By Affordable Pest Control · Updated October 2026
As nights cool off in Midland, Odessa, and across the Permian Basin, a lot of homeowners start noticing the same things: a spider in the tub, crickets in the garage, maybe a dropping or two under the kitchen sink. Most of those pests didn’t just appear. They found a way in.
This guide walks you through sealing up your home in one weekend afternoon, outside first and then inside, using supplies from any hardware store. At the end you’ll find a checklist to work from and answers to a few common questions.
Why do pests move into West Texas homes in the fall?
As nights cool, insects, spiders, and mice look for shelter, warmth, and water, and a house with small gaps gives them all three.
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension entomologists say cockroaches, spiders, and scorpions are the calls they expect most as temperatures drop, along with mice and several kinds of ants that nest inside walls for warmth.
That matches what we see here. “In the fall, we hear more about spiders, beetles, roaches, and mice,” says Shane at Affordable Pest Control. “They’re trying to find a home for the winter.”
Spiders also follow their food. Texas A&M’s brown recluse fact sheet points out that outdoor lights draw crickets and other insects, and spiders come along to eat them.
When should you pest-proof your Midland home?
Now, as nights start to cool and before the first cold snap, so gaps are sealed before pests start looking for winter shelter.
Plan on one weekend afternoon. Start outside, where pests get in, then work through the inside. If you already have regular service, this is a good list to tackle between visits. Our post on whether you need pest control in the winter explains why the colder months still matter in West Texas.
Step 1. How do you find the gaps pests use to get inside?
Walk the outside of your house, then the inside, and look anywhere pipes, wires, vents, doors, or the foundation leave an opening.
The CDC’s guide to sealing up against rodents lists the spots worth checking. Outside, look at:
Roof eaves, soffits, and gables
Windows and doors without weather stripping
The gap where the foundation meets the ground
Attic and crawl space vents
Openings where electrical, plumbing, cable, and gas lines enter the house
Your garage and any sheds or outbuildings
Inside, check under sinks, behind appliances, around the water heater and laundry hookups, in closets, and in the attic.
Here’s a simple test: if you can see daylight under or around a door, a pest can get in there too.
Step 2. How big a gap can a mouse squeeze through, and how do you seal it?
A mouse can fit through a hole about the width of a pencil, so seal any gap a quarter inch or larger.
That measurement comes from the CDC, and Texas A&M AgriLife gives the same quarter-inch rule. Here’s how to seal what you found:
Push steel wool tightly into small holes.
Hold it in place with caulk around the edges, or use spray foam.
Cover larger holes with hardware cloth or metal sheeting, or patch them with cement.
Seal around pipes and wires where they pass through walls, inside and out.
Step 3. How do you pest-proof doors, windows, and screens?
Add sweeps to exterior doors, replace worn weather stripping, and repair torn screens so the easiest ways in are closed.
Texas A&M AgriLife recommends brush or baffle style door sweeps on exterior doors, and the brown recluse fact sheet stresses keeping doors well sealed. Don’t skip the garage. Check the rubber seal along the bottom of the garage door and the door that leads from the garage into the house.
Step 4. What should you clear away from the outside of your house?
Move firewood, leaves, and clutter away from the walls, trim plants that touch the house, and shield outdoor lights that draw insects.
AgriLife’s advice is to keep trash, weeds, wood, compost, and leaves away from exterior walls and doors, and to trim shrubs and branches that touch or hang over the house. Shielding outdoor lights helps keep crickets and other insects, the ones spiders feed on, away from your doors (ENT-3003).
While you’re out there, close garbage cans tightly and keep pet food in sealed containers.
Step 5. How do you make the inside of your home less inviting?
Cut clutter, tape storage boxes shut, vacuum behind furniture, and fix drips, so pests that slip in find no food, water, or hiding places.
Texas A&M’s brown recluse fact sheet recommends clearing unnecessary clutter, removing webs, vacuuming around, under, and behind furniture, and taping stored boxes shut. It also suggests setting sticky cards along walls, in closets, and under furniture so you can see what’s moving around.
Water matters as much as hiding spots. Spiders come to sinks and tubs looking for water, so fixing drips and drying sinks overnight helps (Burke Museum).
Step 6. What should you do if spiders, crickets, or mice are already inside?
Identify what you’re seeing first, never handle a spider you can’t identify, and use traps for mice, keeping them away from kids and pets.
Spiders: Most are harmless, but don’t handle one that could be a brown recluse or black widow. Take a clear photo instead. Our post on why spiders end up in your sink or tub covers which ones to watch for.
Mice: AgriLife recommends traps over poison baits indoors. If children or pets live in the home, put traps inside locked bait boxes and leave poison baits to professionals. Our mice and rodent control page explains how we handle it.
Drains: Spiders don’t crawl up through drains. The water in the drain trap blocks the pipe (Burke Museum), so there’s no need to pour anything down the sink.
When should you call a pest control professional?
Call when you keep finding pests after sealing up, see droppings or gnaw marks, or think you’ve spotted a brown recluse or black widow indoors.
At Affordable Pest Control, every visit starts with a detailed conversation about the problems you’re having and where you’ve seen them, followed by a walk around your property. From there, we start with a 6 to 8 foot perimeter spray around your home, then target the places pests actually hide, like attics, garages, and wall voids. Learn more on our spider control and scorpion and snake pages, or read our guide on keeping scorpions out of your West Texas home.
If you’re not sure how often your home needs service, our guide on how often to schedule pest control in Midland walks through it.
Your fall pest-proofing checklist
Walk the outside: eaves, vents, foundation line, utility openings, garage
Seal every gap a quarter inch or larger (steel wool plus caulk or foam; metal or hardware cloth for big holes)
Seal around pipes and wires where they enter the house
Add or replace door sweeps on every exterior door, including the garage
Replace worn weather stripping on doors and windows
Repair or replace torn window screens
Move firewood, leaves, and yard debris away from the walls
Trim shrubs and branches that touch the house
Shield or swap outdoor lights near doors
Close garbage cans tightly; store pet food in sealed containers
Clear clutter; tape storage boxes shut in closets, the garage, and the attic
Vacuum behind and under furniture; fix dripping faucets
Set sticky cards in the garage and closets to see what is moving around
Still seeing pests after a week or two? Call Affordable Pest Control
Frequently asked questions
Can spiders come up through the sink drain?
No. The water in the drain trap blocks the pipe. A spider in the sink came from inside the house, looking for water (Burke Museum). Our post on why spiders end up in your sink or tub explains more.
Do porch lights bring more spiders?
They can. Lights draw crickets and other insects, which spiders feed on, so shielding outdoor lights helps (ENT-3003).
How small a hole can a mouse use?
About the width of a pencil, roughly a quarter inch (CDC).
Ready for help?
Still finding spiders, crickets, or signs of mice after you seal up? Affordable Pest Control has served Midland, Odessa, and the surrounding Permian Basin towns since 1999.
Not sure what you’re looking at? Send us a clear photo, and we’re happy to take a look.
Request a free quote or call (432) 520-6985.
