It’s always a challenge trying to keep pesky pests away from your home. With fall coming, it’s a great idea to get started on ways to prevent and keep out annoying critters from your home with simple techniques. Fall pests vary depending on what region of the country you reside in. However, some very common pests around the United States include rodents such as mice or possums and insects such as stink bugs, ants, cockroaches, spiders, crickets, and beetles.
Immediate Pest Prevention
The first step toward preventing uninvited guest is to locate any pest entrances. Start by sealing off entrances with weather strips. Seal windows, doors, and basement sashes. Caulk gaps that may be found around your home near joints or door frames. Don’t allow moisture to be a source of nutrition for pests. Fix any leaking faucets and do not leave countertops moist. Moisture provides pests with an opportunity to survive and breed. They need water just as we do. Another source of moisture is often found in soil and mulch.
Turn your mulch occasionally to assist in keeping moisture down. Keep tree shrubs and branches well-trimmed and away from your home. Store food in sealed containers. Leaving food unsealed is an open invitation to rodents. They welcome an easy opportunity such as open food containers to feed themselves and their fellow comrades. Store your food and pet food in a sealed container. Try storing pet food in a metal trash receptacle with a lid as the slick vertical lines prevent mice from climbing the container.
Reduce clutter and prevent pests from entering and staying in your home. You don’t want to make it easy for pests to build their home in yours. Pests use clutter to nest and hide. Get rid of old clothes and papers, doing so hinders pest activity. Use a caddy to store your items usually kept under your sink. This makes for easy removal of items and keeps your supplies organized. Clean your home regularly, sweep, and vacuum floors frequently. Keep belongings off the floor as you do not want moisture to develop. Consider storing your items and food on a metal shelves.
Quick Pest Control Tips for Rodents
If pets find a way into your home there are few quick ways to get rid of them depending on the type of pests and infestation. If your infestation is consists of only a few insects that appear sporadically around your home then you likely simply need to seal areas and remove standing water sources. If you spot a rodent you can simply set traps. Mouse traps are very effective if used correctly. It is important to place them in areas where signs of the rodent activity have been seen. Place these traps parallel to the wall. It is important to place at least two traps together in this way. Some professionals find that peanut butter or chocolate syrup are useful baits.
Another option is to use mice poison. Be sure that the poison you set out is not in the reach of children or pets. A safe alternative is to try glue boards which is a useful method if placed in the appropriate areas. The use of baits is also a strong alternative to capture rodents that may be near your home. The key to capturing rodents is to place baits and traps in the right areas. Rodent baits can be poisonous to humans and house pets and may be unknowingly ingested by small children if not applied correctly and according to the label. It is best to consult a pest control expert in Fort Lauderdale if you believe that baits are a viable option.
Fall Pest Prevention Tips for Insects
As for those other common fall pest such as ants, beetles, spiders and crickets, many find such products as Ortho Home Defense a practical approach of preventing many common insects such as these. It is a ready to use perimeter and indoor insect killer that kills on contact typically. It is best used for ants, roaches, spiders and many other pests and helps create a barrier that keeps new insects from entering your home and at bay. It also has a fast drying non staining formula, which is very convenient for homeowners as treated areas are accessible very soon after treatment.
Other alternatives for pest control in Fort Lauderdale are natural approaches. Many natural pest repellents exists that may be reliable alternatives. For example, spiders avoid certain essential oils such as mint and lavender. Thus many pest control experts recommend effective spider repellant by combining 3 cups of water, 1 tablespoon of mint oil and 1 teaspoon of dish detergent. This particular repellent doubles as a room fragrant as well.
