Many of us love hanging out with friends and family at home.
But our invitations don’t extend to furry and feathered visitors. Pest infestations can be a nightmare for homeowners. It’s always beneficial to try and prevent unwanted guests from crashing your party and setting up camp. In this guide, we’ll explore some effective steps you can take to keep pests out.
Cleaning and Tidying
Cleaning your home and tidying up regularly will help to make your house a less appealing option for pests on the lookout for a new base. Tasty morsels, bits of food and piles of stuff and clutter can be attractive selling points for rodents and insects searching for a home.
Always tidy up after cooking and eating, place leftovers in sealed containers and take the trash out. If you leave food out, this is a major draw for pests of all kinds. It can make your home a target.
Looking out for early warning signs
It’s not always possible to prevent pests but taking action early can help to stop the situation from getting worse. Keep your eyes peeled for droppings and new holes in walls or doorways and look out for bite marks in packaging or trails on the floors or surfaces. Listen out for scrabbling or squeaking noises.
Many pests are more active at night so you may find that you become more aware of sounds after dark. If you are concerned, it’s wise to call a local pest control firm. Ask neighbors or friends for recommendations and read reviews online. Pest control experts can address the existing infestation as well as helping you prevent problems further down the line.
Sealing entry points
Many of us unwittingly provide opportunistic pests with easy access to our homes. This may be through gaps under doors or holes in the walls. If you’re worried about pests, or you’ve had problems in the past, inspect your home and look for possible entry and exit points. Seal door frames and plug gaps and holes in the walls. This will make it difficult for pests to get into your home.
Investing in secure trash cans
Pests love trash and open bags and cans with loose lids provide access to a treasure trove of delights for all kinds of common household pests.
When you take the trash out, always ensure that bags are tied securely. Store your trash bags in sealed containers, such as cans. If there is no way of accessing your leftover food or rubbish, the animals will likely move on to the next possible target.
If you find that pests are turning up at your home and trying to get into your trash cans, it’s worth thinking about using a bin store to shut off access completely. You can buy storage solutions or create a DIY storage to keep trash out of reach and provide aesthetic benefits for your home.
Many of us have treasured family pets, but we object to uninvited guests putting down roots in our homes. If you’re eager to keep pests out or you’re worried that you might already have an infestation, take action now. Seek expert advice and employ preventative measures to protect your home in the future.
