When the weather turns cold, people want to spend more times indoors. The same is true of pests, like ants, and rodents. They look for a warm place to wait out the winter and make their nests. A hot tub provides them with heat from the tub’s water, pump and insulation. Dark small spaces are ideal for their nesting, too. Any pest can affect the wiring, heater, insulation and plumbing of your hot tub. Mice, especially, can do serious damage to the electrical and heating systems of your hot tub over time.
Prevention is always cheaper than paying for repairs. To protect your tub from unwanted critters, pest control experts and hot tub service technicians recommend these steps:
Inspect Your Hot Tub Regularly
The regular maintenance task of inspecting your tub, including its cabinet and cover, can also help keep pests away. Look for chewed up foam, droppings or anything that looks like a nest. If you find any leaks, fix them as soon as possible. If there are holes or cracks, fill them with insulating foam or cover them with wire mesh to prevent travel immediately.
Maintain Pristine Water in Your Hot Tub
Water that is not properly balanced or that emits an odor will attract pests. The more contaminated the water, the easier it will be for pests to find it. Testing your water regularly and keeping it in pristine condition will help keep it pest-free.
Cover and Lock Your Hot Tub
An easy way to avoid pests is to have a sturdy hot tub cover that you put on the tub right after using it. If you see any damage or tears in the cover during its regular inspections, have it repaired or replaced immediately.
Remove Leftover Food from the Hot Tub Area
Abandoned scraps of food will attract ants, rats and raccoons; so completely dispose of any bits of food that may have been left behind near the hot tub. You do not want to wake up the next day to a swarm of pests in your yard.
Get Rid of Pests or Rodents Quickly
If you do find mice or other pests living in or near your hot tub, the options include: calling a pest control company, using humane traps, and trying a botanical rodent repellant.
Use Your Outdoor Tub on a Regular Basis
Using your hot tub often is another way to repel unwanted visitors and invaders. An active outdoor area can discourage some types of pests from invading that space.
