Let's do a survey. It's okay. You can relax. This isn't going to be the kind of survey where I make you stand on your front porch politely answering questions for 25 minutes when you have a hundred things you'd rather be doing, like watching paint dry, counting the number of tiles on your kitchen floor, or sliding bamboo shards under your fingernails. The kind of survey I'm talking about is where you survey a situation and determine if there is something you need to take action on. When it comes to household pests, it is always go to survey the areas of your house "before" the snow melts, and bugs start crawling out of the woodwork. Here are some areas you'll need to survey, and what you need to look for.

The Attic

I know you just love going up into the attic, especially those hard to reach areas where it's dirty and gross. Go get some old clothes on, snatch up a flashlight, and let's go check things out.

• Check for anything that looks like a nest. You'll see webbing or debris all gathered together in a bunch. Usually nests will be in a corner or crack.

• Look for droppings. Rodents, cockroaches, squirrels and many other pests will leave droppings that are big enough to see. If you have birds or bats, you'll want to look for splatters.

• Check for spider webs. If you have a lot of spider webs that means you have a lot of bugs that spiders like to eat.

The Kitchen

This room of the house is a favorite hangout for pests. Is it ready for the spring pest invasion? Let's take a look.

• Is your trash can sealed? If you have a rocker lid or an open trash can, consider replacing it. Trash is a food source and breeding site for many pests.

• Look for possible food sources that have been left on the counters or floors. A gob of ketchup. A dollop of mustard. Crumbs around the toaster. A sticky juice spot on the floor. If pests pass through your home, you don't want them to find anything to eat.

• Look down between your stove and the kitchen counter top. Do you see decaying food matter? You may not notice it on a daily basis, but bugs sure do. Let them find your home absent of food, and they will move on to a home with better grazing options.

• Make sure you don't have any leaks. Pests get thirsty too, and it doesn't take much to give them a drink.

The Basement

Your cellar or basement is a popular entry point for bugs. This is where termites, ants, earwigs, silverfish, millipedes, centipedes and a host of other bugs start their infestation of your home. These are the conditions that lure them in.

• A moist basement is very welcoming to almost all pests. Use a dehumidifier to dry your basement out, and keep it well ventilated with a fan.

• Use a flashlight to look for cracks, and a caulking gun to seal those cracks up.

If you do a survey before the spring bugs start getting active you can save yourself a lot of headaches. If you don't have the time, seriously consider having a pest technician inspect your home for you. They can show you where you are vulnerable and offer options to protect your family all year long. Don't be afraid to take the first step. Life is so much better without pests.