When it comes to pest control, prevention is still the key. Pests such as ants, spiders, termites, cockroaches, and others not only damage your property but can endanger your family’s health. And as much as possible, you don’t want them in your home.
Pest Control 101
Once you’re infested, you might need to do necessary maintenance or call for professional help. So here are a few tips to keep pests off your property:
- Regular Garbage Disposal
Ideally, garbage should be disposed of every day, especially if you have a large household. Letting garbage pile is like handing out written invitations to every trash-loving pest in the neighborhood to visit you.
Not only will flies, cockroaches, and maggots find you, but the larger pests like rodents, raccoons, and other vermin would find your property extremely enticing. If you’re having problems right now with these, consult with pestcontrolanimal.com and other professionals to know the solutions you can apply.
- Have A Well-Maintained Garden
If you happen to have a garden or lawn, make sure any holes or pits are filled up as you don’t want them filled with water. Also, if your garden has a water fountain, ensure it’s regularly cleaned.
Plants should be pruned regularly to give them a well-manicured look. Also, keep your garden clean and neat, so all sorts of vermin are kept away. If you see signs of raccoon infestations but aren’t sure, you can learn more about raccoons here.
- Keep Your Kitchen Clean
Don’t let your kitchen play host to pests because these creatures love a damp and dirty environment, and you shouldn’t be providing them with one. Clean your kitchen by starting at the counters, stovetops, drawers, and racks. Wipe them down using disinfectant and do it regularly.
Do you know what attracts insects? Food particles. Don’t let these be lying out in the open, so clean them up immediately as soon as there’s a spill. Make sure your kitchen is dry and neat, so you won’t have to call pest control. You may not eliminate pest infestation completely, but you’d be reducing household pests.
- Keep Your Bathroom Tidy
Bathrooms should be kept clean and dry as much as possible. Clean the bowl with a toilet cleaner every other day. Sinks should be cleaned once a week using an industrial-strength bathroom cleaner. Your shower curtain should be free of moss and always kept dry. Moreover, always check your drain and make sure it isn’t choked with soap particles and hair.
- Avoid Having Standing Water
Stagnant water is the breeding site for mosquitoes, so make sure the area around your home is clean and free from this. Ensure your drains don’t have stagnant water. Mosquitoes can carry diseases like dengue and malaria, so you wouldn’t want them breeding anywhere near you. Buckets, as well as kitchen utensils, should be empty and dry when they’re not in use.
If your air conditioner drips water, don’t put a vessel down to collect the water. Try another alternative like a pipe to carry the water away. If you can’t find an alternative, then be sure to empty the vessel regularly.
- Keep Watch On Your Fruits And Vegetables
Overripe fruits and vegetables are a magnet for flies and other insects, so ripe and sliced goods shouldn’t be kept out of the fridge for too long. Some fruit flies might be benign, but overripe, rotting vegetables and fruits attract other insects like flies, cockroaches, and ants.
- External Items Should Be Stowed Outside
If you have a lawn or a garden, chances are you have gears like shoes, buckets, and other items you use for gardening. Those are for working outside, so make sure they stay outdoors. There’s a risk of bringing in pests unknowingly if you keep them inside your home.
The same goes for your kids’ toys like bicycles and others they play with outside. Keep them instead in the garage or any place outdoors where they can be kept secured.
- Doors And Windows Should Be Sealed
Pests can gain ingress into your home through little cracks and gaps, so ensure broken doors or windows are immediately repaired. Check also the nets and screens on windows to make sure they’re not letting in insects like mosquitoes, flies, and cockroaches.
Tears and holes should be immediately repaired. Screen mesh with 200-holes per sq. inch is effective in keeping your house insect-free, and hardware stores usually have them.
Conclusion
Pests proliferate in damp and dirty environments, so making sure your environment is clean would be a great start in keeping your home free from pests of any kind. Prevention is better than cure, so regularly clean inside and outside your home. But if you’re already infested, don’t hesitate to call in the professionals, especially if larger creatures are involved.
