Our fully inclusive guide on how to prevent an insect infestation taking place in your home.
In this day and age, we very simply do not have time for an insect infestation in our homes, do we? Getting rid of pests who have chosen to set up camp in your home can take some time – and depending on the pest, it can actually cost you money too. In some cases, you might find it impossible to exterminate the pest infestation yourself, in turn will have to employ a professional to bring their equipment, and do the job once and for all.
However, as we always say – we believe that prevention is the best solution. If you’ve already got a pest infestation, this might sound irritatingly like an ideal “looking back in hindsight” solution, and obviously if you’ve already got an infestation, then you should deal with it accordingly. However, in many cases, looking back, you probably could have prevented the infestation in the first place IF you knew how to do it.
Luckily for you, today, we’re going to be explaining exactly how to do that. Read on for our fully inclusive guide on how to prevent an insect infestation from taking place in your home.
Clean Your Home Regularly
When it comes to preventing pests in the home, then it can literally be as simply as ensuring you clean your home regularly, and keep it that way.
The vast majority of pests will prefer to stay in an environment which is dirty, and unhygienic. This is why keeping your property looking, and smelling, and overall just being clean is a greatly effective way of preventing pests from infiltrating your home.
In particular, we would encourage you to pay attention to any food crumbs that have fallen on the floor, or sugary drinks which have been spilled. Pests like cockroaches and ants will instantly come on the scene if you leave this kind of debris without cleaning it up.
It doesn’t have to be an extreme cleaning kind of tidy – up either. It’s as simple as ensure that you sweep, mop, and vacuum your floors on a regular basis. This is, without doubt, one of the easiest ways of ensuring you keep your home pest free.
Which Bugs will this Help to Prevent?
The kinds of bugs that cleaning your home regularly will best prevent, is ants and cockroaches.
Repair Any Leaking Pipes in the Property
When it comes to plumbing, you’d be surprised at how prevalent it can be in the prevention and the attraction of pests within your home.
Leaking pipes inside of the home is, without doubt, one of the leading causes of many kinds of pest infestation. When you think about it, a leaking pipe quite literally will offer free water for different kinds of pests to drink. These include, but are not limited to ants, rats, and cockroaches.
However, this is not the only way in which they attract pests. Termites are keen, and thrive within moist environments. This is perhaps why they are so attracted to leaking pipes and plumbing issues.
With this in mind, you should be certain to ensure that all leaking pipes in the house are fixed and sealed. You should also be active in your monitoring of any sort of erosion or damage to your plumbing systems. The earlier you catch it, the less likely you are to experience pests!
Which Bugs will this Help to Prevent?
The kinds of bugs that repairing leaks and being mindful of your plumbing will prevent are cockroaches, ants, rats, and termites.
Seal Up Any Cracks, Gaps, or Crevices in Your Home
Cracks, gaps, and crevices provide an immediate entry point for pests within the home. You may be surprised to hear this, but even the slightest of cracks or gaps within your home can provide an ideal little doorway for pests, bringing them directly into your home.
In fact, species of cockroaches, ants, and even RATS can squeeze through a gap as tiny as 1cm wide.
Therefore, you should always be certain to seal – or have sealed – any cracks, gaps or crevices that you notice within your home.
Which Bugs will this Help to Prevent?
Ensuring that all cracks, gaps, and crevices in your home are properly sealed will help to prevent cockroaches, ants, and bed bugs in particular.
Get Rid and Dispose of Your Rubbish Properly
Waste is one of the key things in the home that can attract pests of all shapes and sizes.
Pests that are attracted by improperly disposed rubbish can include, flies, rats, and cockroaches.
We would recommend investing in a rubbish can that is durable, and has a lid. This will help to contain the smell of the rubbish effectively. A good quality bin will also help to prevent any leaks from the contents of your bin – even if it does end up on its’ side.
Also be sure to take the rubbish out regularly, and avoid leaving it right outside of your home. The more often you clear it and keep it as clear as possible, the less likely your bin will be to attract pests.
Which Bugs will this Help to Prevent?
The bugs which are most commonly attracted to your rubbish include rats, cockroaches, and flies. Being meticulous about your rubbish and its’ disposal will help you to ensure that these pests stay away.
Store Your Food Properly, and Safely
It’s no secret that pests are more attracted to the food within your home than they are just about anything else. Pests can spread germs and diseases, and therefore properly managing the areas in which you store your food will help to prevent a pest infestation.
Ants and cockroaches – are you sensing a theme here? – are some of the most common creatures you’re likely to find taking refuge in your kitchen or pantry, and eating your food resources.
We would recommend not leaving food out, and to store food in safe, and lockable containers. This should help to stop pests targeting your food, as they won’t be able to find a way in.
Which Bugs will this Help to Prevent?
Again, the bugs that will be most attracted to food left out tend to be cockroaches and ants, and storing your food properly and safely will help to keep them at bay.
Install Mosquito Screens Around the Home
Particularly if you live in a hot climate, installing mosquito screens around your home is a must. It can be extremely affective in keeping mosquitos out of your home.
This is a great way of keeping mosquitos out of your home, while also being able to allow fresh air to come in – which is what we all need in the hot Summer months!
In some cases, if you have a screen fit professionally, this could cost you. If you instead choose to opt for an indoor solution, there are indoor traps available.
Which Bugs will this Help to Prevent?
As it clearly states in the name, this form of pest prevention is specifically aimed at keeping mosquitos away.
Be Sure to Wash Your Bedding Frequently
Washing your bedding frequently is an absolute must in preventing a bed bug infestation in your property.
It’s not just about keeping your bedding looking and smelling nice. Washing your bedding on a hot setting could actually help to kill any bed bugs that have already infiltrated your sleeping chambers.
We would recommend washing them on the hottest temperature that’s advisable on the labels.
Which Bugs Will this Help to Prevent?
Again, it’s pretty obvious in the name that washing your bedding is most effective in keeping bed bugs at bay. However, it can also help to keep fleas away if you happen to have cats and dogs who sleep in your bedroom space.
Pay Attention to Landscaping Close to Your Home
Landscaping including trees, plants, and bushes close to the home can make it easier for insects to get into your property.
You should also be sure to remove any trimmed debris from trees and bushes close to your home away from the property.
The amount of pests that can nest in and come from outdoor landscaping is alarming, and simply by being attentive and spending a little more time clearing up when trimming and cutting back outdoor plants, you could eliminate pests from coming into your home.
Which Bugs Will this Help to Prevent?
This will help to prevent outdoor pests coming into your home, such as ants.
Remove a Heavy Build – Up of Mulch from Your Garden
Mulch is great for environmental gardening, and building your own sort of fertiliser in your garden. However, it’s also an ideal breeding ground for different kinds of outdoor pests.
Which Bugs Will this Help to Prevent?
Slugs, snails, and cockroaches are particularly attracted to damp, dirty environments, which make mulch the perfect place for them. Removing a heavy build – up of mulch from your garden – particularly near doors – could help to prevent these creepy crawlies from coming – or even slithering – into your home.
If You Use Fire Wood, keep it Stacked Away from the Door
If you’re one of those lucky people who own a proper, old fashioned fireplace, then chances are you will either go out and purchase, or have deliveries of fire wood to your home. Particularly in the Winter.
If this is relative to you, then ensure that you store your fire wood off the floor to keep it dry, and away from the entrances to your property. This is because certain types of creepy crawlies are attracted to wood – and particularly moist wood.
Which Bugs Will this Help to Prevent?
Termites are the bugs which are most commonly found feeding on wood. However, moist wood can attract other types of critter, such as cockroaches, for example.
What Other Methods of Pest Prevention Can I Use in my Home?
Okay, so we’ve covered quite a lot of ground on the different habits and jobs you can adopt around the house in order to prevent a pest infestation.
However, it doesn’t end there! We have a few more suggestions of ways in which you can prevent pests throughout the home. So listen up!
Get Rid of Any Still, Unused Water Around Your Home
Okay, so this might sound like a bit of a strange one – because who would expect still water to attract pests into your home? However, it can actually help them to breed within your property. Yuck.
For example, flies and mosquitos actually need water in order to reproduce. With this in mind, having it around the home gives them an ideal space to breed, and therefore multiply. Ask any experienced exterminator, and they’ll tell you to get rid of glasses of still water lying around the house.
Invest in a De – Humidifier
Okay, so if you have a house with a basement, there’s a chance it’s prone to getting damp or moist in the Summer – particular in the warmest of months.
This, in turn, actually provides an ideal habit for a selection of different pests. So how can you ensure that this doesn’t happen in order to prevent pests setting up camp in your basement?
We would recommend investing in a de – humidifier. This will help to get rid of any excess moisture and damp within, not only the basement, but the home also. Remember, that any damp within the home should be dealt with by an expert, as it can cause breathing and respiratory problems.
If You’re Storing Raw Food, be Mindful of Where You Store it
Raw food – particularly meats – can be an insidious form of transport for pests who want to get into your home. Furthermore, stored incorrectly, raw meat particularly is a breeding ground for germs and diseases – especially if they aren’t kept at the right temperature.
First off, we always recommend thoroughly checking raw meat before storing it – because if there are even one or two critters in there, you could wake up the next day to a breeding ground.
Next, we would always recommend doing research and taking on professional storage advice, particularly regarding temperature. This will not only keep pests and germs at bay, but will also eliminate the chances of you or your family contracting serious food poisoning.
Call a Professional Exterminator into Your Home
Last of all, but by no means least, we know we have said that prevention is, without doubt, the best solution. However, if you feel your prevention techniques haven’t worked, or even that it might be too late for you to start attempting to prevent an infestation, we strongly recommend calling a professional exterminator into your home.
If you leave it to chance and wait to see how things plan out, then things could get a lot worse before they get better. The last thing you want is a fully fledged infestation in your family home – for health and hygiene reasons above all else.
It might cost you a little extra than the above preventative methods, but an expert will be able to thoroughly survey your environment, and point out areas that are either at risk of infestation, or have fallen victim to it already.
In doing this, they will be able to properly identify the pest at hand, and effectively remove it from your home. This will allow you to sleep soundly in the knowledge that the chances of any unwanted guests coming into your home is minimal.
Thanks for reading!