Property Management: Best Practices to Prevent Pest Infestation
Now that you have a space to call your own, you must safeguard it against anything that may interfere with your peace. It is normal to want your house to feel like home; therefore, the extra effort to maintain your home is required. One common measure for most house owners is preventative control of pests. You can always research to save money, time, and energy, but the bottom line is you will have to handle any existing infestation early or prevent the pests from reaching your home.
Despite the differences in size and shape of pests, some things make them similar such as the need for shelter and food. For this common reason, keeping your space tidy and clean is the top prevention strategy against pests.
Pests bring health risks into your home; therefore, here are the best practices to manage your home and prevent pest infestation.
Use Secure Containers to Store Food
Pests are amazing creatures and strongly prefer food, which means they can easily track food sources. For example, ants have odor receptors that are five times more than any other bugs; this implies that ants can smell your leftover pie, even if it’s sitting on the counter from a significant distance. When you use securely sealed, smell-blocking containers to store food, you are preventing pests from entering your home.
Dispose of Trash Regularly
Your trash is a full buffet to pests, so getting rid of trash from within your home at the end of the day is important. If you stay in homes that use weekly trash services, you can keep the larger waste can in the garage or outside to reduce the chances of pests from crossing the living space threshold.
Substitute your open garbage cans for containers that have lids. You can go a step further and wash out containers that have been used before throwing them in the trash. Pests enjoy food residues more than your drink residue; for example, you will rarely find pests on containers that have milk.
Cover Exterior Holes
The moment pests find a way to access your home, pest infestation becomes a guarantee. Some pest entryways are apparent and quite easy to modify. For example, keeping outside doors shut and placing screens in windows. It is best to be proactive in controlling pests by conducting frequent exterior and interior inspections to search for holes or cracks. Be vigilant regarding loose sliding, utility lines, and roofs.
In cases where you find openings, ensure that you fill or patch them. Covering holes will keep openings from worsening beyond keeping pests away from your home. If the situation is extreme, you may require professional exterminators to deal with the pests. Problems such as termites may not be effective for DIY control, so you can research and get the best exterminator recommendations for the best services. A proper pest control service provider will do due diligence to find the location of the infestation before dealing with the pests. You will want a trustworthy team to tackle the problem effectively.
Reexamine Your Yard
Pests seem noticeable when they are within your home, but we cannot ignore that they can also exist outside the home. It is never a good sign to have them around your home’s exterior hence the need for you to walk around and identify pest infestations or things that seem to encourage infestation. Some of these outdoor measures include checking the gutters and keeping them clean, avoiding placing wood piles near your outside walls, or trimming hedges and grass. It is possible for pests to do serious damage from the outside, so monitor roofing, siding, and foundation for any changes.
Deep Clean Your Home
You are bound to expel any source that tempts pests into your house by vacuuming, mopping, and wiping every part of your home. Deep cleaning is more effective than brushing off crumbs since it allows you to eliminate and discover possible breeding grounds. For example, tiny flies multiply and thrive in abandoned drains, but you can use drain cleaners to stop the infestation. You can always create some time in your calendar to do deep cleaning and to motivate you to make a cleaning routine.
Clean Soft Surfaces
Most people assume that cleanliness within the house only involves wiping down floors and counters. There are soft surfaces within your home that are a haven for pests such as fleas and bedbugs. These soft surfaces include rugs, couches, beds, and more. If fabrics or soft things can fit inside your washing machine, it is best to have them sanitized regularly. For huge surfaces such as cushions or mattresses, you can vacuum first, then use a disinfecting spray.
Conclusion
Take precautions before pest infestation happens, and address the situation immediately if you notice signs of pests. Taking measures ensures your home does not encounter structural damage and you and your family do not get diseases or health complications. Once you choose pesticides, it is advisable to use baits instead of pesticides on large areas, store pesticides in the same container you bought them, don’t use exterior pesticides in the house, and dispose or store pesticides safely. Pest Control Newark Ohio offers comprehensive solutions to rid your home or business of unwanted pests, ensuring a safe and comfortable environment for all.
