Pests like to hide and breed, so it is essential to protect your home from these pests. Keep your home clean, seal off entry points and remove food sources.
Ants, cockroaches and other common house pests enter your home looking for food, water and shelter. Learn the best ways to protect your home from pests.
Keep Your Home Clean
Keeping your homes clean is a great way to protect them from pests. Pests thrive in damp, dark and dirty places; therefore, it is important to keep your house as tidy as possible.
It is also a good idea to vacuum your interiors regularly and remove any cobwebs or pest droppings. In addition, clean your dustbins on a regular basis and dispose off waste in wet and dry containers.
This will help in reducing the number of pests in your home and will help in eliminating any odor.
The kitchen is the most popular room for pests, so it’s essential to clean the dishes frequently and avoid leaving food crumbs on the counter or in the sink.
Trash is another common source of food for pests, so be sure to put your trash in a sealed container. Tuck garbage and recycling bins away from window openings, doors and other crevices to prevent rodents and ants from snagging on them.
Seal Off Entry Points
If you’re a homeowner, then you know that pests are always looking for ways to get into your home. These creatures love to find food, shelter and nesting areas inside homes, so you’ll want to keep them out as much as possible.
Sealing off entry points is the best way to prevent pests from entering your home. Whether it’s a hole in your foundation or a gaping window, you should inspect these for signs of pest activity and repair them as soon as you notice them.
Rats are extremely opportunistic animals and often seek out any entry point into your home to enter. Damaged foundation vents, chewed dormer corners and gaps along the mud sill are all common rodent entry points that should be sealed off to help prevent future rat infestations.
Mice can also enter your home through a small hole about the size of a dime, but you should be careful to find and seal these holes as well. These can be filled with a combination of copper mesh and expanding foam to deter mice from trying to chew through them.
Remove Food Sources
One of the best ways to keep pests out of your home is to remove any food sources. This is especially true in the kitchen, where food scraps can attract rodents and insects.
Some of the most common sources of food in the kitchen include chips and crackers, leftover foods, crumbs, and pet food. It’s important to clean up all of these items and store them in airtight containers so that they don’t attract unwanted visitors.
It’s also smart to use smell-blocking containers for your food and dispose of trash in tightly sealed bins to reduce the amount of odors in your home. The best way to do this is to invest in a good garbage can with a lock on the lid. Trash cans with an open top are sure to draw ants, spiders, and other pests.
Keep Your Home Moisture-Free
Pests love moist and damp places, so reducing the amount of humidity in your home will help protect it from pests. This is especially important in areas where moisture tends to build up, such as kitchens and bathrooms.
One way to reduce the amount of moisture in your home is by using a dehumidifier. Depending on the moisture content in your area, you may also want to consider using a product like baking soda or a product that absorbs excess moisture.
Another way to keep your home dry is to remove and dispose of items that are prone to mold. These include items that contain soap, towels, clothing, and more.
You can also seal off entry points that pests could use to enter your home, such as gaps around windows and doors, foundation cracks, and holes in drywall. These can be sealed with copper mesh, coarse steel wool, or a product made specifically for sealing openings in mortar.
