Pests are a problem every season in every neighborhood throughout America. Whether you live in a city, suburb, or residential area, bugs, mice, and other pests will find a way into your home. Any outdoor area is nature’s breeding ground! While it’s impossible to always be bug-free, you can minimize your chances of an infestation by observing some simple rules.
Infestations can get out of hand quickly and become a nuisance. Not only is it gross, but certain pests can cause health problems. Hornet and bee nests should be dealt with professionally and shouldn’t be ignored. Rodents and mosquitoes bite and can spread disease when they bite. You’ll want to take suitable measures to prevent the creepy crawlies from getting into your home and yard.
Step 1: Contain Food and Crumbs
Food is the number one way to attract pests. Roaches, mice, rats, ants, flies, and a plethora of other creatures you don’t want in your home come in primarily to look for food. Ants, flies, and mice are common in homes and businesses. If you’re particularly concerned, it’s good to keep all of your food safely stored away. You can get plastic or glass storage containers for items usually held in bags, like sugar, flour, rice, pasta, etc. These items can quickly feed a family of pests as they can chew through plastic and paper bags.
Stick to eating in one place, and clean up after. Spring and summer are ripe for ants looking to bring snacks back to their nests. If you eat outdoors, it can be challenging to contain food. Small children are prone to spreading crumbs, which is attractive to most bugs. Do your best to vacuum up daily or limit snacking to one area that is easy to clean. With pets, you may want to keep their food stored away until it is time to eat.
Step 2: Keep Your Home Clean
Not everyone loves to clean, but a messy home is a haven for pests that can hide anywhere. Basements, attics, under sinks, and cabinets are popular places because they’re rarely taken care of. Termites, dust mites, spiders, and rats all love a messy tenant. They’ll multiply quickly with plenty of dark places to hide and food around.
Step 3: Stay Alert and Inspect Your Home Regularly
Use your senses and notice changes in your home or property. Sometimes it’s tempting to ignore a squeaking or chewing and dismiss it as a “house sound,” but it could be more. That doesn’t mean you should be paranoid, but it’s good to do regular checks when you clean or complete tasks around the house. Check dark areas, clean under couches and tables, look under the sink, and inspect the gutters. Look up pictures of termite tunnels and check your property.
Step 4: Seal Your Home and Garage
Holes in the walls, doors, and windows are an accessible entryway for tiny pests looking to get warm during the season change. Outdoor pests can quickly become indoor pests if you let them. Every few years, it’s a good idea to seal up any potential entry points, especially into basements and garages.
Step 5: Keep Your Outdoor Space Clean
In summer and winter, your outdoor areas need to be taken care of. Otherwise, bugs and pests will naturally settle there. Raking up the leaves, removing standing water, cutting the grass, maintaining the greenery, and looking for anthills and termite tunnels will make a huge difference. Mosquitoes, mites, spiders, and various creatures can nest outdoors during the winter.
Step 6: Seal Crawlspaces
Many older homes are just built in a way that leaves plenty of room for pests to invade. Crawlspaces are a worry for many homeowners concerned about termite or mouse damage within the walls. Consider crawlspace encapsulation to prevent these pests. You may also want to keep a DIY kit or traps around the home if any stray roaches or ants wander in.
Step 7: Get Professional Help
Get a professional involved if you’re in an area where it is simply hard to avoid bugs or have noticed a pest problem already. At Pest Solutions, we offer various services for any home or commercial space. To speak to an expert, call us at (804) 406-9606 and let us customize a plan for your specific needs.
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