Spotting an unwanted pest in your home can ruin your day and cause unneeded stress in your life. Is it time to call in a professional at the sight of a spider or cockroach? It could be, but at a minimum, it means you need to do some further inspection.
Depending on what you find, it is either time to call in a pro or for you to pest-proof your home. The following are the top pest control tips from professionals to get you started!
Keep Pests Out of Your Home
Your best defense is keeping them out in the first place. Your goal is to make it difficult for pests to find an entry point into your home. Check screens for holes, and repair if you find any. Check around your doors and windows for gaps, and replace window stripping when needed.
Here's a great way to inspect your home for entry points that you may not have noticed. At night, turn on all the lights in your home and inspect your home from the outside. Light shining through indicates where undesirables could potentially enter. Any openings will need to be sealed with a sealant appropriate for the surface it will be applied to.
Keep Your Kitchen Clean
A few innocent looking crumbs here and there on your kitchen counter or floor is more like a feast to ants and other insects. Be vigilant about kitchen clean up - wipe counters, sweep floors and remove the trash often and put food away immediately after eating.
Another place in the kitchen that can attract vermin is the recycling bin. Make sure to wash out all food containers before placing in the recycling.
A drawer used for storing pots and pans is yet another spot that crumbs tend to gather - make sure this is kept clean. A little extra attention to cleaning in the kitchen goes a long way towards prevention.
Reduce moisture in and around the home
Pests thrive in areas where moisture is present, so by reducing moisture around the home, you will be limiting the opportunity for them to invade the home. Some moisture reducing actions: clean out gutters, grade soil properly so that water moves away from the foundation, ventilate crawl spaces, and seal cracks in the foundation.
Pest-proof Storage Areas
Cluttered storage areas make attractive homes for mice, spiders, cockroaches, and others. You can keep them away by regularly cleaning and reorganizing your basement, garage, and other storage areas. Avoid using cardboard boxes - instead, use durable plastic totes that cannot be chewed through.
Store Your Firewood Properly
Termites and ants are attracted to wood piles and can easily find their way from your firewood to your home. Firewood should be stored on racks above the ground and as far from your house or shed as possible.
Use Outdoor Lighting That Does Not Attract Insects
Did you know that the type of outdoor lighting you use can reduce the attractiveness of your home to insects? It's true. Sodium vapor bulbs will reduce the attractiveness of your home to insects and in turn reduce the number of predators that feed on insects such as spiders and bats.
Know When To Bring In A Pest Control Professional
Sometimes by doing it alone homeowners can mistreat a problem and make it worse. When a problem seems to be getting worse, it's time to call in a professional. Considering how important your home is for your family's wellness and safety, knowing you have an expert protecting your home is invaluable.
There are a lot of things a homeowner can do to prevent vermin around the home. Whether you choose to do it all on your own or hire a professional pest control service, keep these tips in mind to keep your home safe.
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