Preventing
an Invasion
The best way to stop a pest infestation is to prevent insects and rodents from entering your home from the start. While typical American homes have hundreds of insects living in them, most are too small to see and do not pose risks to you or your family. You might not be able to keep your home totally insect-free, but you can take the proper preventative measures to help deter and restrict more bothersome pests from making your home theirs.
Seal Your Home
It doesn’t take much for insects and rodents to get into your home. Some mice can fit through a crack or hole just 1/4th” wide. That’s just slightly bigger than the diameter of a pencil! And insects don’t even require that big of an entryway. To keep vermin out, you should check your home annually for any gaps that could allow pests to easily enter your home. Check the exterior of your home for cracks in the foundation and/or masonry, any loose siding, missing shingles, and gaps around utility lines and pipes. You should also check the interior for cracks in the foundation, gaps around trim, damaged weatherstripping, holes in window screens, and ill-fitting doors and windows.
For loose or missing shingles and/or siding you may need to hire a contractor to repair your home. But most cracks and gaps in your home can be easily sealed. You should not use caulk because many pests can quickly chew through it. Instead, you should stuff copper mesh or steel wool into the gap then seal over it with expanding foam or mortar. Weatherstripping around doors and windows can become brittle and damaged over years of regular use so be sure you replace it when needed. Torn screens should be patched or replaced as soon as possible, especially in the summer months when you will have your windows open. And warped or broken doors and windows should be replaced immediately to ensure a better seal throughout your home.
Clean Up
Pests are much more likely to invade a home where there is plenty of food and places to hide. Food, clutter, and trash invite pests into your home so here are some steps you can take to keep your home less appealing to vermin.
- Clean up messes right after meals and be sure to sweep up any crumbs.
- Make sure dry goods, including pet foods, are stored in airtight containers to keep rodents from smelling your food.
- Store fruits and vegetables in the refrigerator to keep insects, especially flies, from laying eggs on your food.
- Unclog and clean drains with vinegar and baking soda to flush out any insect eggs and larvae.
- Use an indoor trashcan with a lid and take out the trash as soon as it is full.
- Rinse your recyclables and take them out to the recycle bin often.
- Keep trash and recycle bins outside, instead of in your garage. Mice cannot climb the slippery sides of the bins or get through the heavy lids, but the smell of trash will lure them closer to your home.
- Declutter your home to give pests fewer places to hide. Toy boxes, piles of clothes or books, stacks of boxes, and crowded under sink storage make great places for vermin to hide.
- Regularly vacuum, mop, and clean drains throughout your home to disrupt areas where pests might build a home.
Home Remedies
From your grandma to TikTok, there are home remedies and life hacks everywhere with suggestions on how to deter pests. These methods are in no way foolproof and they won’t do nearly as good of a job as an exterminator’s chemicals, but some of them do work!
- Coffee is poisonous to ants so using coffee grounds around your house can drive them off.
- An essential oil spray of basil, clove, eucalyptus, lavender, lemongrass, peppermint, and/or rosemary can help repel dust mites, lice, and fleas.
- Some all-natural mouse repellants are made from peppermint oil so using that around your home can help deter them.
- For a great, efficient fruit fly trap, mix apple cider vinegar and honey in a small cup, cover it tightly with plastic wrap, and poke a few small holes in the plastic.
What should I do next?
If you already have pests in your home, it might be too late to take some of these precautions. You can always call Armor Pest Control at (269) 424-3458 or contact us online at armor-pest.com/contact to rid your home of pests. We will also seal and/or repair areas where pests are getting into your home to protect future infestations. With Armor Pest Control you can rest easy knowing your home is safe and secure from an infestation.
- Call us to discuss a tailor-made plan of attack: (269) 424-3458
- We'll treat the affected areas, and provide guidance on ways to eliminate further pest issues.
- You may wish to seal any cracks or holes you find in your building's walls (remember - these critters are tiny!)
- Routinely wash away, sweep up, and vacuum any food residue or crumbs to ensure there's nothing to lure them inside. In other words, hide your grandma's cookies.
- Make sure you're consistently checking the affected spaces for signs of re-infestation.
We’re here to assist! Give us a call at (269) 424-3458!