Pest control companies will do everything they can to help you keep your home as pest-free as possible. Fortunately, armed with a clean cloth and an efficient moth killer spray, it is possible to do this by yourself without the need for a professional.
We won’t sugarcoat things: it is pretty impossible to completely banish all types of pests from your home. Yet there are a couple of simple things you can do to limit the risks of an infestation occurring.
Here are our top 5 tips.
1. Keep Kitchen Counters Clear of Food
Arguably the easiest way of keeping pests out of your home is to throw out any old food that may be left out on your kitchen counters.
Pests aren’t interested in the type of wallpaper or paint color that you’re using in your kitchen. Instead, they’ll be sniffing around your counters, just waiting for the chance to consume anything edible.
Your job here is to make sure you don’t leave any scraps of food lying around for pests to grab hold of. This includes anything from rotten fruit you may have forgotten about to your leftovers from dinner.
By doing this, you’re significantly reducing the risk of a pest entering your home.
2. Clean Every Surface
Realistically, you’ll hardly ever see a pest infestation in a clean home. This means that one of the best ways for you to keep your home completely pest-free is to keep the surfaces in your home as clean and tidy as possible.
Aim to do more than a standard vacuum and a quick wipe down of the counters in your home each week. Of course, keeping your counters sparkling clean is always a good idea, but there are other parts of your home that deserve some attention, too.
You should shift your focus to cleaning activities like mopping and wiping down every crevice of a room. You may even want to move furniture to collect the debris and dust that lay beneath it.
Doing so will prevent pests from wanting to get anywhere near those hard-to-reach spaces.
3. Avoid Having Clutter In Attics and Garages
Have you got a couple of old boxes or bins that you’ve been meaning to clean, but haven’t quite gotten around to doing yet? If so, this may be another perfect location for pests to hide in your home.
These areas are relatively undisturbed compared to the rest of your home and can often become humid or damp. This is especially true if your items are stored in cardboard boxes in either of these spaces.
You can keep pests out of these areas by regularly cleaning them. We’d recommend setting aside some dedicated time a few times a month to make sure everything is clean and clear, but the frequency of your cleaning is up to you.
We’d recommend swapping your cardboard storage boxes for something a bit more durable and versatile such as plastic storage bins.
4. Store Dry Goods in Airtight Plastic Containers
Another way to keep pests out of your home is to keep all dried goods in airtight plastic containers. This will do wonders for preventing bugs from catching the scent of the food and being drawn toward it.
Apply this rule to any dry ingredient that is prone to spillages such as sugar, rice, or cereal. If the food accidentally ends up spread across the counter or floor of your kitchen, it may become a major source of attraction for all types of pests.
Using plastic containers will reduce the risk of spills occurring and will also help to make your food last a lot longer.
5. Check the Weather Stripping on Windows and Doors
Finally, the most effective way to keep pests out of your home is to not give them a way in!
Although it seems like a bit of a no-brainer considering you lock the windows and doors of your home at night, pests can sneak through even the smallest of gaps in your home. The weather stripping around your windows and doors is a common location for this.
Weather stripping wears out eventually but, fortunately, it is pretty inexpensive and easy to replace. Simply keep an eye out to see when it’s starting to look a bit worn down!
Summary
If you want to successfully keep pests out of your home without needing to hire a pest control specialist, you must follow all the tips in this article. These will also help you to stay up-to-date with your home cleaning.
