Prevent, Perpetrate, and Protect: What to Do When Your Home Has Pests

 

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Finding your home is a source of pests like mice or bugs can put the heebie-jeebies into us. Pest control is such a massive topic, but let’s face the facts, we all need to do more to protect our homes. Pests can make your life a living hell once they increase in numbers, so what can you do when you find your home has pests?
Knowing the Signs

There are a number of signs your home could have a pest infestation, including:

Pest droppings in your living space.


Pest nests, which you can find in places like basements, rooftops, or a gap in the windows.


Damage, such as wooden powder emanating from your furniture or chewed items, including plastic wires.


Footprints that you can trace back to their source.


Strong smells or odors, because you can easily identify a pest by its smell.
Try Prevention First

Prevention is the first essential component. You can practice this by doing some of the following:

With food, you need to remove any sources of food and store food in sealed containers. Garbage with food scraps should be covered in trash cans, which is doubly true if you live in an area where raccoons breed. While raccoon removal services can help, prevention is undoubtedly key, which is what professionals always recommend.


Seal off places where pests can enter. Caulking cracks and crevices around baseboards and cabinets, or using steel wool to fill the spaces around pipes can stop ways your pest can infiltrate the property and hide.


Fix leaky plumbing. Water sources can be a draw to certain pests, and make sure that any places your water can collect, like under houseplants or the refrigerator, is taken care of.


Getting rid of clutter, such as newspapers or cardboard. It is so important to get into a decluttering mindset, which is something many seldom do, but if you have a spare room housing a lot of clutter, a regular decluttering session will remove the number of potential hiding places.


Learning about your pests, for example, by understanding their unique smells and gaining an insight into where they like to congregate in homes.
How Do You Get Rid of Pests?

If pest prevention does not work, you need to take it to the next level. There are a number of pest prevention services that can give you invaluable insight, but a lot of people use low-risk pesticides, depending on the problem.

When using pesticides you should consider the following:

Keep pets and children away from any areas it has been applied.


Apply pesticide to targeted locations, rather than spraying it over the whole room. Pesticides have a number of chemicals, which can be hazardous to health if breathed in. Making sure that you apply it to a localized area, while also ventilating the space and wearing a face mask, is the best method of protection for you.


Ask professionals to locate the source. A pest control company worth their money will always identify the source, and if they are traced back to an issue like water, you may need to apply a number of treatments to seal crevices and cracks, or you may have to hire a plumber to repair a leaky toilet, thereby removing the water source.


Use pesticides that have been approved. It is easier than ever to buy cheap items online, but it's best to opt for a better brand that you can trust. A pest control operator should be able to provide more information about a pesticide, but you should also conduct your own research, for example, by noting the EPA registration number before looking it up online.


Making sure you use the right amount. One of the common mistakes people make is thinking that using double the amount will be more effective. You should always follow the instructions on the label as using too much can endanger your health.
Keeping Your Family Safe

When you are dealing with pests and you are taking it upon yourself to get rid of them, you've got to make sure that you take care of your pets and keep everybody away from a localized area. If it gets to the point where you need to conduct comprehensive fumigation, everyone needs to stay away for the recommended time.

It is undoubtedly one of the most frustrating aspects of living in a home, and while we can all find pests congregating in our property from time to time, there are numerous ways we can prevent, perpetrate, and protect our families from them.

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