Spring Cleaning Pest Control
Spring is right around the corner and it’s shaping up to be your best one yet, but to make it perfect, you will want to inspect your home for potential pest problems. We will highlight some strategies and tips below for pest control so that you can enjoy the summer months without stress.
Removing Clutter
One of the most important things you can do to prevent pests is to remove clutter. Rodents, bugs, and other pests like to hide out in basements, attics, garages, and closets that contain a lot of clutter because they provide protection and are often untouched for extended periods of time. If you have to hold on to some of your belongings, it is best to put them in sealed plastic containers so that pests cannot gain access.
Having a lot of clutter in a given space makes it difficult to clean, and thus, harder to keep pests out of your home. Once a pest has found a comfortable and undisturbed place, they are liable to build nests that will make your pest problem all the more difficult to contain. Do your best to remove clutter, but if it is proving to be a difficult job, call in a professional from our offices at Pure Pest and we’ll help you out.
Don’t Leave Human/Animal Food Out
Pests are far more likely to want to enter your home if they can detect food that could be on the floor, counter, or in the pantry of your home. If you have pets, try to keep their eating areas void of any leftover food as pests can detect practically anything. Even though you might think it will not detect pests because it is outside, birdseed is a very common and sought-after snack for pests. Once the pests detect birdseed, they will likely remain in the area in the hopes of getting more. Lastly, if you have children, try to make sure they clean up their messes, but when they don’t, clean it up for them and keep the pests away!
Sealing Your Home
If you are like many of us and cannot stand the thought of pests entering your home, one of the best things you can do is seal your crevices, small gaps, and any other point of entry, no matter how small. The best way to do this is to get a glue gun and manually fill any of the tiny gaps or cracks that see. It is especially important to do this near doors, windows, roofs, decks, vents, and other places that pests could easily infiltrate through. In addition to keeping out pests, sealing your home can help prevent water damage, save you money on cooling and heating, and keep your home safe.
Pests Like Wires
The areas of your home containing wiring and electrical boxes are a favorite of pests due to the heat that they provide. Pests want to cozy up in these areas to keep them warm during the cold months of fall and winter. Additionally, rodents like to chew on the casing of electrical wiring in order to sharpen their teeth. This, of course, could lead to wires being exposed which could potentially overheat and provoke an electrical fire. If you notice your wires deteriorating over time, make sure to call a Pure Pest expert.
Be Aware of Unwanted Water
Water that from leaks and standing water is a favorite of pests. The humid air that water creates is especially popular among rodents and mosquitoes. Ensure that your property is free of excess water that may be present in your garden, birdbaths, and gutters. If you have a plumbing issue and water is leaking in your house, make sure to get it repaired as soon as possible. To relieve your home of humidity, a dehumidifier does this better than anything and will relieve unwanted moisture.
Where should you be looking for pests?
The Kitchen
Crumbs, fruit, and a sticky countertop from a glass of spilled juice are desirable places for pests, especially ants. Ants love the easy access to food and water that are present in the kitchen. Over time, the more food you leave on the counter will result in more and more ants invading your kitchen looking for your tiny leftovers.
Kitchens are bound to accumulate crumbs, dust, and other unwanted entities that will make pests want to come into your kitchen. The first thing you should do is remove all of the items from your cabinets so that you can perform a deep clean to rid of all the excess crumbs, spices, and sugar that are present. Permanently remove items that are outdated as they are more likely to attract ants and various types of beetles. Once you have wiped down your cabinets, place a new layer of shelf paper and then put your items back in their place. After this, it is always smart to pull your appliances such as your microwave and refrigerator so that you can clean the area behind them. Finally, wash down your kitchen counter and floor.
Bathroom
As we mentioned before, pests love water, and cleaning up your bathroom and ridding it of any excess water is crucial to keeping pests out. Make sure to wash your shower curtain, clean out your medicine cabinet, and check under the sink and around the toilet to see if there is any unneeded water.
Basements
Not surprisingly, basements are the favorite place in any home for pests to travel to. Basements provide pests a great deal of protection due to clutter and dark corners. Clear out as much clutter as possible and try to use plastic bins instead of cardboard boxes. To be extra careful, seal your windows, doors, and any other openings, no matter how small, to prevent pests from entering your basement.
Garages
Similar to basements, garages are very susceptible to pest invasions which could lead to home invasions. There is likely to be a good amount of clutter in garages which will entice pests from coming in, so make sure to clean out your clutter. If you leave your garage open for any reason, pests have nothing stopping them from coming in. Always keep your garage door closed unless you must have it open and if it is open, close the interior door to your house. You can keep your garage clean by putting boxes and supplies on shelves, and by sweeping the floor regularly.
If you run into any pest problems and want help with your spring cleaning, you can always call our offices at Pure Pest.
