Pest and Animal Control News

Pests are an unfortunate situation in a home. You can keep everything clean, but some creatures will still get in. As a homeowner, you should know where these creatures are most commonly found so that you can look for the best pest solutions. Let’s discover everything you need to understand about getting rid of pests in certain areas.

1. The Kitchen

The most common place to find pests in a house is the kitchen, mainly because it’s where you keep food. That means you must do something to prevent them from entering your pantry and damaging your packages, cans, etc. You also have to keep them out because they’ll poop or leave eggs lying around, which could harm your family.

Aside from finding the best pest solutions, you must also take action. For example, ensure your cabinets have a seal preventing pests from entering. Most creatures can crawl through the tinniest crevices, but you could contact kitchen cabinet services to find better material that will limit their access. Kitchen remodeling can help you find better sealing options.

Once you’ve taken care of that, it’s time to take control of the situation. You must prevent pests from getting into your food, so all your containers should have a tight lid. Use mason jars, high-quality Tupperware, airtight plastic bags, etc. Your leftover food should never remain outside the fridge, and you should always clean up after preparing your meals to avoid attracting bugs.

Never leave dirty rags around, and keep your sink clean because standing water is a massive magnet for pests, especially roaches. It’s also a good idea to restrict eating to the kitchen or the dining table because critters can smell crumbs or food particles from great distances. Any chip or popcorn on the living room floor will cause pest issues. If this restriction is too hard, try to vacuum more often and always discard the leftover wrappers in a proper bin.

A trash can with a lid is one of the best pest solutions you can adopt. Many homeowners buy any kind of bin for their waste and leave it under the sink. That’s a moist area and, coupled with the smell of leftover rotting food, will make it a paradise for critters. Additionally, never leave the trash bag full for too long, especially if you discard something that could become smelly after a day or two. Dispose of your waste often to prevent infestations.

2. The Bathroom

The second most common place for pests is the bathroom. As mentioned, these creatures thrive in moist environments, and standing water is a common issue in bathrooms. Furthermore, it’s an area that can accumulate gunk and other dirtiness, which attracts flies, silverfish, mold mites, cockroaches, water bugs, centipedes, and more. Therefore, you must find the best pest solutions to prevent issues.

A homeowner has to clean their house thoroughly occasionally, but a bathroom needs to be prioritized every week, preferably with strong disinfectant. You should remove gunk from your drain as often as possible because your drainpipes will accumulate a type of black film after daily use. Aside from clogging your system, it’ll attract drain flies, which will cause significant issues. Drain cleaners or a mixture of baking soda, vinegar, and salt can help.

However, some homeowners find that updating the drains, especially if they’ve purchased an older home, is even better at preventing pests. Bath renovations with better materials help avoid water leakage and draining issues. A bath remodeler can help you find the kind of setup that will work best to reduce your cleaning time and ensure that no little critters harm your children. Other best pest solutions include airing all bathrooms often.

Making sure there’s proper ventilation will reduce any accumulation of water that could cause mold and mold mites. It’ll also prevent musty scents that could be enticing to some creatures. Your towel will properly dry, too. You’ll also need to seal all cracks, including the doors and windows, to prevent pests from entering and settling in that room. Some people have invested in a dehumidifier that can also be used in the rest of the house.

If this advice doesn’t help, you may have to start planning for specific pest control measures. You can call a service to remove the infestation from your bathroom or try to get rid of each type of bug yourself. For example, cockroaches usually enter through drains, so avoid leaving them open. If one or more still get in, get an exterminator or insecticide. Other pests, like rats and silverfish, can be killed by traps.

3. The Roof or Attic

The roof and the attic are usually neglected parts of a house, mainly because homeowners may never notice any pest infestation up there. That’s how big issues begin. Airy attics can become the perfect place for rats, mice, cockroaches, etc., to thrive. Moreover, they’ll leave eggs or build nests because you can’t reach them or you don’t go up there too much. Most people don’t think about these areas unless they have a roofing problem.

You don’t need to call roofers if you suspect pests, but it would be good to stay vigilant. You can only find the best pest solutions if you know what kind of problem you have. For example, rodents always look for food, meaning most people think they’re always in the kitchen. That’s not incorrect, but that doesn’t mean they always stay in the kitchen. Rodents hide to reproduce, so their young can thrive. They can colonize the attic or areas of the roof, occupying holes and moving through cracks in the materials.

They’ll sneak into the kitchen later to find their sustenance. The best pest solutions include sealing all the gaps with caulk or foam, fixing leaks in HVAC units or vents, and keeping your attic clean and dry. Doing this will prevent anything from ruining your property. Rodents chew destroy Christmas trees, clothes, documents, decorations, and everything you store in cardboard boxes.

Another pest you should beware of is bats. They can enter through windows, and while they may not be the most bothersome critters, their droppings harm your health. They can also stain the floors and walls. If you have bats, you’ll probably need to call a professional pest control service because they’re not as easy to eliminate as others.

Raccoons are pests that most people don’t even consider. They can genuinely become menaces to your property. They will chew on the wood, causing significant structural damage. It’s worse if you let them bring in their young. You may need animal control instead of pest control to remove them, but the point is never to ignore infestation, even if the animal is cute.

4. The HVAC Ducts

You have probably never considered your home’s HVAC ducts and what could get in there, other than dust and debris that could clog it. However, some pests have been known to get into vents, causing damage and becoming a problem for your entire house. The last thing you want is to need new HVAC installations because rats or others have damaged the whole system.

That’s why you should always be alert and look for signs that creatures may be living inside the ducts. For example, scratches on vent walls are a huge indicator, but you may also find chewed valves and ducts. You’ll see animal droppings, too, and you may be able to tell what kind of infestation you have. Some people have also discovered nests, feathers, and more.

The most common types of HVAC duct pests are rats and mice because they’ll use the ducts to travel around your house. Unfortunately, these creatures chew on wires, refrigerant lines, and other setup parts, which are expensive to repair. Rodents can also cause allergies and are disease carriers.

Raccoons and squirrels have also been found in ducts. They usually make holes that allow air to flow out, increasing energy bills. Other insects, like dust mites, can also cause allergies and bring diseases, which will spread around quickly through the air. Snakes have been known to crawl into ducts looking for heat sources. Sometimes, they get caught in vent fans, which will damage the blades.

While rarer, birds can also enter the ducts, and their droppings will compromise the air circulating in your home. Their feathers could cause obstructions, but their poop can cause diseases like candidiasis, E.coli, cryptococcosis, and more. You should adopt the best pest solutions, meaning sealing gaps, cleaning the outdoor unit, and maintaining your yard.

5. The Garage

Storage areas are susceptible to pests because people forget about them. Any place in your home that gets little foot traffic may attract critters. Like the attic, a garage may get moist by no fault of your own. It may also be easier for animals to get in. Have you called garage door companies lately? Consider looking at garage door installations to ensure your current doors don’t allow anything undesirable in.

You use your garage door often, and it may not close as tightly as you want, depending on the mechanism. Therefore, it’s best to get professionals to take a look. Also, check it for cracks and look at possible entry points. If it’s impossible to seal everything fully, take extra measures to prevent pests, such as cleaning up and keeping it de-cluttered.

Some people eat or store their grills in the garage, and it’s best to ensure that no food particles remain. Any pest could ruin your boxes and even your cars. Try to find alternatives to boxes, such as plastic airtight containers. You should also invest in some shelves because items on the floor are more vulnerable.

Naturally, one of the best pest solutions, in general, is to clean often. Still, you could also use products that prevent animals from coming in. Some chemicals are designed for specific pests, so it would be wise to research and use the correct ones. Remember, these creatures follow their sense of smell for the most part. You can use strongly-scented deterrents in the garage because your household won’t be affected.

However, most of the above are preventive measures. If you already have rodents or other pests, you must be proactive. Get traps – some are more humane than others, and a few are better for outside use – but investigate a little before purchasing anything. Call exterminators quickly if that doesn’t work because the issue could be more significant than you imagine.

6. The Backyard

Some pests have no interest in your indoor things, but they may love your carefully-tended flowers and veggies. One of the best pest solutions is pesticides, but some people prefer different products. Start with the basics to protect your garden. A good fencing company can offer additional products to prevent bigger types of pests from getting near your plants.

For example, some people have issues with prairie dogs and other burrowing animals, and a proper garden fence could deter them. Unfortunately, other pests may still get in. Start by only using clean soil with organic matter like compost that prevents critters. You may buy it or find ways to create it at home. It’s also smart to purchase pest-resistant seeds like those that say verticillium and fusarium.

Maintaining your garden in top shape is also better because small weeds and dying plants will become diseased, attracting animals. Prune as much as you need and remove those you think won’t thrive. Always water early in the morning to prevent fungi and more. You should also use insect traps, like the sticky cards sold at most garden shops.

The cards fit in between shoots and branches, catching bugs. Expert gardeners go beyond and add ‘good insects’ like ladybugs, which eat aphids, mites, and various kinds of larvae. This may not appeal to most people, but it’s a good option. Finally, don’t leave trash in your yard; clean up after all outdoor gatherings.

Now that you know the areas most commonly affected by pests, it’s time to find the best pest solutions. The key is to get rid of them ASAP, so your home will remain your haven. You don’t want any damage caused by rodents that could lead to expensive repairs. You may need to call local pest control services, fumigate occasionally, or start using natural repellents.