Pest problems are a headache for new and existing homeowners alike. They seem to come out of nowhere, and they can be very difficult to manage. The secrets to a pest-free home is proactivity and prevention – do everything you can to get rid of the problem as soon as it arises, and do what you can to prevent it from happening again.
Here’s what you can do now to help prevent an infestation in your new home:
- Inspect the house before moving in
Home inspections usually don’t include an inspection for pests, so take a serious look around the house before you move in. This will let you know what to expect. Check the yard for burrow holes in the grass and examine the kitchen carefully for mouse droppings. In the bedrooms, look at the baseboards, outlets, and flooring for signs of bed bugs. If you can, go into the attic and look for damage.
The key to successful pest control is to eliminate the problem as soon as it arises. If you suspect any pest activity, contact a pest control company immediately and get informed. Check out authoritative blogs and resources like pest tech. A professional is much more reliable than any DIY or homemade solution.
- Keep the kitchen clean
The kitchen is the root of all pest problems. Take its cleanliness seriously to help avoid a pest problem in the future. Do the dishes every day and avoid leaving any food out overnight. This includes pet food. Don’t let food go down the drain and clean your drains every few months to remove grease. Keep the pantry well organized and store food in sealed containers. Sweep and mop the floor every week and deep clean behind your appliances every season.
- Secure the windows and doors
Believe it or not, many rodent problems are due to residents leaving the door open. If you like to let in some fresh air, invest in screen doors. The same thing goes for windows. Make sure they have screens that are still in good shape.If not, you can patch them up or replace them with screens from the hardware store. Then, put weatherstripping on the bottoms of your doors to the outside and check if the one on the garage door needs replacing.
- Seal entry points
Pests get into the house by crawling through the openings they find outside. Examine your new home closely for gaps, cracks, and holes in its exterior structure, then seal them up to keep pests out. You can stuff holes with expanding foam or steel wool. Seal cracks in the foundation with mortar or epoxy. To keep pests out of your vents, cover them with a thick steel mesh. You can also cover weep vents with little stainless steel covers available at the hardware store. Use silicone caulking for little cracks in the siding or window frames.
- Keep garbage off-limits
Pests love garbage and they can smell it from miles away. Ideally, you should use lidded bins that lock, and you should store them in a shed or in the garage until collection day. Rinse these out with the hose every few weeks to remove odours. You can also clean them with white vinegar to ward off wasps, raccoons, and other pests.
- Maintain the yard
Maintaining the yard is not only for appearances’ sake. Rodents, skunks, insects, and basically every other form of wildlife prefers yards that are quiet and overgrown. Keep them out of the yard and out of the house by grooming the yard on a regular basis.
Mow the lawn and pull weeds every week or two. In the fall, be sure to rake the leaves and empty out the gutters. Don’t let your window wells get dirty and move leaf piles or debris away from the walls of the home. Pick up any fruit that fall to the ground and consider covering your fruits and vegetables with netting.
