Keep your home clean of any crumbs and spillages. Insects and rodents are attracted to a good supply of food. Make sure you dispose of the leftovers and keep the food areas clean. Even a clean house can still have crumbs here and there that attract unwanted guests. Sweet foods like sugar in paper packaging, and crackers in cardboard packages will always be a point of attraction for rodents, who can easily nibble through paper and cardboard to find themselves a sweet treat. Even the smallest crumbs will continue to attract pests to your home.
Not many people like cleaning the dishes so we leave them in the sink. Unfortunately, when we do that, we leave food for insects and other critters. Make sure you keep the sink empty and clean. Make sure to also wipe down counters surfaces in the kitchen and store away open food into sealed plastic or glass containers.
Get rid of any trash lying around as this can attract pests. The smell can draw in pests from far and wide to provide them a source of food. Avoid infestations by properly bagging and sealing garbage and storing it in closed containers. Keeping the trash can lid shut can help, but it would be even better to take the trash outside as soon as it’s full.
Clutter does not need to contain food for it to be attractive to pests. Disorganized messes are difficult to keep dust-free and clean and pests like spiders, rodents, and cockroaches live in dark, cluttered spaces like boxes lying around. They can hide out while staying warm and dry. Termites will feast on the glue that binds cardboard boxes, and cockroaches and silverfish love paper products too. If you have objects you don’t use every day, store them in seal containers or containers. If the objects aren’t important or don’t bring you joy, it may be time to throw them away altogether.
Tiny cracks and holes around your home can give pests an open door to get inside. A mouse only needs a quarter-inch opening to get inside your home. Holes in your siding or gaps under the door are easy entry points. Plug cracks with silicone caulk, steel wool, or expandable foam sealant. Seal up gaps under doors, holes where wires and pipes come through, and cracks in your baseboards. Since the space inside the hole cannot normally be reached by you, pests will hide in that space. These cracks are often used by insects as their home. And if these spaces are larger, they can also be used by rodents. Make sure you fill all the holes and cracks so that pests don’t find adequate space to hide.
Damaged window screens are a great way for pests to enter your home. Inspect your screens and repair any tears or gaps regularly to prevent pests from coming in. If you want to keep tiny insects out, you must ensure that your window and door screens don’t have any holes. Even a fully functional screen that has not been completely closed will pose the same threat as damaged screens. So when opening and closing door screens and window screens, ensure they are fully closed. Replacing the rubbery bottom of exterior entrances can stop ants, cockroaches, and crickets from getting in.
