Content author-Whitfield Lauesen

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.

Never step on a cockroach to kill it. When you step on it, it can release its egg sac. The eggs can then be transferred from the bottom of your shoes throughout the carpets and rugs in your home. The eggs survive in your carpet until they are ready to hatch, leaving you with a much bigger roach problem.





If you're a pet owner, your pets may be the reason pests keep coming back. Take the time to keep your pet's food bowls clean. If any water from their dish is spilled, wipe it up immediately. Store pet food in plastic containers rather than the paper bags they come in. All these things can attract bugs.

If you are apprehensive about using chemical pest control in your home, try traps instead. Physical traps work to attract the pest and then trap it. Some work like traditional mouse traps that snap closed and kill the pest, while others involve a sticky sheet that adheres the pest to the sheet so you can remove it from your home.

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 leave any food out or unsealed and make sure that you clean up any crumbs or food scraps. Bugs, especially roaches love to get into food scraps that have been left out. Put used food in a tightly sealed container or in a baggie that bugs cannot break into.

Make your own inexpensive ant traps using boric acid and sweet liquid. Mix a couple of tablespoons of boric acid powder into a cup of honey, molasses, or simple syrup. Pour the mixture into bottle caps or shallow plastic lids. Place these traps in areas where you have seen ants, but keep them out of the reach of children and pets.

Pesky mosquitoes are known to multiply in stagnant water. If you have a birdbath in your yard, change the water every three days. Many people also suggest adding lavender to a birdbath to help combat your mosquito population. So, try adding it to your birdbath each time you refill it.

Make sure that all of your windows are closed when you go to sleep at night or go on vacation. The last thing that you will want to do is to give the bugs outside a free entryway into your house. Seal all windows when you are sleeping or not home to reduce pests.

Remove dead trees and shrubbery. If you let these dead plants just sit around, you are begging for pests to hang out around your home. Instead, be proactive and remove them the minute you can. If it's not a full tree, but simply a few branches, cut them off immediately.

Increase visit the following site that you take the garbage out during the course of the year. Sometimes, you may not take the garbage out enough, which can cause odors that can attract pests. Instead of bringing you can find out more out once per week, you can take it out once every two or three days.

Take care of the problem right away. There is a saying that if you see one pest, there are hundreds more you don't see. That's why you need to take care of the problem right away, as soon as you might notice it exists. Don't wait and hope the problem will go away, because it is likely that it will only get worse.

You should always use a termite pesticide to get rid of termites. You can get one that either kills the termites or one that just repels them. Regardless of which one you utilize, it requires a thorough application around the house and the foundation. Don't be surprised if you use upwards of 100 gallons.

Are there cracks in your walls? There are usually certain fissures or cracks in a structure after many years of wear and tear. Pests can use them as access points. Do not forget to look at the ceiling. Your ceiling can have numerous small cracks in it, which pests can use to enter your home.

Look online for tips about dealing with pests. There are countless forums and blogs for you to find new ideas about how to control the pests you are dealing with. They can be especially helpful if you feel you have tried everything. Someone can give you an idea you have not tried.

Build a "chipper dipper" to get rid of a pesky chipmunk. Fill a five gallon pail a third full with water and cover the water with birdseed. Use a two by four or other board as a ramp for the chipmunk to climb up side of the bucket. The chipmunk will jump in for the seeds, and not realize that it is actually water, which does not bode well for the lackluster swimmer.

When you have a flea infestation, it's best to vacuum everything and anything. Start with carpets and rugs, then vacuum chairs and couches, and then your mattresses, too. Once you're done, throw out the bag immediately. If you have a canister vacuum, empty the canister outside into a plastic bag.

To discourage deer from eating your plants, use rotten eggs. You can put rotten eggs in some old pantyhose and place around your plants. You can also crush up some, and mix with water. Sprinkle that about and you will find that deer just lose interest in your garden all of a sudden!

Do you have a compost pile to fertilize your garden? If so, this could be where the pests are coming from. When using compost, be sure to not use it in soil close to your house and also keep pets and children from areas where you use compost. Keep it from plants as well, because the bugs that it attracts could begin eating your plants.

Do you feel like you can take a proactive stance when it comes to the pests in your home now? Go ahead and start implementing the advice you've read, and you will notice how much of an improvement it brings. Continue to learn, and you will take back your home.