What to Know About Doing Pest Prevention Yourself
Even in the best-kept homes, pests can become a problem. If you encounter this sort of nuisance, your first reaction might be to contact an exterminator as soon as possible; however, you can save considerable money and time by doing some pest control yourself. Here are a few ways you can prevent pests and stop infestations before they start.
Prevention Saves Money
Prevention is always more effective and less time-consuming than treating a pest infestation. Luckily, there are several easy steps you can take to keep pests out of your home. Especially for larger pests like mice and rats, it’s important to seal any entry points that may give them access to your house. There are also steps you can take to make your home less attractive to pests in the first place. Clean up your kitchen immediately after preparing food, and make sure to keep dry goods sealed. Even leftover traces may be enough to attract ants and other bugs. As you clean up food, be sure to not leave standing water. Even small amounts of water can sometimes be enough to draw fruit flies.
Small Details
As you pest-proof your home, don’t forget to pay attention to even the smallest of details. Covering furniture, especially when moving or when you’ll be gone for a long period of time, makes infestations of bedbugs and other small pests less likely. Even something as simple as a cover for a hot tub can help prevent pests from infesting. When you want to keep pests out, vigilance is important. It helps to regularly check your home for little details you may have missed.
Using Supplies You Have
You’ve probably seen bait for mice, rats and other pests sold in supermarkets. However, these are often relatively expensive, and you can save money by using what you already have at home. Peanut butter and corn chips are both excellent attractants when you want to lure mice to a trap. Plus, you only need a small dab of peanut butter or a few crumbs of corn chips for this to work. If you’re especially crafty, there are plenty of resources online that can teach you how to build your own traps out of items you already have around the house. Preventing pests and trapping them as they arrive are important parts of home maintenance, but they don’t have to be expensive or consume a large portion of your time. By taking simple steps now, you can save yourself time, money and stress down the line.
Pests are one of the signs that something isn’t quite right in your home so act fast! If you’re interested in knowing about other hidden potential problems in your home, check out our article on it here!
