Have you ever woken up in the middle of the night to find an insect crawling on your arm? Or maybe you’ve had to deal with ants invading the kitchen? If so, then you are not alone. Pests are everywhere, and they are not going away anytime soon.
Ignoring these small creatures entails consequences, especially during the season when they become the most active. As a property owner or even someone who rents space, you have the obligation to keep your area free of any pests.
There are many reasons pests infest your property, which is why taking note of different pest types is necessary since it helps you better deal with them. This also allows you to set up preventive measures for stopping further infestation.
It’s okay to take time when it comes to the preparation, but know that you must act fast when you see the sad signs of pest infestation. Homes always attract pests if left uncleaned or when overlooked. Here’s what you need to know:
The First Sign Is a Dirty House
No house doesn’t get dirty. Even if you leave it for a day, it’ll accumulate enough dust and dirt for small critters to thrive in and feed on. If your property is not regularly cleaned, you shouldn’t be surprised at the sight of insects that slowly destroy your home and your peace.
Where there are crumbs and other sources of food that are not properly disposed of, pests are also present. Even open garbage cans bring dangerous ones in (a housefly is a good example of this). This should give you enough motivation to maintain the cleanliness in your house, leaving no traces of food or leftovers that could attract pests every time.
Leaks Attract Pests
Another reason your home is a pest magnet is the leakage from your faucet and other parts of your plumbing system. Damaged pipes create pools of water in congested areas such as under the sink, for instance. If this continues unabated, you’re actually creating a perfect habitat for mosquitoes and cockroaches to grow.
Regular plumbing inspections will help in keeping your kitchen and other parts of your home dry. And when water or any liquid is spilled on the floor or table, wipe it right away. Sometimes, it’s difficult to notice these because of a busy schedule, but do your best to leave nothing that causes pest infestation at home.
Not Enough Barriers
Opening doors and windows every day is always an opening for animals to get in. They see these as nothing but an entry to a potential habitant. One way to block pests from easily penetrating your home is to install screens for your doors and windows. Especially in the summer, it is very tempting to open doors to enjoy that good summer air, but it’s impossible to do it without animals and insects entering your house.
Screen doors and window screens will help keep pests, especially flying ones, off your interior. Though you still have to deal with them when you’re outside, at least, you get to relax while you’re in your living room.
Types of Pests That Lurk Inside Your Home
Pests are a problem in every home. There are many types of pests, and they can be found everywhere—from your yard to the kitchen. The most common pests that live inside of homes are rodents, ants, spiders, and cockroaches.
Rodents – House mice can thrive both indoors and outdoors, making it easy for them to reproduce and cause concerns inside properties. Another rodent to look out for is a roof rat. They have good climbing skills, allowing them to build nests in roof spaces and other parts of a building that may typically be inaccessible.
Ants – Ants appear whenever you leave food jars or containers open. It wouldn’t be easy to completely eliminate them, especially if you don’t know where their nest is. Thus, do your best to seal everything that contains food or edibles.
Spiders – Spiders are usually harmless and not aggressive since they just hang around the upper corners of your house, but they are still not a good sight to see. Plus, they ruin your interior and give you more mess to clean once their cobwebs spread all over.
Cockroaches – Roaches thrive in filth and wherever moisture is present. Because of their dirty habitat, they tend to carry bacteria that cause life-threatening diseases.
These pests are drawn where food and water are present (like in your house), so if you see any droppings or crumbs on the kitchen counter or floor, there is a good chance that an infestation of some sort is occurring. Take action before the pest infestation gets worse!
How About Bed Bugs?
These aren’t the only nuisances you’ll deal with at home. There are pesky bed bugs waiting to feed on you right on your bed. As hard as they’re to detect, it gets even more worrisome when you realise that they’re found all over the world. Apartments, hotels, and shelters—wherever there’s a high population density, you can be certain they’d be lurking.
Thankfully, these insects are also not known to transmit any diseases or parasites that could fatally affect humans. But their bites can cause itching and skin irritations. Bed bug bites look like small red welts or mosquito bites on the skin. In other words, there is no way to tell if you have been bitten by a bed bug without doing a thorough inspection of your home or apartment.
The best thing you can do to eliminate an ongoing bed bug threat is to regularly clean your bedding, linen, curtains, and your upholstered furniture. That’s where bed bugs hide and grow, after all. In a worst-case scenario, hiring a bed bug removal service is a must.
Removing Roaches
Roaches are one of the most common pests in homes. They not only cause a lot of damage to your home but they can also carry diseases and allergens that cause sickness, or worse, paralysis.
Here are some tips on how to get rid of roaches:
- Vacuum all areas where roaches may be potentially hiding.
- Wash all dishes and store food in sealed containers.
- Seal all cracks and crevices around sinks, pipes, drains, and electrical outlets with caulk or sealants.
- Remove clutter from the kitchen and other rooms to eliminate hiding places for cockroaches.
Safely Wiping Out Ants Around the House
Ants are a common sight in homes and yards across the country. They can get into your home through cracks in the foundation or they may find their way into your house on a picnic blanket or a bag of groceries. They can even come up from under your house before making their way indoors.
The first thing you need to do is identify what type of ant you’re dealing with then figure out how to get rid of it. Here are the common types:
Pavement Ants: These ants live in colonies under sidewalks, patios, and driveways. They feed on insects that come down from trees, such as caterpillars and beetles. One effective method to deal with them is to follow their trail then place ant baits. This is the easiest way to eliminate the queen and potential population growth, since the workers will take the bait to their nest.
Carpenter Ants: Carpenter ants usually thrive in moist or decaying wood so watch out for any rotting features on your property. However, you can’t just remove them by taking out the decaying wooden parts of your home. You may have to hire pest control technicians because these species don’t just build one nest.
Odorous Ants: They build nests and colonies anywhere, be it under logs, stones, mulch, or even debris. That means there is a chance that you can find them in your house during the pest season. To keep them from entering your home, hire pest control professionals to inspect and exterminate these safely. It’s also ideal to trim trees where these ants live, so they won’t come in close contact with your house.
Mosquitoes Getting Into Your Home
Mosquitoes are very hard to get rid of and can be a great nuisance, ruining your day and making you feel like you’re in a swamp in the process.
Mosquitoes are attracted to CO2, which we exhale when we breathe. Like a homing device, they can zero in on us because we breathe. They even track us by way of our smell and sweat.
Mosquitoes can enter your home through open doors and windows or by coming up through the drains in your sink or toilet. They can also come up through your chimney if it has not been properly sealed with screens or caps. Always consider the installation of screens and removing pools of water around the areas where they are present most of the time.
How to Keep Pests Out of the House
There are many ways to prevent pests from entering your home. Here are some quick tips on keeping these unwanted guests out of the house:
- Seal all holes in the exterior walls, flooring, and ceiling with caulk or other sealants.
- Make sure that you use screens on all windows and doors.
- Inspect your home for any cracks or openings where pests could get into your home. Fill them in if you find any.
- Put up bird feeders outside your place, so birds will eat the pests before they get anywhere near your house.
- Don’t leave food out on counters.
A More Effective Solution
If you find that going for home remedies is challenging and time-consuming, it may be best to hire a professional pest control company instead. Not only are they better equipped for this complex job, but they’re also well-versed with exterminating any pest problem you may have at home.
They Offer Thorough Inspection
Eliminating pests through pesticides is not enough. It would only be a temporary remedy if you don’t trace the source. By knowing where they built their nests, it would be easier to control their population after. Lucky for you, pest control Melbourne experts are well-equipped for pest inspections.
We have both the high-end technology and the eco-friendly treatments to detect and make quick work of common household pests. We even have the appropriate solutions to keep these unwanted creatures off your property for a long time!
Ensures Safety
Off-the-shelf insecticides are notorious for being health threats so if you want to safely remove pests from your property, know that calling pest control professionals is the way to go. They use products that do not have any detrimental effects on humans, pets, and the environment by state requirement, so you’re guaranteed a safe pest inspection and extermination process.
Do you need reliable pest control solutions for various pest problems? Hiring Pest Police is a sound choice since we perform comprehensive pest inspections alongside effective pest control and prevention to completely get rid of your unwanted guests. Call us at 1800 737 876 to schedule an appointment!