Invading Insects – How to Prevent Home Infestations

The last thing anyone wants is to be sharing their home with lots of unwelcome insects. Infestations can be common and some homes are just more prone to being invaded than others. Here are some handy tips to help you to keep the pesky critters at bay.

Food Remains

Pests tent to enter our homes for one of three reasons, food, water or shelter. If you can remove these three things then they’re less likely to try and sneak in. It’s easy to forget about crumbs and left overs that we leave on our surfaces but there’s always bugs lurking about waiting to take advantage of them. Investing in plastic containers to store leftover food, washing the dishes as soon as you’ve eaten are all good ways to help remove the appeal. It’s also a good idea to keep your bin sealed and to take it out regularly, as well as investing in some screen doors as these will help to keep insects out. These relatively small household chores will help you keep out the bugs, especially if your house is prone to infestations.

Humidity

Having a humid house attracts a variety of pests. They feel right at home in dark, moist, quiet places and need lots of water to stay alive. A humid house will have condensation on the windows which the bugs love, you may also have a humid house if you regularly get mould on the walls and the ceiling. House flies will lay their eggs on moist surfaces like windows full of condensation so make sure you regularly wipe them down to prevent this. This can be rectified by investing in a dehumidifier and patching up any leaks or drips in your home. Ultimately, when there’s no water for the pests inside they’ll be forced to look elsewhere outside.

Declutter

This is probably what most of us overlook when thinking about securing our houses from pests. Clutter provides bugs with a perfect hiding place from humans and an ideal nesting spot. Insects instinctively try hard to hide their offspring to maximise their chance of survival and your clutter is just the place for them do to this. Preventing this cycle from happening is the most effective way to exterminate the critters. Moving boxes and throwing away anything you don’t need will help with this both inside the house and in your garden- If you have bugs hanging around outside they’re more likely to try and come in.

Repair the Cracks

Pests are sneaky! They typically have very short life spans so finding the ideal spot to lay their eggs and reproduce is their main priority. If you’ve followed all of the handy tips above and still can’t seem to keep them away then you should check the exterior of your property to make sure you don’t have any cracks or entry points. This may be the case and you’ve just not noticed- that’s ok, they can be easily repaired. When you’ve identified the problem areas you can decide what will be the best way to fill the holes depending on the size. Small gaps can be filled with weatherproof silicone and larger gaps with steel wool or foam. If you have any queries it’s always a good idea to check with a local builder. This should keep out those persistent pests once and for all.

Summary

All in all, you can never completely eradicate the possibility of an infestation. Following these tips will, however, will dramatically reduce the risk and means you can sit back, relax and not have to worry about what creepy crawlies you’re sharing your home with.