Many people struggle to maintain their homes pest-free, and as a result, many turn to professional exterminators for help and advice. However, you should only contemplate such a course of action as a last resort in extreme circumstances.
People struggle to keep their homes pest-free and thus many resorts to professional exterminators for assistance. However, you should only consider taking such a step as the last option. Keep your house free of bugs and other pests by taking efforts to create a hostile environment for them. You will save money by not having to pay for the buggy. Keep reading to learn about 10 inexpensive methods to pest-proof your home.
1. Get Your Basement Sealed and Repaired
Check properly if you see any cracks or holes in the wall where pipes exit. Examine external wall outlets, clothes dryers, and utility boxes around the property for possible opening points. Gaps for bugs are more likely to be present in such regions. Weatherstripping on doors and windows should be checked, and holes in screens should be mended. You have to utilize these sticky screen repair patches as a short-term remedy. To keep your garage door closed, make an effort too.
2. Make A Dining Area For Domestic Animals
You leave a dish of dog food on the floor for your dog. That was a major blunder. He knocked some food out of his plate and it ended up all over the room. The food attracted ants. Provide your pet with a food or water bowl on a rubber mat. Spilled food becomes more visible and simpler to clean up with this. Put your pet’s food bowl into a bowl filled with water so the ants can’t cross the moat and reach the food.
3. Keep Your Cooking Area Clean
It is especially vital to have a clean kitchen, as nearly every undesirable insect is drawn to leftover food scraps. Follow these simple steps:
- Store leftover foods in leak-proof containers.
- Don’t forget to check for sugar spills around the coffee machine.
- After you’ve finished with sweet foods, such as peanut butter and jelly, remove any residual residue from the containers.
- Never leave fruit exposed to the sun. Check food often for spoilage.
- Keep your house frequently vacuumed or swept.
- Before you place the container in the recycle bin, rinse it well.
- By following these simple steps you can keep your home clean.
4. Try To Keep Your Home Clean And Dry
Insects thrive in humid settings, so keep your house dry. To repair leaks around the bathtub and sink, first, apply the caulk. Examine the basement floor for stains that suggest leaking pipes, and search the floors above for signs of leakage. Search your ceiling for water stains to check for a hole in your roof. Bugs can also use holes as entrance points.
5. Garden Cleaning
Concentrate of grass clippings, compost piles, and rotting leaves are prime breeding grounds for insects. Branches contacting your house will also be used as walkways. To avoid insects from spreading to plants, you should trim branches and shrubs to keep them close to the ground. It is important to pick up and dispose of pet feces as well as keep garbage cans and compost piles safely covered and away from your property.
6. Make Your Home Dear To The Bird
One of the advantages of inviting birds is that they’re great to look at, and they enjoy eating insects. It’s less expensive to acquire a bird feeder than to get a birdbath and will thus not result in a stagnant puddle of water. Or you may simply make your own. It’s a fun and inexpensive weekend activity for the whole family
7. Firewood Should Be Stored In A Separate Area Away From The Home.
Wood Termites, ants, and cockroaches are attracted to heaps of wood, as well as moist soils. Keep firewood kept away from your home, or pile it on a raised area to keep it off the ground. Consider a firewood rack if you have a lot of wood to store. In the absence of a more permanent storage location, put firewood somewhere like a wheelbarrow or bench and cover it with a tarp.
8. Make Attractive Traps for Flies
Make a DIY fly trap. No matter how many times they’re hit, they remain in the area and maybe found nearly anywhere. So instead of chasing after them switch tactics and start using science.
These have proven to be quite successful for many: Add a spray of dish detergent to half a cup of apple cider vinegar in an open container. The vinegar has a pleasant scent, which attracts flies, and the soap causes the surface tension of the water to break, which drowns the flies. When it comes to insects, place the traps throughout your house where you notice them, but don’t put them near windows where the flies would be attracted.
9. Trap Mice
Mice should not be killed, but instead trapped to reduce the risk of their becoming a breeding ground for germs and insects. This lower-priced trap is also available for around $13. The translucent walls also allow you to check whether a mouse has been trapped. Use steel wool to seal holes like those found behind baseboard heaters and dryers to keep mice out.
10. Take Advantage Of Mosquito Management Opportunities
At the very least, they leave uncomfortable red welts behind. In the worst-case scenario, they might carry diseases such as Zika. By eliminating stagnant water and spreading mulch or dirt over puddles, you will be able to keep mosquitoes at bay.
