Those who live in busy city apartments may not relate so much, but garden pests can be a real nuisance to any homeowner. From the annoying rodents to bats, snails, insects like moths or ants, and other pests like birds, these bugs can make your life a nightmare if you don’t keep watch. For instance, the mere sight of a rat running through your living room can be disturbing. This is not to mention their gnawing action that leaves your clothes, furniture, and upholstery in tatters. Their pee and their stool smell awful, and when they get access to your food storage cabinets, you will feel like you want to move like yesterday. Other garden pests are nothing close to pleasant either, including those that tear the green garden in your backyard apart and destroy your crops.
But prevention is always better than cure, so they say. Before they penetrate your home and make your life a living hell, it’s better to take offensive action and bar them from gaining access in the first place. Prevention goes a long way in saving you from the frustration, disrupted comfort, and the losses you may incur from having garden pests in your home. Well, prevention means eliminating entry points as well as conditions that may attract them or favor their well being. With this having been said, here are some pointers you want to read on how to prevent these bothersome creatures from entering your home.
1. Talk to a Pest Expert
Different homes have different pest risks depending on factors such as the structure, the surrounding environment, and the geographical location. As you will discover from pestresources.com, eliminating, and preventing pests from your home may require different approaches and combined strategies. There is no single magic bullet that will eradicate all your pest problems at one go. This is why it is important to seek advice from a pest control expert on how you can make your home foolproof when it comes to garden pest prevention. You may or may not spend a couple of dollars on it, but the investment will be worthwhile in the long run. If you are having problems with moths, this kit is a life saver.
2. Reduce Overgrown Plants and Bushes
Many homes have experienced the nuisance of household pests. Some of these pests end up giving us painful bites or even spread diseases, which can be quite unpleasant. To prevent these bugs from raiding your home, ensure you crop away all the outdoor plantings like long branches and shrubbery, flowers, and trees. Keep the shrubs and branches well-trimmed and avoid planting flowers side to side with the exterior wall of your house. This will inhibit pests like rodents, ants, snakes, mosquitoes, and others from making a transition into your home.
3. Dispose of Trash Often
Dirt is a feasting ground for many pests, including flies, roaches, and ants. You cannot keep trash for days in the house and expect them not to pay you a visit. Trash and litter is an ideal environment for pests. This means that proper garbage disposal and management can tremendously lower and prevent the invasion of pests around and inside your home. Also, your litter bins must have a tight lid. Make sure you wash the trash cans often and don’t wait for the trash to overflow. Empty the bin regularly!
Moreover, you will want to avoid pouring dirt on top of the trash lid. Remove any food spills on top of the lid. Proper waste management and disposal will inhibit these brutes from invading your home. If possible, store the main garbage bin out of the house to prevent the pests from sneaking inside.
4. Seal off Cracks If Any
Pests can be a terror in a home out of their ruinous habits. Needless to reiterate, they are not only annoying, but they can impose harmful risks on us. One of the most effective defensive methods of keeping them away from your home is sealing the entry points. Conduct an inspection and identify unsealed doors, cracked window screens, and cracks of the walls or foundation. This will help inhibit these unappealing bugs from raiding your cozy crib.
5. Keep Your Home Clean
Good hygiene and cleanliness are a threat to pests. Keeping your home clean and tidy will keep bugs and pests at bay. Poor hygiene and dirt, especially in the kitchen area, is undoubtedly a fertile environment for roaches, ants, and mice. Ensure you clean up after meals – especially before hitting the bed at night – looking for any little crumbs of food from the countertops to the flooring. Mop, sweep, and vacuum clean your home regularly to eradicate mites and fleas. Rearrange any cluttered papers, magazines, or books regularly. Proper hygiene and sanitation are some of the most effective ways to make your home inhospitable for these bugs.
6. Clean Drainages
Dirty drainages are fertile grounds for some pests that feed on the organic matter such as grease and food waste. Pests like cockroaches thrive easily in the dirty, moist atmosphere in the bathroom and kitchen drains. These trappings provide food and water for them.
Also, keep the drains closed with the lid when not using the sink because drains also serve as entry points for cockroaches out of their dark, humid environment. Ensure your home is spic and span to keep these unpleasant guys from invading. Inspect your drainages in the kitchen, laundry rooms, and bathrooms for any buildup of muck and debris. You can also pour some vinegar or baking soda in the drains to flush out the clogs.
7. Store Foods Properly
Pests are not only glossy, but they also create an unhygienic condition and contaminate our food. Storing your food in tightly sealed containers before placing them in the pantry will not only keep it fresh, but it will go a long way in keeping bugs away. Avoid leaving fruits and foods unsealed because the smell in the pantry from uncovered foods such as cereals and crackers is a definite attraction for these uninvited guests to your residence. Use the resealable zipper bags if you don’t have containers. Also, clean and tidy up your food storage areas regularly from any spilled foods or liquids. This will help keep off the bugs.
Finally, don’t forget to schedule a pest inspection visit at least once every year to ensure these troublesome visitors are kept at bay. In summary, preventing garden pests from invading your home has to start from the exterior. It involves eliminating conditions that attract them into your home’s compound and into your house.