A dedicated homeowner only wants his or her home to be free from nuisances such as pests. A household crawling with pests is certainly one of the worst nightmares a homeowner can have. Therefore, it takes a lot of patience and efforts to maintain a pest-free home considering that certain types of pests are not always easy to eliminate. That is why, upon first observance of preliminary signs of any pest activity, homeowners are advised to act on immediately and apply preventive measures.
Once pests infiltrate your property, they will contaminate your food or cause damage to your home and belongings. It is thus important to contact and consult with pest control professionals so you will be guided as to how you can effectively get rid of those pesky critters. A pest control company has various services to help solve your pest problems. They are the right people to turn if you need to avail of pest treatment methods such as bed bug removal, rodent control, termite control, etc.
4 Practical Tips to Exterminate Pests
Calling a pest control expert is ideal if you suspect an infestation. Yet, you can also make use of some tricks to solve your pest problems at home. Some of the creative techniques you can apply are the following:
- De-clutter.
Things that no longer serve a purpose and use in your life are called “clutter.” Examples of clutter are unused boxes, broken toys, old clothes, old newspapers, nonfunctional appliances, and anything that does not matter to you anymore. If you hoard clutter at home, you are giving pests enough reason to stay and thrive in your property. Clutter provides crawlies like bed bugs, dust mites, rodents, and cockroaches extra hiding spots and breeding sites. Hence, if you want those pesky creatures out of your household, first you must removing the clutter and make room for things that are still valuable. Also, de-cluttering, starting with just one item a day, will lessen your stress levels that come as a result of unwanted clutter. Ways to de-clutter includes donating or giving away your unused stuff, hosting a garage sale, or recycling.
- Thoroughly examine your luggage after your vacation.
Some tiny bugs are just really good at hitchhiking. They can discreetly enter your home by clinging onto your clothes or luggage especially when you just come back from a trip. You can unknowingly bring pests as souvenirs back home and to make sure they don’t have the chance to thrive and spread, the wise thing to do would be to check all your belongings and suitcases for possible bed bug infestation. If you suspect any pest activity, inspect your luggage outside of your home, perhaps in your utility area or garage and leave it there for a while. While you’re at it, steam or vacuum clean your suitcases and travel clothes. To further eliminate the remaining bugs, place all washable items from the trip under high heat by washing them in hot water and then putting them in the dryer for 20 to 30 minutes. You may safely bring them back indoors once you’ve done this precautionary measure.
- Dispose of your trash every day.
Some people throw their trash out but they would wait for it to overflow before doing so. A smelly and overflowing garbage surely attracts various disgusting pests including rodents, cockroaches, and flies. The best way to dispose of your garbage is throw them out on a daily basis. Once you do, make sure to put your garbage in a tightly covered garbage located well away from your property.
- Apply natural home remedies.
There’s no need to resort to using chemicals to get rid of homes pests. You can actually use natural insecticides such as essential oils (i.e. eucalyptus, lavender, peppermint, basil, or rosemary) mixed with water and spray it on areas that are frequented by pests. The smell of essential oils is offensive to pests like dust mites, ants, fleas, mosquitos, roaches, and spiders. Other natural home insect repellents are coffee grounds, borax and sugar mixture, diatomaceous earth, and liquid soap and water mixture.
These four tips are easy to do and inexpensive, yet they can definitely help reduce the risk of heavy pest infestations. Aside from these creative techniques enumerated above, you should not also forget to ask for professional assistance from a pest control expert. Pest control professionals can give you the proper advice and options for getting rid of pests at home.
