filters throughout the heating season to keep your system operating properly. Calendar reminders work!
• Remove any leaves or debris from around your outdoor unit to ensure proper airflow. 
• Double-check any programmed thermostat controls to ensure your home stays at temperatures comfortable for you. 

Exhausted?

Are you exhausted thinking about all you have to do to prepare your home and garden for winter? Many people can help you! My local hardware store representatives have been incredibly helpful in providing solutions or recommendations for most of my unique home and garden maintenance problems. I recently learned that Ace Hardware Handyman Servicescan help “to schedule a multi-skilled handyman qualified to safely perform 1,162 household projects to knock out your To-Do list.”