A New Year’s Resolution: Keeping Pest-Free!

A New Year’s Resolution: Keeping Pest-Free!

The holidays are over and we can now welcome the New Year! Like many of us, we look forward to setting some New Year’s resolutions and goals! This year many of us will look forward to saving more money, exercising more, and even working on home improvements; although one resolution you might not consider that’s both easy and effective is pest-proofing your home!. Making sure your home is protected against pests will help to keep them out for the rest of the year while also helping you stress less about pests! Here are some easy and hassle-free ways you can keep your house pest free this year!

Kitchen Clean-Up

Pests love three things: shelter, food, and water. Unfortunately for us, they can find all of these things inside our homes. Keeping a clean kitchen throughout the year can help with two of these main factors – food and water. Make sure you always clean your kitchen after cooking and eating meals. Wipe down any leftover crumbs and spills, even in hard to reach places. Store food, including pet food, in airtight containers in your pantries. Every week try to sweep up your floors and vacuum to ensure that there isn’t missed food debris on the floors.

Seal Those Gaps

Pests only need the smallest gap to enter your home and infest! Ensure pests don’t get inside by inspecting both the exterior and interior walls of your home for any open areas. If a gap is found, tightly seal it up with caulk. Make sure to also check areas where your utilities and pipes come into the home for any gaps. Finally, use screens on doors and windows, making sure they are in good repair. If a hole is found, replace the door screens and windows as soon as possible.

Don’t Forget About Outside

Pest proofing outside the home is just as important as proofing inside. Pests love clutter and debris like fallen leaves. To help declutter, clean out your gutters of debris and consider installing gutter guards to help eliminate clogs and standing water. Similarly, rake up any leaves that have fallen throughout your yard. Be sure to also keep your firewood stored at least 20 feet from your home and elevate it. If you bring the wood inside, make sure to inspect it for pests. Trim your bushes and trees back from your home where they are not touching the sides of your house. This can help with keeping pests and wildlife creatures from entering your attic.

Call A Professional

Ringing in the New Year can sometimes feel overwhelming when thinking about all the goals we want to achieve. If you want to start out the year less stressed about pests, consider calling a professional pest control company. These professionals can set you up with a scheduled treatment and prevention plan so you can focus more time on doing the things you love.

How To Have A Pest Free New Year

How To Have A Pest Free New Year

Now that the holidays are over, it’s time to start looking ahead to the New Year. Like most of us, you’re probably going into 2018 with a renewed sense of motivation. What is your New Year’s resolution? Will you try to lose weight? Will you try to spend less time online and more time outside? Will you finally finish that project you’ve wanted to start but never had the time? Whatever you decide, make sure pest control makes it to the top of your list. Here are 5 easy tips to make your home pest free for the New Year!

  1. Clean It: Make cleaning a part of your daily routine. Remove built up grease from your kitchen and appliances. Clean up crumbs and spills from those hard to reach places. Sweep and vacuum your floors regularly. Try to clean up crumbs and spills immediately. Keep food (including pet food) stored in sealed containers and don’t leave them out overnight. Organize clutter, especially in areas you don’t frequent very often like your attic, garage, and basement. If possible, store items in plastic containers rather than cardboard. Store your firewood at least 20 feet from your home and elevate it 5 feet off the ground.
  2. Fix It: Check your windows and doors for cracks and holes in both the seals and the screens. Fill holes and repair or replace screens. Replace weatherstripping if needed. Check along your foundation and fill holes with caulk or cover them with screens. Install screens over chimney vents and openings.
  3. Dry It: Check the inside and outside of your home including your crawlspace for standing water. Check for leaky pipes, drips, and stagnant water which all attract pests and can cause mold and mildew. Repair any leaky pipes and remove any standing water. Consider enclosing your crawlspace under your home.
  4. Inspect It: Check wires, walls, and insulation for signs of pests such as gnaw marks. Replace any damaged wires and chewed insulation. Consider TAP insulation which not only provides better energy efficiency but also provides pest control. Carefully inspect any packages you bring home or take out of storage for signs of pests (rodent droppings, chew marks, etc). Inspect your luggage when returning from travels. Consider an annual termite inspection for your home.
  5. Prevent It: It is less expensive to have scheduled preventative pest control services than waiting to call for services after you have a problem. Scheduled preventative services can not only provide you with year round preventative treatments but can also identify signs of a potential problem before it gets out of hand. Schedule preventative services with a professional pest control company.

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