Imagine walking into a roach party on your kitchen countertop. Or a rat raiding your pantry every night. Pests can be a nuisance and make us feel utterly unsafe in our homes. They can harm our valuable possessions, introduce diseases into our living space, and bring about their unique brand of stress.
But do you know who’s responsible for them in the first place? Us! That’s right. We invite pests into our homes with our habits – leaving food out, not dumping trash properly, or not sealing off entry points in our house.
The good news is that we can keep these party crashers out of our homes for good. How? Let’s find out.
Coming up next in this article, we’ll look at some effective ways to keep our homes pest-free.
Get Professional Help
You simply can’t get rid of some bugs and pests on your own. They are stubborn. So, no matter how good your DIY remedy is, they’ll return. And the allergies? Argh, don’t even get us started.
Bedbugs are the most hideous of them all. They are blood-sucking little creatures that are challenging to find and eradicate. It’s best to bring a professional on board. They’ll help you with regular inspections and preventive treatments. Professional pest control specialists have the knowledge to spot possible trouble areas and provide practical fixes catered to your unique requirements.
Contact your neighborhood’s most trusted pest control business, Ecoforce bedbug services, who are the extermination experts in this situation. They can recognize the kind of invader you are dealing with and tell you how best to get rid of it.
Seal-Up Access
Pests find their way into our homes through the most unsuspected areas. Once they find a route into your domain, keeping them out is almost impossible. If you’re not ready to give them access to your lounge and kitchen, you must seal up any possible entry points.
Spot and seal any cracks, gaps, and holes in the doors and windows. Use caulk or weatherstripping to seal these entry points, preventing pests from finding their way indoors.
Also, look for small crevices in your home’s foundations and walls, as these are often the prime entry points for bugs.
Keep Your Food Covered and Kitchen Clean
Do you have an unhealthy habit of leaving your leftovers on the counter? Or maybe, you often forget to put away food after meals. If so, it’s time to break your habit and start storing your food in airtight jars and containers.
Creepy crawlies like ants, cockroaches, and rodents are drawn to food odors. Ants will sense even the tiniest specks of dusted flour in your kitchen’s cabinet and invite their friends and family for a get-together.
So, keeping your kitchen counters clean and free of any food crumbs can help prevent bugs from calling your kitchen ‘home.’ Wipe your counters with a damp, soapy cloth and broom out any food particles hiding in nooks.
Eliminate Clutter
Cluttered spaces are ideal for pests. Paper and cardboard are their happy meals. If you don’t want annoying non-human intruders in your home, keep your home organized and decluttered. Eliminate piles of papers, cardboard boxes, and other objects that could serve as pests’ hiding spots.
Keep your home clean by cleaning it regularly. Pay close attention to areas like crawl spaces, attics, and basements. These are the spots where pests are prone to lurk.
How will I know if I’m under attack?
Search for evidence of pest activity, such as nests, gnaw marks or droppings.
Proper Yard Maintenance
Pests and bugs are big fans of standing water. They’ll swim in it and breed when they want. It only means a lot of babies for you to deal with. So, ensure your yard has no standing puddles of water and debris. Yep, bird baths and kiddie pools are included. Also, rake up leaves, and sweep away garbage on a regular basis.
You should also regularly trim shrubs and trees to block potential pest entryways. It will eliminate hiding spots for bugs and make it harder for them to get inside.
Finally, don’t miss out on the gutters. Clean them properly so water can drain without trouble.
Fix Plumbing Problems
Moist and dark environments attract pests. Silverfish and cockroaches top the list of the VIPs of plumbing problems.
What plumbing issues are we talking about?
Cracked pipes, drippy faucets, running toilets, and overflowing drains can lead to water buildup, making your home the perfect place for pests to breed.
These can be anywhere – in the bathroom, kitchen, near pipes, or sewers. You have to be vigilant so you don’t miss a single spot.
When fixing these issues, get professional help to ensure the problem is solved correctly. If you’re positive the problem is small enough to handle yourself, follow the instructions carefully.
More Tips on Getting Rid of Pests
There’s so much more you can do to keep your home allergen and pest-free. Stick to the following tips, and we promise you’ll have a much easier time.
1. Install Screens and Mesh
To keep insects out of your home, install screens on your windows and doors. Check current screens frequently for tears or holes, and fix or replace them as necessary.
2. Garbage Management
Take out the garbage regularly. Always cover your garbage cans with tight-fitting lids, and do not leave any food scraps in them. Empty the bins daily, if possible, to keep pests away.
3. Use Natural Repellents
You can deter many types of pests by using natural repellents. These include cedar chips, dried orange or lemon peels, garlic cloves, and peppermint oil. Spritz a solution of peppermint oil and water around the perimeter of your house.
In a Nutshell
Your house is where you feel safe, at ease, and in charge. It is YOUR sanctuary. If you want to preserve the integrity and cleanliness of your home, you can’t let any pests in.
Luckily, the war’s not lost yet. There are some practical ways to keep these crawly critters at bay. If you stick to a few (ideally, all) of the above-mentioned tips, you have nothing to worry about.
However, it takes more than just preventive measures to keep a home free of pests. You need ongoing efforts to maintain your sanctuary. Make regularly checking for signs of pest activity a part of your home maintenance regimen. If you do find any evidence of an infestation, ring a pest control professional. You got this!
Also read: Common Pests and How Do They Affect You
