You don’t want to have to spend money on roach control or mosquito treatment. Truly, the best way to minimize pests is to do the small everyday things that keep them out in the first place. You can never be too careful.
The number one reason it’s so troubling to see a rodent or ant swarm is that there’s always more where that came from. Rats in particular, must be put down immediately, so they don’t have a chance to tell their rat friends.
Don’t have a problem now? All the more reason to get started. If you really want to spend your time doing what you like with minimal distractions, exterior pest control is one of the surest ways to prevent worries in the future. This means maintaining general cleanliness around the house, fixing leaky pipes, and sealing as many gaps as you can.
Spider control and ant control service are just a few ways to make sure you prosper in your home. The appearance of pests can be distressing and have a real detrimental effect on your mental health. Not to mention the damage to your home that might be happening, right under your nose.
Clean, Clean, Clean
What do pests love more than anything else? Your food and drink, that’s what.
You can regard any bowl with food residue as a time bomb, waiting to draw all sorts of things out from the woodwork. Wash up plates, bowls, and other cookware as soon as you’re finished, and seal up any leftover food. The less food exposed to the air, the better. The same goes for cans/bottles of soda or beer; rinse them immediately to keep out any visitors.
A good house clean will remove anything that a pest could be drawn to. Vacuuming not only removes crumbs that you might’ve missed but also clears up any beetles or fleas that are looking to thrive.
Pests also hate the smell of cleaners, whether chemical cleaners or organic cleaners made from vinegar. As a rule of thumb, anything lemon-scented will keep them away. You should be cleaning regularly anyway; think of roach control as a bonus to keeping a nice house.
Here are the substances that pests love most:
- Sweet liquids – not just sugary sodas, but milk, wine, and beer
- Sugars found in fruits and cereals
- Grains
- Meat
- Greasy food
You can accomplish effective rodent control just by containing these substances as much as you can.
Reduce Moisture and Pour Out Water
Think water is fair game just because it doesn’t have any sugars in it? Think again. Standing water provides an excellent breeding ground for mosquitoes, so pour out those glasses. You don’t want to have to get mosquito treatment!
Moisture in general should be reduced as much as possible. Why do you think jungles are swarming with all kinds of bug life? They love humidity and dampness more than anything. Make sure there’s good ventilation throughout the house, like open windows – but keep the lights off and the food tucked away so you don’t lure in any critters from outside, especially at night.
Have you got a couple drops leaking out of that pipe under your sink? It might not seem like a big deal, but what starts as a few drops can become a flood (metaphorically speaking). A bit of moisture in an enclosed space draws in the insects, which multiply, bringing in termites, causing structural damage to your home… Every unattended leak is a disaster just waiting to happen.
Tidy Up
Clutter is a pest’s best friend. All the clean surfaces in the world don’t mean a thing if you’ve got dozens of objects for a bug to hide behind. Insects and spiders are naturally drawn to tight spaces; pick up after yourself, get rid of old furniture, and store things away so they have no place to hide.
Never leave laundry lying around, either. Anything could be lying in that sock that’s been sitting there for days – and yes, we mean anything.
Strong Scents
Herbs, citrus, and vinegar are great pest repellents. We’ve already talked about spraying surfaces with vinegar or lemon-scented cleaners, but just having basil or lavender around can deter pests. While chemical-based cleaners work, they’re not as family friendly or pet friendly. A little bit of vinegar can go a long way.
Keep the following plants around your home to reduce pests:
- Basil
- Lavender
- Rosemary
- Mint
- Sage
Seal Gaps
What better way to keep out pests than to give them fewer ways in? Install mesh coverings on doors and windows, and think about caulking any crevices you find in the corners. It might be a good idea to hire a pest exclusion service, as they are less likely to make costly mistakes.
Check for Bed Bugs
While there’s little you can do to prevent bed bugs, you can stop them from becoming a big problem by catching them early.
Bed bugs hop onto your clothes in public places, like the seat of a bus or airplane. They can also live on mattresses or clothes found in the street. Once they make it onto your bed, they run to the underside and hide there any time they sense danger. They’re freakishly good at making themselves hidden, behind objects and in enclosed spaces.
To ensure you don’t need extensive bed bug service, watch out for the signs. These include:
● Bug bites in a line on your wrist or ankle
● Little spots of blood in your sheets
● Small bug shells in your bed
● Bugs hiding in the corners of your mattress
Lift up the corner of your mattress. Are there black spots there, and do bugs scramble away as soon as you take a peek? You need to get your house fumigated immediately. Bed bugs only get worse, so stop them before they become a nightmare.
The sooner you hire the service, the less fumigation they will need to do.
Hopefully you’re reading this before you’ve encountered any pest problems. If there’s one takeaway, it’s that there’s always something you can do a little bit better – and there’s always a safety net for when things have gotten really out of hand. Don’t hesitate to call pest control today if you think you have a problem.
