Your home is supposed to be your haven from the world outside – not a second home to pesky pests. Sadly, many homes face a bug problem. Even if you’re not dealing with a total bug infestation, having a few bugs or rodents crawl here and there can be annoying.
Instead of taking defensive action against pests in your home, be more aggressive and go on an offense to stop the problem before it occurs. Most homeowners should immediately hire experts to get rid of the pests. But before you get in touch with your local mosquito, rodent, or tick control and extermination service, there are some measures YOU can take to eliminate conditions that appeal to pests, which reduce the chances of them disturbing the peace of your home.
How can you keep pests out of your home?
Seal Windows and Doors
Pests can wiggle through tiny gaps and cracks, so regularly inspect and repair broken or warped windows and doors, as well as those that don’t fit. Also, immediately repair tears or rips in screens. If you have a torn screen, apply clear nail polish for a quick fix. If your screens have loose wires, push them back in place with pliers. If your screens are beyond repair, replace them with screen mesh that has at least 200 holes per square inch.
With your doors, make sure to always check for gaps. Another easy entry for pests is the space between your door and threshold. Keep pests out by putting a sweep between the two. You can also use a door seal kit or weather stripping around the frame.
Clean Your Drains
Floor and sink drains often catch dirt and debris. This provides pests with an ideal breeding nest, especially for roaches and small flies. Instead of dealing with pests, clean and inspect all the drains, including the ones in your basement and laundry room.
Vinegar and baking soda make an excellent DIY drain cleaner. The foam flushes out clogs and eliminates all the dirt and debris.
Properly Dispose of Litter and Trash
Pests love trash. Household garbage easily attracts rodents, roaches and ants. The same applies to your yard waste. Apart from using it for food, pests can also use scraps to build their nests, which encourage the reproduction of more unwanted visitors.
Instead of dealing with pests, make sure that all of your disposal bins have tight-fitting lids. Don’t forget to also clean your trash cans (plus the area they sit in) regularly to remove spills and debris on which rodents, roaches and others pests can feed.
Keep your garages, decks and patios free of plant clippings, standing water and leaf litter, all of which provide the best environment for pests.
Store Food in Sealed Containers
An open food container is an open invitation for pests to feast on your food. Instead of having to share with unwanted bugs, always keep your food in sealed containers. Also, store pantry foods, like crackers and cereals, in resealable bags or reusable containers. Don’t forget to clean out your pantry regularly to get rid of spoiled food and other items you’re never going to eat. Doing so minimizes the attraction for pests.
Repel Pests With Home-Made Remedies and Chemicals
If the infestation is too bad and simple prevention no longer works, calling in a service like the Pest Control Experts may be your next move. But if you don’t have the time to do so or prefer to solve the problem by yourself, get to the root of the infestation and actively seek out the pests.
Keep bugs away by leaving citrus peels near the problem areas to keep flies and mosquitoes out. You can also light up a couple of candles. But if you have a more serious pest problem, visit your local supermarket for repellent sprays and bug traps. You can also make your own bug-repellent sprays if you’re not a big fan of mass-produced chemical repellents. Consider growing a eucalyptus plant for an environmental-friendly spray.
But if the problem is serious enough, spend some time and resources in an exterminator since pests can cause irreparable damage to your home.
Regularly Clean Your Home
The cleaner your home is, the fewer pests there will be. When you regularly mop, vacuum and do other household chores, you regularly keep pests out of your home. Plus, you’ll be cleaning any debris or crumb that pests will use for food.
Pests are unwelcome guests living freely in your home. Instead of dealing with bigger damage in the future, eliminate conditions that cause pests to thrive.
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