The snow has finally given way to brilliant sunshine, everything is coming alive and there is no better time than this to give your house a thorough cleaning. You may be looking to de-clutter, give your house a new look or simply spruce up a few areas that have been forgotten for some time.
Whatever your reasons, you can take advantage of your spring cleaning sessions to secure your house against pests. These few tips can guide you:
Tightly Seal Your Food to prevent pest infestation
If you are in the habit of leaving food on your kitchen counters or pantry uncovered you may be sending pests a dinner invitation. Many rodents and insects have an impeccable sense of smell and they will soon find out where that mouth-watering aroma is coming from. By the time you realize that they’ve been enjoying free meals at your expense you may have a serious pest infestation under your roof.
Deny the Pests Entry
It is not easy to remove pest from your home once they get in. Some infestations may require months of treatment before your house is declared pest free. Save yourself the trouble and conduct a thorough inspection of your house plugging every crevice or crack that pests can use to get in. And if you come across any insect eggs destroy them immediately.
Drain Stagnant Water
As the snow melts and the rain begins to fall there are bound to be some pools of water here and there which are likely to provide mosquitoes with a suitable breeding ground. Find a way to drain off this water. You may also treat it with a bacterial insecticide which will attack mosquito larvae without harming anything else. You should also get rid of any empty containers like buckets, jars etc. where rainwater can collect and bring mosquitoes to your door.
De-clutter
Nothing is more welcoming to pests than clutter; it gives them a perfect place to live and hide as they rain mayhem on your home. This is the reason why rodents and insects love basements particularly those that have piles of under-utilized items lying around.
This spring you should embark on a major operation to remove all unused items from your home. You can toss, sell or donate them and whatever you choose to keep should be stored in pest-proof plastic containers whenever possible.
Pay Attention to Your Yard
Termites and wood-boring beetles feed on wood and if you have stacks of it sitting in your yard don’t be surprised to find these insects feasting on it. Aside from the fact that they will damage your wood, there is no guarantee that once they are done feeding on it they will not shift their attention to your house. Your best defence is to get rid of the wood.
Mowing your lawn is also a very effective way of keeping pests out of your space but remember not to leave the lawn clippings lying around since they will attract flies and other unwelcome guests.
Keep Everything Dry
So far we know that pest love food and clutter, but there is a third thing that they cannot do without: water. Leaking pipes are very attractive to cockroaches, mosquitoes and rodents so take a peak under your sinks and see if there is need to call a plumber or you can fix the leaks on your own.
Your basement is also at risk of accumulating dangerous amounts of moisture that is likely to bring with it some centipedes and silverfish. A high quality dehumidifier will do the trick for you on this one.
Now that you have done everything you can to barricade your home, no one will blame you if pests figure out a way to get in. But when that happens just give our professional exterminators a call; we will be there in no time ready to tackle any infestation that may be bothering you. We are an established professional pest removal company that can eradicate any bugs, pest and rodents from your premises.