When spring approaches, the battle starts. Bugs will always find a way to creep in through the tiniest of crevices and cracks in your quarters.
One of the best ways to reduce the chances of an infestation this spring is through prevention. Check around the perimeter of your house to see if you’ll spot potential pest harborage sites, such as rotted tree trumps, piles of debris or leaves, and abandoned tires.
There are myriad other DIY pest prevention strategies that you can employ to help keep rodents and bugs from marching into your home.
5 Secrets to a pest-free spring
Taking just a few practical steps before spring arrives can significantly reduce the number of insects that come indoors. Here are five secrets to make your home a bug-free zone this spring.
Fix leaks and drain stagnant water
Bugs like hanging out in water. So, stagnant water in toys, plant vessels, and furniture can quickly turn into a breeding source for harmful mosquitoes and micro-organisms. Ensure water flows away from your house through properly installed and functioning gutters, downspouts, and splash blocks before spring arrives. Additionally, repair water pipes, AC units, and leaking faucets.
Store food in the right place
Keeping food sources near your home’s exterior invites pests. Keep pet food in the house and secured in a container, bird feeders a hundred feet away from your house and garbage in tightly closed trash cans.
Beware: Common, everyday items around your residence can become active food sources for pests.
Seal any crevices and cracks
Seal up holes and cracks paying close attention to doors, utility pipes or rotting foundation they’re traveling under. Use compound cement or silicone caulk to fill gaps, cracks, and holes. Repair or replace rips or tears in screens, screen attics and openings to chimneys, and seal any potential entryways.
Did you know that some pests like young cockroaches only need a crack as thin as a dime to crawl into?
Clean that mess!
You should always practice good sanitation as this is one of the best ways to make your home less attractive to pests. Keep garbage, crumbs, and spills cleaned up in the kitchen. Also, make sure all your sugary food is stored in tightly sealed containers.
Yard waste, such as branches and leaves, can also attract bugs, especially those that sting and bite. So, clean waste from your yard and under basements, porches, behind shutters and under decks.
Treat the perimeter of your domicile
Generously spraying pesticides around the perimeter of your abode is a good line of defense against pests, as it will ward off stink bugs, ants, bedbugs and other invasive pests.
Conclusion
To control the dangers posed by pests, there are various ways to exclude these modern-day intruders from our local environment. A majority homeowners use an integrated approach to control pests, which include the use of pesticides, hygiene, pest control services and the best management practices.
For the best results dealing with spring pests, an Integrated Pest Management Plan is highly recommended. It is designed to eliminate any pest problems and prevent infestations by eliminating and reversing conditions that are conducive to pests.