Preventing Pests After A Flood

After a flood, there is a high possibility that animals will find shelter at your home. When this happens, you and your family might be at risk of injuries or home damage.

To help you in preventing accidents, here is a guide on how to deal with post-flood scenarios and tips on how to avoid pests after a flood.

Common Pests After a Flood

Ants

One of the most common pests that may make their way into your home after a flood is ants. Note that these ants are different from your typical kitchen ants, and they may be a type that causes damage or injuries. Some types of ants that you should look out for are fire ants and carpenter ants.

In case this happens, you can get rid of ants using ant traps or follow this guide.

Unlike the ants that you commonly find in your home, the ones that may get into your home may be a type that can

Cockroaches

Cockroaches also tend to look for dry areas during floods, which means that your home’s attics and upper walls are the perfect hideouts for these pests.

One of the more effective ways to get rid of cockroaches is by using boric acid. Though effective, you must make sure that you only use small amounts in areas where the cockroaches will walk over. You should also note that you shouldn’t use boric acid if you have kids or pets as it isn’t pet or child-friendly.

Mosquitos

We are certain that you won’t be happy to see this annoying pest infesting your home. After a flood, you probably will see a lot of buzzing mosquitoes in and around your home, especially if stagnant flood water is present in your area.

You must be on the lookout for this pest since, aside from bringing deadly diseases, they also give you itchy bumps on their bite site. Thankfully, mosquitoes aren’t that difficult to get rid of. You just have to clean your house thoroughly, dry it out, and set up mosquito traps.

Rodents

When flooding happens, the hiding places of rodents such as mice and rats can also get flooded, forcing them to come out and look for areas where they can find temporary shelter. This includes cars, buses, garbage cans, and even your home. 

A rodent infestation in your home is the last thing you’d want, so make sure to cover any openings on the outside walls of your home so that rodents won’t have any means of entering it.

Snakes & Reptiles

It is also possible that snakes and reptiles will make their way into your home. Snakes and reptiles are hard to spot if there is still flood water, so be careful when first entering your home after the flood. Use extra caution when reaching out in areas that you can’t see since these animals could be poisonous or venomous.

Things to Do After a Flood

Cover All Openings

If openings in your home, such as windows or doors, have been damaged by the storm, make sure to make temporary covers to prevent wild animals or insects from entering your home. Aside from apparent damages, you should also inspect your home for more minor damages (holes in the roof or foundation) to prevent insects and pests that can fit through the small openings from infesting your home.

If you still think that you might have missed some spots, it is best to call for professional pest removers to thoroughly inspect your home and seal up cracks and gaps in your home. 

Do a Proper Clean Up

It is vital for you to clean up your home after a flood properly. Insects and rodents may potentially use debris and garbage that may have wandered into your lot as their temporary shelter. Plus, this debris and garbage may have sharp edges that could cause injuries if not handled properly.

If you decide to get snack breaks while cleaning up, never leave out the food exposed; store them in thick containers with tight covers so that it won’t attract pests into your home. You should also wash the dishes immediately after eating as leftovers may also attract pests. Lastly, dispose of trash in covered, pest-proof trash cans or dumpsters as soon as possible.

Set Up Traps

If pests have already started appearing in your home, you can set out traps to try to get rid of them. Snap traps are the most commonly used when targeting rodents, while there are various effective traps that you can use to deal with insects.

If the infestation is worse than what you expected, you might want to contact a professional to manage your problem.

Maximize the Use of Repellents

Even if you don’t see insects or pests right after a flood, there is still a chance that the pest infestation will occur days after the flood has subsided. To be prepared, you can set up repellents to prevent pests from going near your house.

Dehumidify Your Home

After a flooding situation, you should remove the excess humidity in the air since pests are attracted to wet conditions. To do this, you can use dehumidifiers, exhaust fans, or box fans.

Extra Tips Before Returning to Your Home

• Only return home if there are announcements that it is safe to do so.
• Continue to get updated with local news stations and NOAA for information and instructions.
• Approach your house carefully. Your home may be damaged, or snakes, rodents, and other pests may have entered it.
• Don’t come into contact with floodwater. Avoid any water that could be contaminated. Keep children and pets away from dangerous conditions and floodwater. Never stand in water and operate any electrical equipment.
• If you sense that gas pipes in your home have been damaged, evacuate the property and contact the fire department as soon as possible.
• Do a thorough inspection of your home after a flood.
• When cleaning up, make sure you wear protective clothing, including rubber gloves and rubber boots.
• Throw away any food, furnishings, and material that has absorbed water and cannot be cleaned or disinfected.
• Contact professional services for specific recommendations for returning your home to normal, dry conditions.

When a flood occurs, pests may use your home as shelter. Before going in, make sure that you and your family are safe from dangerous pests. If you don’t know how to clear your home of these pests, you can contact PestGuide.org for professional help.

Let the Pest Control Company Do the Cleanup

PestGuide customizes available services with safety and effectiveness in mind to fit the needs of the customer. We ensure that responsible and competent professionals do our pest control services with sufficient training and certifications.

If you want to know more about our services, contact PestGuide.org today.

FAQs About Post-Flood Pest Prevention