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Content by-Zachariassen Stiles
Having any number of unwanted pests in your home can make for a stressful situation. Whether or not you want pests to enter your home, they come nonetheless. The only way you can ensure that pests don't overtake your home is to take necessary precautions. This article is equipped with tried and true advice to help you get a handle on any number of situations.
If you are concerned that you have bed bugs, do not try to remove your mattress from your home. Dragging it through the house is likely to spread the infestation. Instead, keep everything stored in that one location. You can add a "bed bug cover" to the mattress to try and contain the problem, although you will need to be seen by a pest control specialist.
Before you decide to rid your home of pests you should consider the moral implications. For example, if you have a mouse problem you may want a method that just removes them, but does not kill them. These days most exterminators offer this to their customers, but it may be somewhat more expensive.
Check to see if your windows or screens are cracked or ripped as insects can easily penetrate any inconsistencies in your infrastructure. If you see that a seal has been broken, make sure that you fix this or get it replaced immediately so that it does not become an issue in the future.
Wear protective clothing prior to using any sprays or powders to kill pests. Oftentimes these methods are also harmful to humans if ingested. Your better safe than sorry, so put on gloves and clothing that covers your skin completely. Wash your clothing right after the application of these items so that no residue can affect you later.
Do not assume that pests are completely gone just because you have not seen any. If your exterminator wants to come back for a follow-up, you should follow their advice. There is a good chance that there is still a small population in your home that could have come from eggs, so listen to the professional and stick to the follow-up appointment.
Be sure to close up any openings by which rodents could enter your home. This is especially important before winter, when rodents will be looking for a warm spot to take shelter. Look for cracks and holes of all sizes around the windows, vents and foundation of your home. Some small rodents need less than a quarter inch to squeeze into your home.
Are you able to see through the bottom of your home's doors? If so, this means pests have an easy way to enter your home. In order to eliminate this issue, you need to fix the height of the door. You could also just add a weather strip seal to your doors.
If you have an ant problem, boric acid is your solution. Sprinkle some of this outside. Especially around additional reading where they are getting in. When ants bring some back to the ant hill, the other ants will eat and and they will die. This will also help keep them from entering your home.
Avoid mosquitoes by taking away common areas they breed. Look for stagnant water and get rid of it quickly. Mosquitoes have been proven to breed in spots of water as tiny as what is left in a discarded food can with water still inside of it.
You need to decide just how much tolerance you have for certain pests. For instance, can you handle an insect in your garden or an ant in your kitchen every now and then? Most people can deal with this very small problem. However, you probably will not tolerate any fleas or ticks in your home. Once you are aware of the amount and type of pest activity you can tolerate, you can then develop a proper plan.
Do you have a mice problem? Try using mint. Plant some mint near your home's foundation. The smell will bother mice and other small animals. If mice is living in your home, you can sprinkle mint leaves all around the area where you see signs of mice. Mint leaves effectively repel mice if they are fresh.
Check all your food stores and make sure they are sealed tight. Do not trust rolling up a partial bag of flour in a box to keep the bugs out. Bugs can get in between the spaces in boxes and bags to infest your pantry. Use air tight containers to store all food in your home.
Don't rule out your pets as sources of pest problems. Bathe them regularly to take care of visitors hitching a ride from outside. In addition, know that pet food and water can attract ants sometimes. Clean up messes and bowls regularly. Furthermore, make sure that you store pet food in sealed containers.
Try to store all open food like cereal and crackers in an air-tight cabinet. You may think the space between the cardboard enclosure is too small but bugs can fit themselves into the tiniest of openings. Unless it can be kept in the fridge, protect your food from pests or from inviting them into your home in the first place.
One helpful hint you can put into action is sealing up your home. Do this by looking everywhere throughout your home for pest entrances. Silicone caulking is a great idea for smaller entrances. This will help eliminate the problem of unwanted pests entering your home. You need to check both high and low.
If you have tried everything to get rid of your pests, you may need to think about getting rid of your current appliances. Replace your old toaster and coffee pot. Insects can get into every corner of your house, and they like to live in tight places, like inside small appliances.
Aphids can be eliminated if you populate your garden with ladybugs. This garden pest can harm your flowers and vegetables if they fester. Ladybugs are natural predators of aphids, and they can keep the population under control. Ladybugs can be purchased at any garden center or through garden supply websites.
Pest control is a topic that just about everyone can benefit from understanding a bit better. Learning effective control techniques makes sense for men and women, young and old alike. By keeping the above information as a reference, you will never be at a loss for what to do when those uninvited guests arrive.
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