As a homeowner, one of the most annoying problem you may encounter is pests. There are many different types of pests. Rats, mice, ants and cockroaches are the most common. Some types, such as termites, might even have the ability to damage your house. Here are a few steps you can take to eliminate these pests.
If you need to make doubly sure that no termites remain in your home, use a termite-sniffing dog to check for the presence of termites. Human inspectors are only able to detect about 33% of the termites around your home. A dog that is properly trained can sniff out 100 percent of your property. They can smell methane gas that the termites leave behind when they eat wood.
People who have problems with flying pests need to repair all of the screens in their home. Screens on your doors and windows can not only prevent flying insects from coming in your home, they can also help prevent other crawling insects from coming in, too. If your screens have holes in them, patch them or replace them.
It can be hard to rid your home of bedbugs, since they can hide in many different places. Before you carry out your extermination plans, be sure that you close all open holes. This will not only trap the bed bugs from escaping back into your bed, it will also prevent them from hiding there in the future.
If you are considering new tree plantings and your area attracts rodents, avoid planting these trees too close in proximity to your house. This makes it easy for rodents to climb and then enter your house through the roof or attic. Plant the trees at least 15 feet away from the house.
Remove fallen trees from your yard as soon as possible. You can even cut up the trunk or branches and use it for firewood. You can either use it yourself, sell it, or even give it away. Take care to eliminate the stump as well. A stump is not alive anymore, so it could be a magnet for termites.
When you are storing dry foods, use storage containers made from plastic. Many dry foods come in bags and boxes, and insects can very easily get inside of them. Transfer dried goods into sealed bags after every trip to the grocery store. This will both keep pests from getting into your food, and it will keep your food fresher for longer.
Find out more about the types of pests you have in your home. In particular, look for things that they don’t like and things that they do like. You must be adaptable to deal with a wide variety of pests.
You can use steel wool to fill in mouse holes. Rodents will eat steel wool and eventually die. Keep the rodents out by mixing pieces of steel wool with putty and putting it over the hole.
Food products must be stored properly to keep them free of pests. It is best to put any foods that have been opened into containers that seal closed very tightly. Don’t use paper bags or cardboard since pests can easily get through these substances.
Look for cracks in your home’s foundation and walls. The older the property is, the more likely that some structural cracking will be occurring. Those cracks serve as entry points for all sorts of pests. Also, look at your ceiling. Your ceiling can have numerous small cracks in it, which pests can use to enter your home.
Recycling could cause pests. Store your recyclables outside your house if at all possible. If you can’t do this, make sure to rinse everything that goes into the bins. Recycling bins that are sealed are the best choice to keep out pests of all sizes.
When using pesticides, be certain to heed instructions on the packaging. It may be intuitive to think that more is always better when it comes to pesticide, but that doesn’t always hold true. It could be dangerous to people and animals that are around it.
Are bugs a problem in your home? If so, then you should consider the way you apply pesticide. If you spray only the outside of a home, this is just keeping the pests in the home. Apply this pesticide in all locations in and around your home for the best results.
Talk to your neighbors about it. Your neighbor might be having the same problem you are. You may find that your neighbor has come up with some solutions that you haven’t yet considered. You might also be able to alert your neighbor to a potential problem.
Carpenter ants are usually the indication of another problem. Carpenter ants feast on wet wood, so you may have leaks throughout your house. Consult a plumber and a pest control specialist to determine what the root problem is.
You need to eliminate pests as soon as you can, no matter which kind they are. With the advice here you’ll have much better control over any pest problems. Don’t forget the advice presented here, and you’ll be pest free in no time.