Is My House Attracting Pests?

Did you know that a study completed by a Biodiversity and Conservation group found that there are around 100 different species of bugs in every home? Eeeeeek! While this may drive you to start cleaning every nook and cranny of your home, experts say that you really shouldn't worry too much about it. Bugs are a natural part of life. However, if you feel like your home may be attracting pests, or even wildlife, you may want to take steps to stop the problem. Pests, like humans, need three things to survive: food, water, and shelter. Think about whether your home is providing any, or all, of these things to potential pests. Deterring unwelcome pests really comes down to a comprehensive approach. Here are some suggestions to make sure your home is not attracting even more pests than the average home.

Tidy Trash Areas

Homeowners should consider keeping their trash areas, both inside and outside clean and free of spillovers. All of this merely entices pests even more than normal. For outside barrels, keep the covers tightly secured and away from bushes or trees that wildlife can use to climb up and into your trash. For indoors, be sure to take out the trash on a regular basis so rotting smells and sugary treats don't attract pests to your trash containers.

Deal with Dripping or Standing Water

Does your toilet or faucet leak or drip unnecessarily? Pests are attracted to water, whether it is in your kitchen or outside at your spigot. Be sure to resolve any dripping issues and your pests may find their water elsewhere. As for standing water, try to make sure that toys and other items around the outside of your house are not places where pests can breed.

Clean up Crumbs and Kitchen Foods

Pests love a good snack any time of day. Take a look around your kitchen. Are there crumbs on the floor around your table? Is there grease splatter from last night's meatballs? Is there overripe fruit in a bowl on your counter? Remember, produce like apples and bananas that are past their prime will give off ethylene gas which is a major bug magnet.

Seal Up Your Home

Pests can find small cracks, openings, and crevices to enter your home. Obviously, homeowners cannot get rid of all access points but try to seal up those that you can. This might mean: fixing window screens that are ripped or loose, caulking windows that have cracks, and sealing utility vents that may need it.

Clean Your Grill

Your grill, with its dripping grease and leftover grilling meats, is a huge magnet to pests of all kinds. Clean up your grill with soap and water. Scrub the metal cooking area so that the grease is reduced. If grease or items have dripped onto the patio or ground, then try to clean that area as well. Do you feel like your home has more pests than most? Think about the needs of pests that we discussed (water, food, and shelter) and look around your home to see if you are providing those needs. For infestations, call Pest-End Exterminators now at 1-800-287-4321, 603-382-9644, or 978-794-4321.