Pest infestations are something that we all wish we could avoid. Not only are they annoying and a danger to the health of your family. But pests can also cause thousands of dollars of damage to your home. This is why it is important to consider small steps you can take each day to avoid pest infestations in your home. But no matter how hard you try, sometimes you still are faced with an infestation, this is when it is important to call in the professionals such as the team at Endevaour Property Services, who are an Auckland based Pest Control team. But through proper maintenance and cleaning around your home you can drastically decrease the risk of pest infestations, and in turn save money on DIY and professional pest control services.
Clean Surfaces
One of the easiest ways to prevent pests in your home is to keep counters, tables and other surfaces clean. This only takes a few minutes each day, but plays a big part in reducing the likelihood of infestations. As pests like ants and cockroaches are attracted to food crumbs and scraps, so through keeping surfaces clean they won't be drawn into your home for a food source.
Rubbish
One of the most common reasons that pests are drawn into homes is incorrect storage of rubbish. Pests are attracted to the strong odour from your household rubbish, so it is important to remember to always keep your rubbish in a bin with fitted with a lid. This helps to prevent attracting pests into your home, by containing the foul smell created by waste and food scraps. As well as correctly storing rubbish it is important to regularly put your rubbish out especially for kitchen waste. This helps to maintain a clean and hygienic home, which is not as attractive to pests.
Entry Points
Pests often go unnoticed in the home for a long time before you realise you have an infestation. You need to remember that pests such as ants, mice and rats are small, so for them there may be many entries into your home. A good way to prevent pest infestations is to seal up any cracks or openings in foundations, attics, roofs, walls and driveways. These little crevices and openings often get left unrepaired for years. But they act as an open door for pests to enter your home. It is important to remember, mice can come into your home through openings less than ¼ inch, and rats through openings less than ½ inch in diameter. So even the smallest of openings could be welcoming pests into your home.
Moisture
Another easy way to keep your home free of pests is to keep it dry and well ventilated. The majority of pests and insects are attracted to two things, food and water. So, through keeping your home dry and well ventilated your home is less attractive to pests. Common damp areas of the home that attract pests include attics, basements and even leaks under the kitchen sink. Good news though, this is easily avoided through the use of dehumidifiers, ventilation systems and making sure your home is free of leaks.
Food Storage
As pests are so attracted to food within your home it is important to consider how you store food in your home. In order to avoid common pests, it is best to store food in airtight containers, as moths and weevils are often attracted to dry goods such as flour and wheat. Also, to make sure you don't leave fruit out for long periods of time as ripe fruit attracts moths and flies into your home.
Garden Maintenance
It is also important to consider what you can do to your garden and homes exterior to prevent pests. One often forgotten tip is to keep tree branches and shrubs well-trimmed so they are away from your home, as pests often nest and live in organic material. But it is also important to consider how you dispose of this organic material as compost and mulch's warm damp nature is a breeding ground for pests. This is why it is important to keep compost heaps as far from your home as possible or to get your garden waste collected regularly.
Water
As mentioned earlier moisture and water attracts pests, this is why it is important to check your home and garden for water sources that may attract pest infestations. For example, in your garden you may have a pond of bird bath, this is a breeding ground for pests such as mosquitos, so it is important to regularly clean the water in these areas. As stagnant water attracts pests such as mosquitos and ants. Also, it is important to keep hot tubs sealed and covered, as the heat and moisture attracts many pests. In your home, it may be less obvious, as the water sources may be smaller. But mosquitos can multiple at such an alarming rate even in the smallest water source. So, make sure to not leave half full glasses of water or water in sinks or buckets around your home.
Clean
But most importantly is keeping your home clean, as a clean and well-maintained home is less attractive to pests. This includes simple tasks such as washing your floors and vacuuming regularly. As this helps stop the life cycle of pests such as fleas, through removing eggs and larvae.
With considering all of these tips you will be able to lower the changes of a pest infestation in your home. Although there may be environmental factors such as weather and location that are out of your control that may attract pests. There are many easy things that you can do that will save you money in the long term on DIY and professional pest control.
