Pests are drawn to homes that offer them food, water, and shelter. Creating a sterile environment by regularly cleaning dark, damp areas will significantly reduce the number of pests in your home.
To do this, regularly clean up crumbs and spills, dispose of garbage properly, and store food in airtight containers. Also, repair leaks immediately.
Keep Your Home Clean
There are many things homeowners can do to help prevent pest infestations. They should regularly sweep and wipe surfaces, throw away trash daily and store food in airtight containers to keep pests from seeking crumbs. They should also regularly check and repair door and window screens and weather stripping to stop rodents and bugs from entering.
Clutter also makes a perfect hiding spot for pests and should be eliminated—piles of paper, magazines, dirty laundry and pet beds shelter pests. Tall grass and debris like firewood can serve as shelter, too, and should be trimmed and removed. Finally, removing standing water is essential for preventing mosquitoes and other pests from breeding.
Empty birdbaths, kiddie pools and other vessels daily, and position downspouts to eliminate areas where water collects. Stagnant water also encourages roaches, ants and other insects to seek food and shelter inside the home. These home pest control measures are often all it takes to avoid a pest problem.
Seal Off Entry Points
Pests need food, water and entry points into your home to survive. They can find these in the smallest cracks, crevices and holes in your walls and foundation. Seal these areas with caulk or other materials.
Likewise, it is important to eliminate entry points by closing gaps around air ducts in the ceiling and other places that pests can use to access your living spaces. Ensure door and window screens are not torn, and that weather stripping is in good condition.
It is also important to regularly sweep up crumbs and other food particles from inside your house. This will discourage pests from entering your home in search of food. Also, store food in tightly sealed containers to prevent pests from making a meal from your produce.
Also, keep trash cans and other containers tightly closed and remove garbage regularly from your home. Clutter can provide hiding spots for pests and a convenient place to breed and hide.
Eliminate Sources of Water
Some pests are strongly linked to moisture, so it is important to eliminate conditions in and around your home that may attract them. In addition to caulking cracks and crevices, regularly check the inside of your home for areas where moisture is seeping in. This includes behind kitchen cabinets, refrigerators and stoves. It is also a good idea to install door sweeps and replace windows that have missing screens.
Keep your yard well-maintained and trimmed to prevent pests from using trees and shrubs as “bridges” to get into the house. Also, regularly remove garbage and turn over mulch in garden beds to help reduce moisture around your home’s foundation.
Many of these preventive measures are very simple and inexpensive. However, if you decide to use pesticides as part of your household pest control strategy, make sure you know what you are doing and choose a product that will cause less harm to humans and pets than it does to pests. For example, the best termite companies can treat the correct soil to prevent termite infestation.
Get Rid of Clutter
Clutter provides hiding places for pests and makes cleaning under and behind things harder. It’s also a food source, attracting pests such as mice and spiders looking for quiet places to nest, silverfish looking for starchy paper products, and more.
In addition to cluttered rooms, piles of debris and trash in yards and driveways can provide shelter for pests, especially rodents. Keeping your yard free of debris such as firewood, old tree limbs, grass clippings, and leaf litter is important.
Make cleaning and decluttering part of your routine by creating a schedule to tackle spaces that tend to get messy or unorganized. This might include your attic, basement or garage, where clutter often gathers. Start by going through and sorting items you don’t use or need – then donate, sell or throw them away. An organized space will help keep pests away and boost your productivity and stress levels.
