Your home and garden is a source of pride for you and your loved ones and unwanted pests and insects can have a negative effect on your most valued possession. To enjoy your homestead to the fullest you must be proactive in protecting it from unwanted insects such as termites, rats, or wasp that can cause harm to the structure of your home and visitors.

In years past pesticides and insecticides used to protect your home and garden from pests were made of highly toxic chemicals. This made it imperative for you to rely on pest control professionals in Ft Lauderdale for the smallest pest and rodent problems. Today, in Fort Lauderdale pest control companies use pesticides that are environmentally friendly, low in toxicity, and safe to use around children and indoor pets. Many pest control situations are better left to the pest control experts such as tenting for termites, addressing an infestation of rodents, or identifying spiders. Major pest control challenges often require heavy equipment and expertise to deal with a such problems, however, there are many pest control situations that you can begin as a homeowner and handle yourself.

We work with hundreds of homeowners a month and have found these simple DIY (do-it-yourself) pest control solutions help to prevent pest and keep your home pest-free. These pest control solutions are not guaranteed but have been proven effective for many homeowners in Fort Lauderdale and South Florida. The best part is that most of these solutions are typically found around your home and help you protect and reclaim your home.

Prevention is the Best Pest Control in Ft Lauderdale

The best way to combat pests is to prevent them from settling in the in the first place. Rodents and insects create havoc in your home once they begin to consider it their home too. Pests have a unique ability to make any home or structure a breeding ground, nest, or source of food and water easily through cracks, open doors, and other forms of entry. Gaps between walls and floors, open windows, loose shingles on your roof, etc. are all other forms of entry. Preventing easy entry into your home in Fort Lauderdale is the first step. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provides insights into how to prevent convenient

Walk around the exterior of your home to find points of entry that are easily visible to the naked eye and seal them with caulk. Caulking the exterior of your home is a simple  and affordable DIY sealing process that saves you time and is your first defense against uninvited pests. Another upside to caulking your home is that it ensures your home is airtight which may possibly reducing your home energy costs.

DIY Pest Control Remedies

Prevention is a sound first step against fighting pest in Fort Lauderdale. Here are further steps to preventing pests as well as addressing small infestations of pests that have already settled in. The key to successful pest control in Fort Lauderdale is to prevent infestation with regular caulking of points of entry and making your home less desirable for long term stays for pest by ensuring that food and water sources are not easily found. Here a few key points to keep in mind as you undertake your own DIY pest control in Ft Lauderdale.

• Every insect and rodent require water to survive. Standing water in a dish under a potted plant is more than enough to ensure cockroaches, flies, and mice thrive. Empty these trays regularly. Fill in holes in your yard that may act as a water hole for insects or rodents. 
• Fix any leaky faucets in or around the exterior of your home.
• Wipe down all kitchen surfaces and countertops with a homemade vinegar cleaning solution that contains one part of water to one part of vinegar.
• Avoid leaving any food lying around and store foods in sealed containers.
• Place debris in a trashcan with a lid.
• The kitchen drain typically contains leftover food. Rinse the drain completely by pouring a mixture of half a cup of vinegar and half a cup of baking soda down the drain. Follow it with hot water after you let the mixture sit for a minimum of 5 minutes.
• Insects such as mosquitoes, flies, chiggers, ticks, flies, fleas, and ants are a menace. Keep them at bay and out of your home by using some essential oils against them. Make a solution of 1 cup of any grain alcohol (such as vodka) and 2.5 teaspoons of essential oil. Place solution in a clean spray and spray solution around your home.
• Effective essential oils against mosquitoes include citronella, lemon eucalyptus, geranium, lavender, lemongrass, and tea tree. These oils are also great for refreshing your home.
• Lavender and lemongrass essential oils have proved to work effectively against ticks, chiggers, fleas, and flies.
• Get rid of gnats with patchouli oil and spiders and ants with peppermint. Planting peppermint plants around doors and in window planters in pots is a simple environmentally friendly way of controlling entry points. 
• Keep ants at bay by sprinkling coffee grounds (used or fresh) around points of entry like doors and windows. If you are facing an ant infestation try this DIY pest control trick. Mix 1 cup of sugar water with 1 cup of borax powder, place this mixture in small containers, poke holes through lids. Put these containers in problem areas. 
• Silverfish and other wingless pests can be warded off by sprinkling boric acid in the bathroom and kitchen areas. Boric acid is a low-toxicity mineral available in powder form.

There are plenty of ways to take prevent an infestation of pests in your Fort Lauderdale home. You are able to treat your home for many of your pest problems by simply preventing the pest problems in the first place. Using natural or low-toxicity ingredients and approaches is a simple way to keep your home pest pest free.