One of the cheapest ways to save on pest control costs is to prevent a pest invasion in the home. Unwanted creatures often make your home theirs because they found ideal conditions for nesting and feeding. Eliminating these attractions with effective pest prevention techniques will let pests know they are unwelcome.
Tips for pest prevention
Practice good cleaning. Keeping your home clean isn’t just important for cosmetic reasons; it also helps prevent pest invasion.
– Practice green pest control by not leaving food outdoors.
– Place unsealed containers in your pantry, cupboards or countertops in resealable plastic bags or plastic food storage containers that have lids.
– Store pet food in covered storage containers and feed your pets indoors.
– Take out the trash regularly. Make sure your outside trash cans have lids.
– Clean your air ducts regularly and make sure they are properly sealed. Repair or replace damaged lines.
– Repair or replace the vapor barrier in your access space.
– Make sure your attic and the space between floors are well ventilated.
– Hire a pest control company to inspect your attic and crawl space every six months. They can recommend ways to prevent pest invasions or control the colonies they find.
Keep humidity under control. Moisture in and around the home can cause health problems, mold damage, and be an open invitation to unwanted creatures that thrive in humid environments.
– Fix leaks in your roof, pool or hot tub, and fix broken pipes.
– Make sure there is no standing water around your house. Crawling spaces that don’t drain well, clogged gutters, and overwatering your yard can all lead to standing water.
– Refresh the water in the birdbaths regularly.
– Keep your attic and basement dry and well ventilated.
– Replace old weather stripping around your windows.
– Set loose mortar around the basement and / or foundation of your home.
Secure entrances to your home. You close doors to deter predators, and securing any entrance to your home will do the same for pests.
– Keep your windows closed. If you enjoy fresh air in your home, install a screen to help prevent the entry of insects, rodents, birds, and bats.
– Make sure your crawl space has a barrier that prevents animals from sheltering under your home. Pests, such as prairie dogs and rats, can quickly move into a crawl space and start a large family before you even realize it has squatters.
– Cover eaves and chimneys to prevent birds from building nests and bats from hanging.
– Cover holes that are a quarter inch or larger on the outside of your home. This size is perfect for small insects like ants or termites to crawl into your home.
Maintain your landscaping. Like your home, when your garden looks neat, pests are less likely to think your home looks comfortable.
– Keep piles of wood, bricks, concrete blocks, stones, leaves, etc., away from your home. Stacks are great places for pests to hide and make a home, so stack wood off the ground and away from any structures.
– Get rid of the dead wood. Stumps, logs, and the like can attract insects that live to eat old wood, such as termites and carpenter ants.
– Hot tubs, pools, and water fountains can look amazing and be relaxing. However, pests such as mosquitoes, carpenter ants, termites, and rodents are attracted to the heat and / or humidity these accessories produce.
– Use a cover on hot tubs and pools when not in use to prevent mosquitoes from laying their eggs in the water and frogs thinking they have a new swimming hole.
– Trim shrubs and trees regularly so they are at least six inches from your home, garage, or outbuildings.
By taking steps to prevent pests in your home, you can have peace of mind knowing that your investment and living space are safe. However, if a rogue plague arrives with the troops, call in a professional to help you reclaim your home.
~ Flora Richards-Gustafson, 2010