How can I prevent insects from entering my house? How can I find their entry point?

Question

We just moved into a different house. There seems to be an unusually high probability of insects entering the house compared to other houses. No infestation, but a lot of one-off incidents. The worst so far have been one wasp and a fist-sized grasshopper. This is definitely not normal.

I suspect that there is some entrance somewhere they're using to get access to the house, but I don't know where it could be or how to find it.

So how can I prevent bugs from entering, and also diagnose and fix any structural problems that may be allowing them to enter (like a hole in a door, for example)?

Answer 1

Get an IR camera. You should be able to find cracks/leaks/whatever real easy. Unfortunately IR cameras aren't cheap, so perhaps you can call a HERS guy to come over with one and pay him $100 for his trouble.

If that fails, I suppose you could fill your house up with a smoke machine and attach a blower door (you'd need the help of a HERS guy again)... or just use a smoke pencil.

Answer 2

You can purchase an electronic pest repeller. They come in various shapes and sizes. Some have nightlights while others have activity lights such as green and red.

The repellers usually plug right into a wall socket and emit a sound that deters pests.

This should help prevent bugs from coming inside. Insects can't stand the noise that is emitted from the pest repeller.