New York and the tri-state area saw lots of rain in June with flooding in some areas, stranded motorists, waterlogged highways and many without power. But flash flood watches and water damage aren't the only things New York residents have to deal with when the heavy rains come. Saturated soil will drive some pests out of the ground and into your home.

Millipedes, centipedes, ladybugs, earwigs, silverfish, and many kinds of beetles, enjoy moist dirt. But saturated soil isn't simply moist, it is filled with water. When you see water pooling in your yard, the soil underneath is wet enough to drown these insects. This drives them to the surface and onto walkways, decks, patios, and eventually into basements.

How do you keep these foul-weather friends from invading your home? Work your way down through this checklist.

• Seal your basement walls before it rains again. These creatures can get in through the smallest cracks and crevices. Look closely around window frames, fixtures, pipes, and other objects that pass through your basement walls. A caulking gun can fill holes until you can have those areas repaired. It also works great to fill in seams where cracks have developed.

• Keep your basement dry. If these pests get in, you want them to find your basement too dry for comfort. This can naturally deter these pests from staying. Use a dehumidifier and, if necessary, a few fans, to dry things out down there.

• Standard protection. Every home should have working screens on all windows and doors. If you have any tears in your screens, look on Youtube. There are great videos for doing a simple screen repair. All it takes is a tiny piece of screen and some nail polish, or a fiberglass patch with adhesive.

• Have a barrier installed. Many of the pests that enter homes during the wet season are expert climbers. Millipedes can even climb across ceilings to get where they're going. If you want to keep versatile pests like these out, you're going to need a chemical barrier. Routine treatments from a pest control company will give you that extra layer of protection.

All it takes is a little prep to keep those pests from getting into your home when the next set of rain storms hit. Get things sealed up and keep things dry. Remember, when you keep pests out of your basement, you keep them from getting into the rest of the house too. That is a good thing.

If find that you already have unwanted pests in your home, contact the professionals here at Thomas Pest Services. We can get rid of all the pests in your home and keep them out.