Bug-proofing improves your home’s efficiency, but how can you prepare for a pest-free home? Learning about the options you have is the first step, and this article will guide you through the basics of protecting your home from pests.
1. Seal Cracks And Holes
Many bugs are nearly microscopic in size, and it goes without saying that some pests can enter your home through cracks or holes that are barely visible. One of the best ways to combat this problem is to simply seal the cracks and holes on your home’s exterior to bug-proof it.
2. Maintain Drainage Channels
Keeping your gutters and drains free from leaves, grass clippings, and other debris for optimized operation will do your home value some good, and it will also prevent water pooling and keep mosquitoes away.
3. Practice Proper Garbage Disposal
Trash cans can be a gourmet smorgasbord for cockroaches and other pests. Make sure to keep food waste in the kitchen and not sporadically spread all throughout the house and have it in a can with a lid and emptied every night. Otherwise, cockroaches will flourish where food and moisture are readily available. Once this happens, immediately resort to cockroach removal to avoid further infestation.
4. Eliminate Excess Moisture
Environments with high moisture content are inviting sights for insects, since they need water to thrive. Leaky faucets, standing water, and pooling drains are where pests congregate, so these must be eliminated as soon as possible to prevent infestation.
5. Get Rid Of Ant Trails
Since ants live in colonies, you’re bound to find a whole bunch of them where you see just one or a few. Your ant control treatment plan should tackle eliminating the entire colony, because spraying with a typical ant spray or repellent will only kill a few and scatter the colony.
6. Maintain Landscaping
With ant control and cockroach removal in place, take further steps to ensure they don’t come crawling back. Remove piles of leaves or debris where insects like to hide and reproduce. Once they’ve begun an infestation it can be difficult to eliminate.
7. Cover Large Openings
Large holes on your roof and exterior can serve as an entrance not just for bugs but for squirrels and raccoons, too, and these are carriers of fleas, ticks, and other insects. To avoid this, make sure to inspect for openings and use fine wire mesh to cover them.
8. Check Narrow Spaces
Have a look around your crawl spaces for nests, which could indicate rodents, ants, and cockroaches looking for a home. Follow their trails to find their nests.
9. Store Food in Sealed Containers
Pets have an excellent sense of smell, and wherever there’s food left in the open, it’s only a matter of time until they zero in on it. Store pantry foods like cereals and crackers in airtight containers to minimize pantry pests.
10. Regularly Clean Your Home
Cleaning regularly will disturb any areas where pests might be considering a home, so this is a good practice when vying for a bug-free home. It’s good for ant control and cockroach removal too since you’ll pick up crumbs and debris that might have been a potential food source.
Eliminating pest-appealing conditions both inside and outside your home reduces the chances of infestation, which can be very damaging in the long run. All in all, a pest-free home assures the health of your surroundings and the people living in it.