No one likes dealing with pests in their home. They can be a nuisance, damaging your belongings and bringing in germs and bacteria. Fortunately, there are simple steps you can take to keep them away.
What Are Some Common Pests You Might Find in Your Home?
Some of us may have heard scratching or scurrying noises coming from within our walls, but few of us know what kind of pests we’re dealing with. Some common household pests are ants, cockroaches, rodents, and termites. While some may be harmless nuisances, others can wreak havoc on furniture and foundations and even spread germs.
Ants are one of the most common pests that invade homes due to their small size and ability to enter through tiny cracks in doors or windows. Ants are attracted by food sources such as sugar and grease; they will often travel long distances in search of food.
Cockroaches are much more than just unsightly bugs; they can also spread germs and contaminate food sources. They can enter your home through tiny cracks around windows or doors, so it’s important to make sure any gaps are sealed tightly.
Rodents like mice and rats can enter your home through small holes or cracks in the walls or floors; these rodents can damage furniture, chew through wiring, contaminate food sources, and spread disease-causing bacteria throughout your home.
And finally, there are termites. Termites are wood-destroying insects that live underground in moist areas; they feed on wood that has been weakened by moisture which can cause serious damage to a structure’s foundation if left untreated.
5 Methods You Can Employ to Keep Your Home Pest-Free
Let’s explore five easy ways to protect your home against all kinds of different pests.
1. Look for Any Cracks or Openings That Pests Might Be Using to Get Inside
It is no secret that pests, like ants or mice, can be a nuisance in the home. To keep them from wreaking havoc in your space, it is important to remember to check for any possible entrances that they might be using to enter.
Even the tiniest cracks are at their disposal for entry, so it is important to inspect your home carefully in areas where there may be small openings, such as windowsills or crevices surrounding doors. Once these potential problem areas are identified, you will be able to properly seal them up, effectively keeping out unwanted pests.
2. Keep Your Home Clean and Free from Clutter
Keeping your home clean and free from clutter is one of the most effective ways to keep pests away. By making sure that there is no food waste, crumbs, moisture, or mess on surfaces, the chance of pests such as rodents or bugs invading your home will be drastically reduced.
By minimizing clutter, you are also making it much harder for insects and animals to hide. In general, a neat and tidy house eliminates potential nesting sites and reduces the attractiveness of a home as a food source to pests.
3. Be Mindful of Plants and Mulch
Planting and mulching your garden can not only add beauty to your home, but also help keep pests at bay.
Mulch ensures better soil for the plants in your garden, as it helps keep moisture in the ground and prevents weed growth.
You may also want to plant pest-deterrent plants around the perimeter of your home, such as marigolds, which contain a compound that repels certain types of insects.
4. Use the Right Light Bulbs
One simple method of pest control is making sure you are using the right light bulbs. You can attract fewer bugs by replacing bright, white incandescent or fluorescent lights with yellow, sodium vapor or LED bulbs. They emit light that is less attractive to pests.
An added bonus to this switch is that you will also save energy and money by opting for these energy-efficient bulbs. If you need some extra help keeping pests out of your house, using the right light bulbs could be one effective way to start.
5. Call a Pest Control Service to Help
One effective way to combat an infestation of unwanted critters is to call on a professional pest control service to help. Not only are they experts in this area, but they can provide accurate diagnoses and perform services that can help keep the problem under control – safely and efficiently.
Depending on the severity of the issue, they may also be able to provide advice on additional changes you could make around your home, such as better sealing entry points or making sure food storage areas are kept clean, which will further minimize any potential return trips by unwanted guests.
Final Thoughts
Keeping pests out of your home doesn’t need to be complicated; there are many simple steps you can take to prevent them from entering in the first place.
With these simple tips in mind, you should have no problem keeping pests away from your beloved abode!
About the Author: Amber has been in the pest control industry for 18 years now…13 of them have been with Reliant Pest Management. She is a licensed certified commercial applicator in the state of Texas. Amber’s background is mostly in office management and administration, but she enjoys going out in the field from time to time and serving customers by protecting their homes. Amber loves people and bugs… and pest management has them both!
