Pest infestations are an all too common problem. As a homeowner, you need to educate yourself on the best pest control measures. This is the only way to keep your home free of unwanted pests. This article is loaded with useful pest control tips by Pest Control Service done by 1st Call Pest Control.
The beginning is the place to start. If you are having pest problems, look to eliminate their source of sustenance. Pests are probably attracted to your home because there is a source of water, available food, and adequate shelter. Leaks, scraps of food and easy access are a pest’s best friends; make it harder for them to survive.
If you are dealing with a stink bug invasion, try to minimize your use of outdoor lights. These pests are drawn to the brightness, so they will move closer to your house when the lights are on, giving them more opportunities to find their way in. Furthermore, draw your blinds in the evening so the light from inside your home does not attract them.
There are dogs that are specially trained to detect termites. A termite inspector can just confirm that one-third of your house is safe. Well-trained dogs can inspect the entire house. When termites eat wood, they produce methane gas. That scent attracts the trained dog.
Kill ants around your home using an easy-to-make home concoction. Combine borax and sugar in a jar in a 1:1 ratio. Sprinkle the mixture around the outside of your home at its foundation and anywhere else you’ve noticed ants. The sugar will attract the ants, while the borax will kill them.
Don’t be gullible when it comes to thinking you’re past a bedbug infestation. Bedbugs can go for a whole year without eating. This is the reason it is important to close off all holes in your home’s walls and floors. This will prevent them from hiding anywhere.
If you are living in a multi-unit building, any form of individual pest control measures that you take will be ineffective. This is because those pests can travel from one apartment unit to another. To get rid of the bugs completely, your whole building needs to be treated at one time.
Be sure to close up any openings by which rodents could enter your home. This is especially important before winter, when rodents will be looking for a warm spot to take shelter. Look for cracks and holes of all sizes around the windows, vents and foundation of your home. Some small rodents need less than a quarter inch to squeeze into your home.
Make sure your home’s roof and water sills are draining properly. Standing water can lead to pests. If you’ve got puddles forming that just won’t go away, look to the root cause and fix it. Sometimes it’s as easy as cleaning out a gutter. Otherwise, you may get more unwanted visitors than you bargained for.
If you see that there is a sudden infestation of bugs in and around your home, look around for trash that may have been left out. Bugs, insects and animals will run to this, as cleaning this mess up can get rid of your issue effectively, saving you time and money.
When you’re storing dry food, use plastic containers. Pests have easy access to dry goods when they are left in their boxes or plastic packages. When you get back from grocery shopping, immediately transfer these items to a better container. This method prevents pests from entering your food, and it always keeps your food fresh for a longer period of time.
The simplest and most obvious way to keep pests away from the inside and outside of your home? Keep it clean! A clean house is a pest-free house. Pests like to thrive in damp and dirty areas, so if they can’t find a place like that in your house, then they won’t want to stay there!
If you have many mosquitoes in your yard, and possibly even infiltrating your home, try to eliminate any standing water. If there is a high population of mosquitoes on your property, they are breeding somewhere, and they can only breed in standing water. Dump anything that collects rainwater, dump kid pools and do whatever you can to eliminate breeding grounds.
If you see mice holes in the floor or walls, cut steel wool to size and insert into the holes. When the mice nibble on the steel wool, they will die from eating it. Use spackle to plug the rodent holes.
As was mentioned in the beginning of this article, pest infestations are an extremely common problem for almost all homeowners. If you are currently experiencing a pest control problem or simply want to avoid dealing with one in the future, apply all the great pest control tips you’ve read about in this article. By taking effective action you can keep your home pest-free.