Created by-Stroud Thrane

Some pests are not only annoying and unsanitary, they can be hazardous to your health. Although it can be expensive and hard to completely rid your home of pests, you need to do whatever you can. Read on for some ideas here on how to practice proper pest control and take control of your home once more.

Ask any professional you hire for references. Just because they have an ad in your yellow pages does not mean that they do good business. They only way to be sure that you are going to get your money's worth is to verify that their other customers are satisfied with their work.

Install a cap on your chimney to prevent birds, squirrels and other nuisances from entering. Not only do these animals' nests present a fire hazard, but the critters themselves can carry lice and other parasites. The cap acts as a barricade, keeping intruders out while allowing smoke to pass through.

If you are dealing with a stink bug invasion, try to minimize your use of outdoor lights. These pests are drawn to the brightness, so they will move closer to your house when the lights are on, giving them more opportunities to find their way in. Furthermore, draw your blinds in the evening so the light from inside your home does not attract them.

Did you see some carpenter ants in your home? These ants are usually attracted by damp wood. There might be a leak somewhere in your home. Call a plumber and have your plumbing system entirely inspected. Once the leak is fixed, focus on eradicating the carpenter ants with some borax or a similar product.

If you live on a farm and have a problem with mice, or even rats, consider getting a couple outdoor cats to provide natural pest control. Make sure the cats have not been declawed, and have access to every part of the outdoor buildings. Make sure to provide food and water to the cats because they will still catch mice even if they are not hungry.

Don't rule out your pets as sources of pest problems. Bathe wasp nest removal 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.

Bushes should be at least about a foot from the house. Various insects use this brush as their home and there is very little you can do to stop this. If bushes are located too near the windows and doors of your home, the risks are great that the insects can easily get inside.

You should have a weekly or bi-weekly cabinet cleaning schedule. These dark spaces, full of hiding places, are a great home for pests. Use an environmental, non-toxic pesticide in the corners and joins of the wood each season. Always be watchful for signs of potential infestation that will need to be dealt with.

If you are having problems with pests, research the type of pest that is invading your home. Know what is toxic to the animals, and also know what tends to attract them. The easiest way to keep a clean home is to adapt to the kind of pest you're dealing with.

Avoid using pesticides that you can purchase in a grocery store. These are usually extremely potent to humans, but do little to get rid of the pest problem. They also require a lot of preparation and clean-up. If you choose to use chemicals to rid your home of pests you will likely find more success using a professional.

Make sure that your kitchen does not have grease problems. Grease is a regular dietary staple of ants, roaches and a number of small flies. Drain flies actually breed in grease pans. So, eliminate all visible grease areas. However, also deal with invisible grease underneath stoves and your countertops.

If you can, try to eliminate pests without using pesticides. Although pesticides can get rid of insects, most of them are very toxic and can harm people if enough is breathed in. Therefore, try using an IPM approach. This approach involves using no chemicals so that you can eliminate pests without causing harm to anyone.





The simplest and most obvious way to keep pests away from the inside and outside of your home? Keep it clean! A clean house is a pest-free house. Pests like to thrive in damp and dirty areas, so if they can't find a place like that in your house, then they won't want to stay there!

If you vacuum up the ants in your home, make sure you sprinkle a little corn starch on them before you do so. This will cause them to die inside the vacuum bag and will ensure that you don't have a problem at a later date. Alternatively, simply use soap and water to take care of the problem.

Pesticides can have devastating effects on the environment. You should carefully assess the risks before using these products. Do not use pesticides if you are located near a stream or a place where children play. If you use a pesticide inside your home, open the windows to let the toxic chemicals out.

Trim (or even remove) any foliage or tree limbs that happen to be leaning onto your home. These limbs and wild brush act as exceptional climbing tools for bugs and rodents. It's like having a ladder attached right to your home, a sure welcome sign for an infestation. Proper trimming can help keep these pests at bay.

If you have a humid home, deal with the problem quickly. Many pests like to eat wet wood, drywall or even the mold which grows there, and this can lead to major health problems. Have your humidity problems dealt with professional to ensure your home is safe to live in.

exterminator prices to learn their source. You've got to find out how they're getting in. Once you know where they're coming in, there are a variety of remedies you can try. Some of these include cayenne, coffee grounds, lemon juice and citrus oil.

What you have just read should tell you that there is also so much more that you can do. This should give you a great start towards getting rid of the bugs in your home by yourself. Don't worry about it anymore. Keep the advice you've read, and continue to learn more about taking control of your pest situation.