Many pests invade homes and buildings for food, water, or shelter. They often enter through cracks and crevices.
Clean houses are less attractive to pests and can be kept pest-free with regular sweeping, mopping, vacuuming, and washing dishes daily. Store food in containers that seal well and remove garbage regularly. Call Pest Control Kansas City experts to check your home.
Keep Your Home Clean
One of the most important steps to successful pest control is keeping living spaces clean. This includes storing food in sealed containers and removing trash regularly. It also means cleaning and sanitizing countertops, floors, and other surfaces to remove germs that attract pests like rodents, roaches, and spiders.
The next step is to deny pests shelter, food, and water. This includes sealing entry points like cracks and crevices around doors, windows, and utility pipes with caulking and other materials. It also means repairing broken window frames and securing screens. It also means removing debris from the yard where rodents and other pests hide and nest, including stacks of wood that termites could infest.
Other preventive measures include using door sweeps to close gaps under doors and preventing moisture buildup in crawl spaces by fixing leaky plumbing. This helps prevent moist areas that attract wood-boring insects like carpenter ants and cockroaches. It also includes avoiding over-watering house plants, turning off sprinklers during dry periods, and removing overflowing gutters that can cause foundation problems.
Keeping living areas clean can reduce the amount of chemicals needed to achieve effective pest control. It can also improve safety by reducing fire hazards and tripping and falling risks. It can make pesticides more effective because they can be applied to a targeted area without affecting people or pets in other areas of the home.
Even if you take all these precautions, though, some pests will still invade. That’s where other pest control methods come in, from baits to traps to barriers and other exclusion techniques that create a barrier that pests can’t cross or can’t penetrate. However, these methods should be used as a last resort, only after you’ve taken all the preventive measures above. And when you use pesticides, always follow the label instructions to avoid exposure to dangerous chemicals.
Seal Entry Points
A home’s plumbing network is critical to its operation, but it also offers a path for unwelcome pests to gain entry. Rodents and insects are constantly seeking shelter, food, and water, and the conditions often found in and around leaky pipes and clogged drains offer a perfect entry point into living spaces.
Sealing entry points is one of the most effective ways to prevent pest infestations. A simple solution is a door sweep, which creates a physical barrier that pests can’t or won’t cross. A silicone-based caulk is another ideal solution for identifying and sealing gaps that allow pests to enter a home. The waterproof, temperature-resistant material is suitable for a variety of situations, including sealing cracks in doors and windows, gaps around vents, and the small crevices found in foundations and walls.
Pests that find their way inside a living space can pose serious health risks. For example, roaches and rodents carry disease-causing bacteria that can introduce allergens into living spaces and cause respiratory issues for people who are sensitive to them. The simplest way to protect your family’s health is to proactively use sustainable pest control strategies that don’t rely on harsh chemicals or temporary fixes.
Keep Water Away
Pests are drawn to water sources like leaking pipes and standing water inside your home, as well as outdoor puddles and rainwater. You can help pests avoid these areas by repairing leaks promptly, cleaning up spills immediately, and storing food in airtight containers. You should also remove weeds from around your house, and keep wood piles away from your home to help deter pests from entering the area.
Clutter attracts pests, so it’s important to get rid of discarded items like old baby strollers and toys. If these items are left outside, rodents and other pests will use them as hiding spots or food sources. It’s also a good idea to regularly clean your kitchen, pantry, and refrigerator, and store foods in airtight containers.
Another way to reduce pests is to install door sweeps and weather stripping. You should also seal any cracks or gaps around windows and doors with caulk. Regularly inspect your property for cracks or gaps and fill them as needed. You can even use an expanding foam product to block entry points without damaging the structure of your home.
The last strategy for effective pest control is to trim back overgrown bushes and shrubs along your home’s foundation and yard. This can help to prevent pests like termites and ants from taking shelter in these plants and creating direct pathways straight from the landscape to your home. You should also prune trees and bushes so that their limbs are not touching or hanging over your roofline.
Attics and basements are common places where pests can hide, as they offer lots of storage space, pipes, and less foot traffic, making them ideal hiding spots for pests to infest. This is why it’s important to regularly clean these areas, as well as ensure that they are well-ventilated and free of clutter.
Remove Clutter
A dirty, cluttered environment is ideal for attracting pests and making them harder to eliminate once they’ve invaded your home or business. Clutter provides hiding places for pests, as well as food and water sources they can use to breed and grow. The key is to declutter regularly to prevent pests from becoming a major problem.
Start by getting rid of food debris, droppings, and other items that could attract pests. Make sure to clean floors, ceilings, and walls regularly. Vacuuming and sweeping can help to remove crumbs and other food debris from hard-to-reach areas like under appliances or inside cupboards. Taking out the trash regularly and storing it in sealed containers is also a good way to keep pests away.
It’s important to regularly go through closets, attics, basements, and garages to ensure that no pests are nesting in those spaces. It is also a good idea to donate or discard any items that you no longer use or need.
Outside your house, keep the yard tidy by mowing the lawn, trimming bushes, and keeping garbage cans out of sight. In addition, keep any overgrown vegetation on your property away from your house as this can provide a hiding place for pests and a pathway to enter. Eliminating any standing water on your property can also help to prevent pests from entering your home as they need a constant source of water to survive. By following these simple steps, you can keep pests out of your home and reduce the need for professional pest control services. Keep in mind that most pests are looking for one of three things: Food, Water, or Shelter. The best way to keep them out is to eliminate the food, water, and shelter they need to live.
Get Rid Of Pests
Pests are more than just annoying; they can also bring germs, disease, and structural damage to your home. The best way to deal with pest infestations is to prevent them from happening in the first place, but this requires vigilance and ongoing action.
Start by finding and sealing entry points to your home. Many pests enter through the tiniest cracks and holes, so it’s important to thoroughly check foundations, door frames, windows, utility pipes, wires and cables, and the roof for potential entry points. Seal any cracks, crevices, or holes you find with caulk or other materials. If possible, repair any torn screens and seal gaps under doors.
Clutter provides hiding places for pests to breed and hide, so good housekeeping is essential. Regularly sweep and vacuum floors to remove food crumbs, dust, pet hair, and dead skin cells that can attract pests like cockroaches. Clean kitchen sink and bathtub drain every week to stop flies and other pests from breeding there. Remove garbage regularly and store food in tightly sealed containers. Avoid allowing water to accumulate in places like trays under house plants, and fix leaky plumbing.
If you’ve done all of this and still have a pest problem, learn about the specific type of pest you have and options for controlling it. For example, if you have a rodent problem, barrier sprays and traps may be effective while baits can help with insects such as ants and roaches. If you decide to use chemicals, try to meet with the pest control professional in person so they can walk you through your home and answer any questions you might have. This will ensure that you’re applying the treatment to areas where pests are most likely to be found and minimize the amount of chemical exposure in your family’s living spaces.