Pest Control Tips Affordable for Every Household
If the thought of having pests inside your home makes your skin crawl, you would have thought about the best way to protect yourself and your family from ants, spiders, termites, and cockroaches. Pests don’t just go after crumbs and leftover food; they may also spread disease and are even destructive.
Termites, for example, can weaken your home’s foundation if left uncontrolled. If you’re facing these pest problems, you can go to a professional and learn about affordable pest control tips for your home.
Here are some of the most affordable (and even free) ways to protect your home from pests:
Rubber Door Stopper:
Vermin-like mice have remarkably flexible bodies. If you think that little gap between the door and floor is too small for them to fit their bodies in, think again. Rubber door stoppers are the most effective way to prevent vermin from entering your home through any door.
Study your Garden:
Head outside and see if any plants or vegetation will give pests easy access to your home. A branch or a hanging plant might be too close to a gutter. Remember that pests are pretty smart and may use these plants as a Bridgeway to any entrance to your home.
Say Goodbye to Your Vegetable Garden:
If it’s attached to a wall, that is. While vertical gardens are increasingly popular, especially in homes with small land plots, it isn’t such a good idea to have them so close to your home. Watering it daily will make the wall prone to attracting termites as they love moisture.
Another reason why vertical gardens aren’t advisable is that they tend to cover weep holes in the wall. Weep holes give termites access to your home’s interior workings, which will cause a lot of damage. If you want to maintain a vegetable or vertical garden, keep it away from your house.
Add Screens or Nets on Windows
You can prevent the entry of various pests such as mosquitoes, flies, spiders, and cockroaches into your home by adding nets or screens on your windows. The net or screen will still allow air to circulate inside the home while also preventing insects and pests from getting inside your home. If you notice broken glasses or panes on the window, ensure that you do repairs immediately.
Get Rid of Garbage Regularly and Properly
Sometimes, the proper and regular disposal of garbage at home can do a lot in controlling or preventing pest infestation. You should dispose of your garbage every day. The accumulation of garbage in your backyard or anywhere in the home attracts rats, cockroaches, flies, and rodents. This is especially true if you have food scraps in your garbage since pests feed on these.
Declutter
Before you see rodents, rats, and other pests inside your home, you can prevent their infestation by keeping your house free of clutter, which can serve as their breeding ground. Old boxes, clothes, paper, toys, and other fabrics can serve as food or hiding places for these pests. Thus, donate, sell, or throw away old things that are no longer in use.
Read More: How To Do Pest Control Without Damaging Your Garden
What is Eco-Friendly Pest Control?
You might have heard a company or two promoting their services as “eco-friendly” when, in reality, it is another way of saying that pest control isn’t what it used to be.
Gone are the days of pesticides that are extremely poisonous and have strong odors. A reputable pest control company doesn’t use organophosphate chemicals any longer. Chemicals used to control pests practically have no smell and are safe to use in restaurants, aged-care facilities, and childcare centers. It is so mild that it is even less toxic than table salt!
Pest Control Tips
Most homeowners have an arsenal of products that they use to protect themselves from pests. It can be an insect repellent or spray, rat bait, or cockroach bait. Regardless of what you may have, always remember to keep them away from small children and pets. These are dangerous and hazardous materials that shouldn’t be played with.
When you hire a pest control company, it is advisable to leave your property while doing their job. While it may be unnecessary, it will help the treatment process go by faster.
Read More: Pest Control Do’s And Don’ts According To The Pros
DIY Pest Control: Yes or No?
Many products in the market can easily be bought to help control pests at home. One product that comes to mind is rat baits. Rat baits are chemicals that rodent eats, which is intended to kill them. The problem of such a product is an effect called “second kill.”
The chemicals in rat baits aren’t powerful. In fact, it will take a week before it will kill the rodent. During this time, the rat will be dazed and confused, making it easy prey for small animals like dogs or cats. Because the rat has poison in its body, the cat or dog will also be affected by the chemicals. They may even die from it too.
Another product that could harm is wall-mounted pest control gadgets that are supposed to spray insecticide into the air periodically. Spraying chemicals into the same air that you, your family, and your pets breathe is always risky.
Save Money
When the damage has been done to your home, you don’t realize its extent until you call the professionals. When properly treated, the best thing to do is maintain it so you won’t have to spend so much money again next time.
Having a pest control company regularly checks your home and property for any pests and termites will save you the headache of any unnecessary spending in the future. It is also best to catch a problem early on so you won’t have to worry about extra expenses for repairs.
Common Pests that you Must Be Knowing
Silverfish
These pests are known to be found in your closets and wardrobe as they tend to enjoy devouring clothes.
While mothballs can deter them, they don’t really get rid of silverfish.
They usually breed on the rooftops, so a dusting machine is used to penetrate through the roof and wall cavity during treatment.
Wasps
Wasps are quite tricky to get rid of because they can only be treated as they are seen.
We know wasps to be a flying nuisance, but two types of wasps need to be controlled or eliminated: the mud builders and nest builders you can find under your home’s eaves.
A pest control company would spray the affected area and ensure that the home is sealed to prevent any from entering.
Once all of the wasps have been eliminated, the next can be removed.
A product called “Wasp Freeze” that a homeowner can use themselves but knowing howps can easily sting might be best to contact the professionals.
Bees
Due to environmental laws, bees can’t be killed off. They are now a protected species.
Years ago, pest control companies would apply or spray chemicals on the hive and wait for the bees to die.
Nowadays, a beekeeper needs to transport the bees using a box that contains a queen bee.
Bees are naturally attracted to the queen bee and will enter the box. The beekeeper can now take the hive away from your home.
