Second story pests: Preventing flying insects and wildlife from entering homes

While most people focus on ground-level pest control, many invaders take to the skies. This presentation explains how wildlife and flying insects find their way into attics, vents, chimneys, and upper-story windows. This talk will cover common entry points, key prevention strategies, and how to keep your home's higher levels secure from unwanted guests. 

About the Speaker

Susannah’s current work focuses on promoting IPM in affordable housing and overcoming the obstacles to implementing safe and effective pest control in multifamily housing. She provides training, recommendations, consultations, site visits and resources for housing professionals and residents. Susannah brings with her 10 years of experience managing the StopPests in Housing Program, a National HUD-funded program developed to provide IPM education and resources to federally funded housing providers. In her free time, Susannah raises kids, chickens, pets, flowers and vegetables and conducts her own pest control in her 280-year-old farmhouse.

About the Cornell IPM Annual Conference

This session is part of the Cornell IPM Annual Conference: Pests at the Perimeter – How Landscape Design Influences Indoor Pest Intrusion. The 2025 conference focuses on how landscape composition and management around buildings influence the intrusion of pests. Experts will share science-based strategies to manage environments around buildings, reducing pest intrusion. This event offers practical insights for landscape and pest management, ideal for Master Gardener Volunteers, educators, pest management professionals, and community members.

Learn more about the full conference lineup on the Cornell IPM Annual Conference page.