When the outdoor temperature drops, rodents, bugs, and other pests try to escape the cold. One place they enjoy shacking up for the winter is inside your home. When summer arrives, a new set of critters come around to visit. Keeping these pests out of the house is not difficult but it requires some diligence. If the creatures are unable to get in, you will not need to worry about how to get them out of the house.

You will need:

• Caulk or foam
• Screening

Step 1: Examine the exterior walls from both outside and inside the home. Identify spots where light comes in through wall cracks. Feel the walls for air movement because this may indicate unseen cracks. A mouse can fit through a dime-sized hole and a creature the size of a raccoon needs only a six-inch opening. Sealing cracks keeps these and other creatures out and makes the home more energy efficient.

Step 2: The entry points most commonly used are doors and windows. Inspect screens for holes and tears and make sure screens are fitted onto windows or doors that are left open. Use foam or caulk to seal cracks around door and window frames. Make sure the door sweep and weather-stripping are in good condition because these seal the moving areas of the door.

Step 3: Some holes, like those under cupboards, exist for a reason. If a series of holes are supposed to be there, they will be evenly spaced. Fit them with screens to keep out unwanted critters.

Step 4: Plants and bushes located near the house are the perfect spots for pests to hide. When the door to the home opens, the creatures dart inside and set up their new home. To prevent this from happening, remove weeds and leaves from the area around the home and keep a one to two foot plant-free perimeter around exterior walls.

Step 4: In many cases, holes created during installations or remodels are not sealed. Inspect the area behind the washing machine, dishwasher, and other appliances to identify any unsealed spots. After electrical and plumbing work is completed on the home, double-check the area to ensure that no holes remain.

Step 5: At minimum, check the home at the beginning of each winter and when summer approaches.

A backyard deck is the perfect gathering place during warm weather. However, it can become crowded when the grill is also stored there. Free up some space by building a decorative concrete patio to hold the grill. Add a walkway to the backyard for easy access and you have a new outdoor focal point.

You will need:

• 1 concrete walkway form in style of your choice
• Fiber-reinforced concrete
• Liquid cement color
• Shovel
• 5-gallon bucket
• Water
• 2×4 boards
• Sand
• Broom
• Cement finishing trowel
• Concrete sealant
• Cement mixer

Step 2: Place 2×4 boards along both sides of the length of the patio and pathway to create a border.

Step 3: Pour the liquid cement color into 5 gallons of water and mix it thoroughly.

Step 4: Use the cement mixer to mix the concrete according to the manufacturer instructions. Pour the combined color and water into the concrete mixture. Since you are using fiber-reinforced concrete, no rebar or wire mesh is needed.

Step 5: Place the cement form in the desired location. Fill it with concrete and then smooth and level the area using the finishing trowel. Let the concrete sit for 4 to 5 minutes. Carefully remove each corner of the form from the concrete and pick up the form.

Step 6: Rotate the form ¼-turn to create a varied pattern for the next section. Repeat the process of adding concrete, smoothing it to a level height, removing the form, and turning the form ¼ turn, until the walkway has been completed.

Step 7: Let the concrete dry overnight.

Step 8: Pour some sand into a clean bucket. Pour the sand over the cement and use the broom to sweep the sand into the gaps in the cement.

Step 9: Allow at least 28 days for the concrete to cure. Seal the patio and walkway with a sealant that features the desired finish.

Nature provides us with inspiration for fall decorating outdoors. The vibrant colors of the season lead us to decorate with warm and neutral colors. It isn’t difficult to make the transition from Halloween to Thanksgiving, given the natural decorations available at farm markets and roadside stands. Improving the home exterior with fall decorating is simple when we look outside for guidance.

Step 1: The door is the first impression people get when they view the home. Paint it a deep orange or red or cover it with fall-themed wallpaper.

Step 2: Add brown or orange area rugs to make bare floors colorful.

Step 3: Put gourds and pumpkins in potted plants or place them on the porch steps. Some bales of hay nicely accent an entryway.

Step 4: Make natural wreaths from sticks, twigs, berries, and leaves and hang them from exterior doors.

Step 5: Make your own stuffed scarecrow using old clothing, crumpled newspaper, and some twine. Sit the scarecrow in on an old wooden bucket by the front door or just inside the entryway.

Step 6: Fill old kettles, tins, and buckets with water and add floating candles to them for night lighting in the backyard.

Step 7: Create a seating circle around a portable fire pit using logs or hay bales. If privacy is needed, use tall corn stalks to surround the area.

Step 8: Decorate an outside table with a fall tablecloth. Make your own fall design by drying leaves, scattering them on the table, and covering them with a clear plastic tablecloth. Put more leaves into a tin or bowl and fill the container with pinecones, gourds, or pumpkins to create a table centerpiece.

Step 9: Mums are the plants of fall so make abundant use of them in outdoor decorating. Fill an old wheelbarrow with several pots of different colored mums and add some large gourds and pumpkins.