Keeping Your Kitchen Pest Free

The kitchen is the heart of the home. It is where family and friends gather for special occasions, celebrations, and late night chats. One thing you don't ever want to confront in this area where food is prepared and stored, is a pest problem.Kitchens inherently can attract pests like ants, flies, mealworms, beetles, mice, and rats merely by the fact that this is where all the food is located. There are some simple solutions that homeowners can take in order to avoid encouraging a pest problem in their kitchen.

Contain Your Trash

Whether you keep it under your sink, in a barrel, or somewhere hidden, your trash barrel should have a lid. This will keep smells contained and thus not advertise to pests that there is food around. If ants or roaches sense open food they will find a way to gain access.Containing the trash goes for your outside barrels as well as your kitchen trash container. Be sure to keep a lid on it and empty often.

Store Food Carefully

Many homes have questionable food storage methods. We suggest that food items be stored in a sealable container such as a plastic bin, an airtight cereal container, plastic bags, or glass jars. Pests can chew right through paper and cardboard at an alarming rate, so these solutions are smarter to keep the critters from contaminating your food sources.We suggest containers that are made from thick plastic, glass, or stainless steel as a way to keep your food fresh and safe from pests.

Clean Regularly

Pests can feast upon a few crumbs or spills in a kitchen. Therefore, we suggest that you clean your counters, cabinets, pantry, table, and dishes regularly with warm water and soap. This will keep the pests from finding food successfully in your kitchen.If you have the time, regular mopping and vacuuming the kitchen can also help.

Keep Food in the Kitchen

If you have children or teens, you know how terribly hard this rule is to follow. The fewer places pests can access food crumbs, the better. No one wants to find ants, roaches, or mice feasting off yesterday's leftovers in the living room or a bedroom! Keep it in the kitchen and your clean up routine will be contained to one room.Need more ideas for keeping your kitchen pest-free? Check out this article from Reader's Digest.