Pests can be a deadly menace if left to invade your property. The kind of damage these creatures cause at home can cost you a fortune. Pests such as termites, rodents, and carpenter ants can compromise the structural integrity of your home and damage valuable items. Besides, pests carry allergens, which may make you and your family suffer allergic reactions like asthma. Taking preventative measures can help keep these destructive creatures off your property. Below are five ways to get rid of pests in your home.
1. Use Natural Repellents
Natural repellents are mainly plant-based products that contain essential oils that possess properties that repel pests. Common repellents include mint, tea tree, lavender oils, citrus peels, lemon grass, eucalyptus, thyme oil, geraniol, and cucumber. The advantage of using natural repellents over chemical pest solutions is that they pause no risk to the environment and human health. You can place these repellants at the entry points of the pests and ensure that you frequently replace them. The efficiency of natural repellants increases with how often they are replaced. Natural repellents are prone to rotting when left over for a long time and are likely to attract bugs.
2. Cover All Cracks and Openings
Gaping holes make great entry points for pests. Inspect your walls, windows, floors, and ceiling for cracks and holes. Pay more attention to dark areas with less human activity, as they make ideal hiding points for most pests. If you notice any cracks, use caulk or repair the damaged area to keep these creepers out.
Use screens on windows to keep away flying pests like flies. For doors with a space beneath them, use brush strips to prevent the entry of crawling pests such as cockroaches, termites, spiders, and ants. Remember to check your pipes and vents for any cracks and openings. It is advisable to use wire mesh screens on your vents to prevent the entry of pests.
3. Keep Your Kitchen Clean
The kitchen harbors various pests ranging from pantry pests to fruit flies and rodents. Pests love this part of the home due to the abundance of moisture and food. Common signs you may be harboring pests in your kitchen include chewed packages, rodent droppings, and unpleasant odor. Most of these pests will hide in cluttered cabinets, under the sinks, behind the shelves, and in the garbage bins.
Ensure you keep your kitchen clean by frequently wiping off the surfaces. Do not leave spills or crumbs on the floor, as they could quickly attract unwanted visitors to your kitchen. Empty your kitchen bin regularly and always ensure it’s clean. Smudges of food around the bin will only attract more pests. Fix all leaking pipes to make the kitchen free of dampness and have an appropriate humidity level.
4. Keep Your External Environment Tidy
Keeping your external environment clean and tidy is as essential as maintaining cleanliness inside your home. A neglected yard is characterized by overgrown grass, pools of stagnant water, and unpruned trees. Ensure you regularly trim your bushes and trees frequently as they provide dense shelter to pests. Trees that touch the roof of your home make your home susceptible to the entry of pests. On the other hand, keeping your bushes short makes it easy to spot any pest activity. Ensure your external environment is free of stagnant water, as it is a suitable breeding spot for mosquitoes.
5. Schedule Frequent Pest-Control Inspection
One of the best ways to address a looming pest infestation crisis is by seeking professional help from the best pest control company in Michigan, or an area near you, with the relevant expertise and experience needed to mitigate pests in your space. Ensure you schedule at least four pest control inspection sessions annually because pest infestation changes with the seasons. Pests are greatly influenced by changing weather patterns; for example, during summer, some pests, such as flies, may invade your home to beat the heat, while others may be looking for food and water.
Conclusion
Using natural repellents, maintaining cleanliness, and covering gaping holes will help get rid of pests; however, to ensure that your home is entirely free of these destructive creepers, you need to seek help from a pest management company.