Lake Martin Home Checklist: Before You Leave for the Week

Before you lock up the lake house, give yourself one short routine: put the food away, check anything outside that holds water, leave a note about what you saw, and know which service is scheduled next. Whether you are at Lake Martin every weekend or gone for a month at a time, the house you come back to depends on the ten minutes before you leave.

Why does an empty lake house need a routine?

A house that is lived in gets noticed. Someone sees the ant trail on the counter the day it starts. A weekend house does not get that attention, so whatever is left out on Sunday has five quiet days to work. The EPA's own pest-prevention guidance comes down to the same three things we talk about on every lake property: food, water, and shelter. Take those away before you go and most of the problem never starts.

What should I do in the kitchen before I leave?

Make the kitchen the last job, not the first, so a late snack does not undo it. Put food away, wipe up spills and crumbs, and take the trash out of the house rather than leaving a bag by the door. Keep pantry goods and pet food in sealed containers. If the whole family shares the house, give one person the pantry and another the trash cans. A checklist with names on it gets done.

What about everything outside that holds water?

Walk the deck and the yard once. Flowerpot saucers, buckets, kids' toys, a kayak left upright, a tarp that sags. Each one holds rainwater, and standing water is where mosquitoes breed. The CDC recommends emptying, scrubbing, turning over, or covering water-holding containers once a week (CDC home mosquito guidance).

Here is the catch for a lake house: once a week means after every rain, not just the day you leave. If you will be gone a while, put this on the list for whoever checks on the place. For the yard itself, our mosquito service runs on a regular schedule from March through October, and it works best alongside this kind of cleanup. Treatment reduces mosquito activity; it does not replace dumping the bucket.

What should I write down for next time?

Keep a simple property log on the fridge or in your phone: the date, the room or spot, and a photo if you saw something. "A few ants by the pantry window, Sunday" is far more useful to us than "bugs everywhere." You do not need to know the species. A clear description of where and when tells us more than a guess.

If a service visit falls while you are away, confirm access with the office ahead of time: gate codes, a locked screen porch, a dog at the neighbor's. Use your normal account contact for that, and keep entry details out of social posts and public reviews.

Which services actually cover the lake house?

General pest control, termite protection, and mosquito service are three different programs with three different jobs. Check your paperwork to see which ones are active at the lake property. That is not always the same as your home in town. If you rent the house out or share it with family, keep a copy where whoever manages it can find it.

It matters the day someone says, "Wasn't the house just treated?" The useful answer names which service was done and what was reported, instead of assuming one visit covers everything.

The departure checklist

• Food put away; counters wiped.
• Trash out of the house; can lids closed.
• Water-holding containers outside emptied or turned over.
• Anything new photographed and dated in the property log.
• Next service date and access instructions confirmed.
• Termite and other service paperwork easy to find.

Want a plan built around how you use the house?

Tell us whether the house is lived in full time, used on weekends, or turned over between guests, and we will match the service to it. Call our Lake Martin / Alex City office at (256) 234-6162, see our Dadeville and Alexander City pages, or request a free inspection.

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