12 Tips for Keeping Pests Away From Your Home
- September 16, 2019
- in Pest Control
- by Ashley Dando
- 91
- 0
A few ants can ruin a picnic, a few mosquitoes can make a barbeque unpleasant, but what’s much worse is to constantly have pests in your house. Not only they are annoying and unpleasant to see, but some of them can cause serious damage to your property or be a hazard to your health. Termites can destroy homes and rats can spread various diseases, some of them being very dangerous. Before you notice pests in your home, take preventative action to ensure the safety of yourself and your family. In this article we will have a look at 12 tips for keeping pests away from your home.
The warm and humid weather on the Sunshine Coast of Queensland creates the perfect conditions for termites, mosquitoes, flies, bugs, rats and other pests. Infestations are quite common during summer in Australia, so it’s very important to prevent them as much as possible, and treat them as soon as they occur.
12 Tips for Keeping Pests Away From Your Home:
1. Remove Any Food Sources
Crumbs on the floor can be very attractive to ants and other insects. Food leftovers can be appealing to rats, as well as the food in uncovered trash cans. This can also attract flies which will lay their eggs on the rotting food. Mosquitoes are attracted to standing water. Humidity also attracts subterranean termites, and so do various pieces of wood stored in improper conditions. Fruits and vegetables left uncovered can also attract fruit flies.
Get informed about the food sources of each of the pests, and make sure to not turn your home into a feasting ground for them. Keep your home clean, remove trash and debris and keep garbage bins closed. Some pests are also attracted to pet food, so make sure to cover it or pick up any uneaten food.
2. Seal Possible Entrances
Even if there are pests’ food sources in your home, as long as they can’t reach them, they won’t affect you. Check your screens and walls for holes, and your doors and windows for gaps. Seal cracks and openings and fix any issues as soon as possible, to not allow the pests to enter your home. Fly screens are a very simple solution to pest entry. If you don’t already have protection screens, time to get some!
3. Dispose of Your Waste Correctly
Garbage is a great source of food for rats, mice, flies, birds and other pests. So make sure to dispose of the waste in a proper way and to keep the garbage bins closed at all times. Definitely do not throw uncovered meat in the garbage (unless it will be picked up in the next 48 hours). The summer sun will rot the meat rapidly, and this will immediately attract pests.
4. Keep Your Home Dry
Humidity attracts termites and mosquitoes, but it can also cause other food items to decay quicker than usual, which will attract a variety of pests. Standing water is the perfect breeding ground for mosquitoes, so make sure to regularly check your home for any. Check for leaks in the air conditioning unit, look in rain spouts and even in beach toys left scattered through the yard.
5. Clear Out Drains Regularly
The drains in your sink can collect a lot of residue and food that will rotten, which will become very attractive to cockroaches, flies and other pests. So clear out your drains on a regular basis. Not only you will prevent pests, but you will also keep your sink well running and smelling fresh.
6. Clean Your House Regularly
To put together some of the things mentioned before, it is important to keep your entire house clean, with no food leftovers, dirty dishes, garbage, debris, standing water or humidity. Focus on the kitchen and the backyard, as they usually have the most “pest magnets”. Also keep garden hoses tightly turned off, in order to not offer the pests a source of water.
When cleaning your rooms, make sure to move the furniture and vacuum underneath it every once in a while. If you find any unwanted pests while doing this, Safeguard Pest Control can handle the problem for you.
7. Store Food Correctly
Store all the food in sealed containers and do not leave any uncovered fruits and vegetables around the kitchen. As they get overly ripe, they will attract fruit flies and other bugs. Clean the crumbles and leftovers, and throw what’s not needed into sealed garbage bins.
8. Clear Away Clutter
Besides food and water, all pests are also looking for a place to mate and raise their young. A cluttered and messy home can make a great hiding spot for all sorts of nasty creatures. So if your home is cluttered, it’s time to take action.
Besides your rooms and closets, also pay attention to your attic or roof void. Don’t store unwanted items indefinitely. Time to clear out the clutter. If you must store items place them in boxes and containers that can be sealed. If everything is kept nice and clean, it will be less likely to attract unwanted critters.
9. Maintain Your Yard
Many pests can make their nests in overgrown and messy yards, so make sure to pay close attention to this. Trim bushes and trees, clean any debris, and store piles of woods away from the home. Firewood will attract termites and from there they can easily get to your home. These nasty insects, as well as rats and mice can use tree branches that get in contact with your home as a highway to reach it. So make sure to trim these branches so they not touch your roof or other parts of the home.
10. Change Your Lights
Replace standard lights with high-pressure sodium vapour or halogen light bulbs. These are less attractive to flying insects. Even though the insects themselves are not dangerous, they can attract geckos and other unwanted animals.
11. Inspect Swings and Outdoor Furniture
Check your furniture for any signs of termites and take action as soon as you notice anything unusual. Termites are also attracted to:
– Moisture
– Mulch
– Gardens
– Landscaping timber
– Furniture
– Cardboard boxes
– Documents
– Firewood
– Wood piles
– Dead trees
– Stumps
– Bad drainage
– Tree limbs close to the home
The most common signs of termites are:
– clicking noises
– head banging
– flying termites
– termite wings
– white ants
– the timber sounds hollow
– there are small holes in the wood
– the doors and windows are hard to open or close
– mud leads
– shelter tubes
– the power fails
– you notice tunnels in wood
– you find termite droppings
– the floors, walls or ceiling are damaged
– the foundation is damaged
– the garden is damaged
– roof tiles are damaged
So if you notice any of these signs, it’s time to call a specialist. And the sooner you do it, the better it will be on the long term. Don’t waste your time with DIY solutions found on the internet or with termite substances found in retail stores, as they either don’t have any effect or offer just a temporary protection.
12. Use A Pest Control Company with a Great Guarantee
Even by following all of the tips mentioned above, pests can still reach your home. The best way to get rid of them and stay protected, is to get the help of a specialist. Safeguard Pest Control is a family owned and operated company that has been operating since 1989. We have extensive knowledge and experience in this field, and can provide you with professional results.
Our services have high standards and we offer pest solutions to residential, commercial and corporate areas, hospitals and schools. We are using the latest technology, in order to offer the best results.
Early detection can save you a lot of money, so it’s better to act now than to be sorry later. Book your Safeguard pest inspection now by calling 07 5477 6675 or emailing info@safeguardpestcontrol.com.au and allow us to protect your home and your family.
Here were our top 12 tips for keeping pests away from your home. Take it one step at a time and try to implement them all. And if you need any help, don’t hesitate to contact us!