Having to deal with bugs and insects in your home can certainly ruin your peace of mind, especially if they have already spread to the point of infestation. Whether you’re dealing with grubs in your yard, mosquitoes on the lawn, or spiders in your house, finding effective ways to eliminate these nuisances before they get out of control is a must. You’ll find many generic methods with which you can effectively eliminate insects and keep your house pest-free, but it’s all about how you implement these methods. So, if you want to know how to keep your house inhospitable for pests, check out this handy guide below.
Yard Maintenance
Your yard can be the reason why your house is infested with pests in the first place. Anyone who has experience combating pests will tell you that you should start with your yard, as it naturally attracts all kinds of insects. This necessitates finding outdoor pest control solutions to prevent bug infestations. Mosquitoes, for example, need humid environments to breed. Thus, spots, where water accumulates in your yard, are the perfect locations for them to live in. To fix this, you’ll need to find areas in which water tends to collect in your yard. Usually, pooling can be a thatch buildup, which means that you’ll have to aerate your lawn properly for the soil to absorb the water. Another reason why you can have water pooling in your lawn is poor drainage, which is typically caused by uneven sloping. You can add dirt to correct this imbalance or have a professional do it for you.
You should also bear in mind that gutters and drains are prone to clogging with debris, leaves, and dirt, which will allow water to accumulate and attract all sorts of insects. Proper maintenance of your drainage and gutter system is required. If you have a pool, it needs to be chlorinated and filtered to discourage mosquitoes from congregating. You should also change the water in birdbaths and fountains to prevent mosquito eggs from hatching in them.
Seal Every Crack
Bugs are annoyingly adept at sneaking into the smallest of cracks in your house, especially the ones that may be invisible to you. The best way to keep your house from being infested is by doing a close inspection for any cracks in the exterior of your house. You should note cracks in the foundations, missing parts in the sidings of your house, falling bricks, or rotten wood. After you take note of every unsealed part, you should treat each area accordingly. Use cement or mortar is for sealing cracks and gaps in the foundations. For rotten wood, you can replace it with new wooden sidings. If you find areas susceptible to termite infestation, make sure to add a layer of foam insulation or wood sheathing.
There is nothing worse than dealing with wasps or bees, especially if they’ve decided to build nests in the cracks of your house’s fascia boards. Use caulk as a fast and easy way to fill these cracks. What’s good about this material is that it’s easy to use and effective against keeping bugs out. You can also use it around window frames and exhaust grilles. If you want to avoid the mess mortar and cement can make in your backyard, caulk is also an excellent choice to patch up small cracks in the sidings and it’s effective in sealing away gaps between the sidings and the roof or foundation of a house as well. Additionally, it is relatively cheap and comes in many varieties, like latex, which can be painted over, and silicone c, which is more durable and faster to dry.
Keep Your House Dry
It is already established that humid conditions will attract all kinds of pests to your house like a magnet. Whether these humid conditions are inside or outside your house, you’ll have to do all you can to avoid wet surfaces or leaving dirty dishes overnight. However, to keep the interior of your house dry, you’ll have to dig deeper than that. Leaky pipes in your bathroom or beneath the sink, for example, can cause a problem. So either fix them yourself or have a plumber do it for you. Places like basements or attics are prone to moisture, especially in summer, and may spread warmth to other parts of your house, so you can opt for a dehumidifier in that case.
Make Your House Inhospitable to Pests
As easy as this step may sound, we often forget about it. For example, if you tend to leave snacks, leftovers, or any edible items exposed, then you’ll probably get unwanted nightly visitors. If you notice cockroaches lurking around your kitchen, it is a sign that you should start keeping your food sealed, preferably in containers, and in your refrigerator. Also, leaving fruits in a bowl is a nice addition to your kitchen table, but unless you want fruit flies all over your kitchen, you should probably not leave them overnight. Pet bowls can also attract cockroaches and ants, so make sure to leave them clean at night.
Store Trash Properly
Like humid environments, trash can easily attract cockroaches and other insects and if you’re not careful enough, they will make their way inside your house. Proper storing of trash is crucial. To do this, you’ll have to keep the food trash in the kitchen sealed away in lidded cans and not in wastebaskets. Trash cans outside your house should have lids that are tight enough to seal the trash and keep insects away. They should also be sanitized regularly in case the trash bag ever leaks.
Keeping your house pest-free can be challenging, especially since you’ll have to follow some of the tips mentioned above daily. But if you do them correctly, you can relax without having to worry about mosquitoes or ants eating away at your house’s infrastructure. However, if you do have a pest problem that proves to be difficult to deal with, don’t hesitate to ask for professional help.
