While it's a good idea to hire a residential pest control company to treat your property regularly, there are still plenty of things you can do to make your home and yard less appealing to a variety of bugs and rodents. If you don't give bugs a reason to stay, then you reduce the risk of an infestation, especially when your efforts are combined with pest control treatments. Here are some things to try.
1. Run A Dehumidifier In The Basement
A damp basement is a good habitat for bugs that are drawn to moisture. When you hook up a dehumidifier, your basement stays dry, and with a lower humidity level, you may see fewer bugs in your basement. Doing things like vacuuming cobwebs when you see them and storing things in plastic totes rather than cardboard could go a long way toward keeping silverfish, roaches, and spiders out of your basement when you decrease the humidity too.
2. Seal Gaps, Especially Around Lights
Certain types of beetles and weevils gather on the side of your house and invade in large numbers. They may do this because one side of your house is warmed by the sun or because they're drawn to a light at night. When bugs are on the side of your house, it's only a matter of time before some find their way inside if there is a gap where wiring or pipes go into the house. Seal these areas with spray foam or caulk to keep the bugs out.
3. Move Bird Feeders Away From The House
While it's fun to watch birds perch and feed next to your windows, their seeds attract bugs and rodents. You don't want to entice pests to get that close to your house. Instead, if you want to feed birds, place the feeder at the far edge of your property so the pests move away from your house rather than toward it.
4. Trim Bushes So They Don't Touch Your House
Ants don't have a problem crawling up the side of your house, but when bushes grow against the side of your house, the ants have much easier access. Ants that crawl over the bushes in search of food will wander off and crawl on a window sill and get in through a crack or tear in a screen. Ants are notorious household pests, so you want to do what you can to keep them far from your home, and one thing you can do is keep bushes and tree branches from touching your house.
For more tips, contact residential pest control professionals.
Pest control is a complex topic. To really master the subject, you need to know about many different pests, how they all react to different control measures, and how to prevent pest infestations in the first place. It's really helpful to break this topic down into smaller chunks. That's what we aim to do on this website. We offer a wide range of articles on particular pest control subjects. No one article will teach you everything you need to know, but they all include bits and pieces of knowledge which, when added together, will teach you quite a lot. Start reading to learn more about pest control and pests.