Say Goodbye to Pests: Proven Methods That Actually Work

Pests can pose significant safety hazards to your home and its occupants. 

Some critters may wear out your electrical wiring and plumbing fixtures by persistently gnawing on them. Meanwhile, larger animals like raccoons can dislodge entire shingles from your roof while seeking shelter in your attic, especially during winter. 

Some pests may also contaminate food and spread deadly diseases, making their extermination an imperative. 

Fortunately, you can implement certain proactive measures to keep pests out of your home. 

Read below as we highlight those interventions.

1. Research Local Pests

Besides carefully choosing their habitats based on food availability, pests tend to be endemic to specific regions. 

A simple online research can clue you in on the critters likely to infest your home. 

Better yet, you could enlist the services of reputable pest exterminators like The Bugman to better understand the most menacing pests in your area. 

2. Schedule Routine Inspections

Now that you understand the common pests that inhabit your location, it’s easy to schedule regular pest inspections. This is another area where you’ll benefit immensely from enlisting professional assistance. 

An experienced pest control service will carefully probe your property for evidence of pest infestation. 

The company will inspect every nook and cranny, paying attention to animal droppings, nesting materials, gnaw marks, strange sounds, and unusual tracks. 

3. Sort Good Pests from Bad Ones

This may sound counterintuitive, but not all pests are harmful. While you wouldn’t want to share a living space with house flies and rodents, ladybugs in your wellness garden may turn out to be more beneficial than destructive. 

Ladybugs notably feed on aphids. Therefore, it makes sense to have them in your yard. Other useful pests include ground beetles (which feed on caterpillars and slugs), green lacewings (which eat spider mites and aphids), and outdoor bats (which eat mosquitoes). 

4. Mow the Lawn

A well-manicured lawn is the pride of any homeowner. 

Besides its prestige, a neatly-mowed lawn may also keep unwanted critters from your home. 

Cut the grass and trim the shrubbery. When done, clear the lawn of all debris to remove potential hiding spots for common yard pests.

5. Starve Them

Pests are inherently drawn to food. Therefore, removing this attraction will send them foraging elsewhere. 

Clean food crumbs and spills immediately after having a meal. If there are leftovers, store them in tightly sealed containers. 

It’s also best to wash the dishes right away, especially after dinner. After roaming around an empty kitchen for days, household pests will choose between starving and migrating elsewhere.

6. Dehydrate Them Too

Many pests are remarkably resilient and can go several days between meals. However, they won’t last very long without water. 

Start by draining standing water in your yard. It deprives smaller pests like mosquitoes of a breeding spot, while ensuring larger animals like raccoons have nowhere to quench their thirst. 

Proceed indoors and clean all liquid spills from the floor, counters, and furniture. If you have leaky pipes, get them repaired immediately. 

Because smaller household pests can sneak into the bathroom or kitchen sink to quench their thirst, run an indoor fan in these areas after each use.  

7. Maintain Hygiene

Not to come across as mean, but pests are filthy creatures that thrive in unhygienic places. As such, maintaining a clean indoor and outdoor environment can serve as an effective deterrence. 

Besides mopping your house at least once daily, vacuum weekly. 

Vacuuming not only removes normal household dirt. It can also suck up pest remains that could trigger allergic reactions, such as eggs and dead ones.

8. Declutter

A cluttered house will undoubtedly draw pests in, even if it’s spanking clean. 

Rummage through your closet, drawers, and cabinets for unused items. Those magazine piles, clothing heaps, and old cardboard could be sheltering an invasion of cockroaches. 

After setting aside unused items, decide on how to dispose of them. You could chuck them into the trash, gift them out, or offer them up for sale or recycling.    

9. Rearrange Your House

Most pests love to fly under the radar. Whether diurnal or nocturnal, these critters typically hide in areas with minimal light penetration. 

Therefore, placing your furniture and appliances against the wall provides them with just the ideal hiding spots. 

Experts recommend storing household items at least an inch from the wall and floor. 

10. Remove Litter From Outside Too

Clear all outdoor debris, including yard foliage and pet foods, at least once daily. 

Empty the litter into garbage bins and keep the trash cans securely lidded. This will help to ward off larger pests like rodents and raccoons. Besides, clean your outdoor trash cans regularly and seal any cracks. That also goes for crevices on your property’s wall, basement, and roof.

Wrap Up

Implementing the above tips can proactively keep pests out of your home. But if these unwelcome critters already infest your property, your best bet is to enlist professional extermination services. 

Insist on a pest control company that’s licensed in your state. Besides, ensure the exterminator has general liability insurance to cushion you from third-party injuries or damage. 

Experts also recommend choosing local pest control companies over national brands. 

Local pest removers provide personalized services due to their in-depth knowledge of the local ecosystem. Moreover, these companies typically levy competitive fees and guarantee faster turnarounds than their national counterparts.