10 best tips for a pest free home

Having pests in your home is not only a nuisance, it can pose some serious health hazards. Pest faeces spread disease and food can be ruined and wasted when pests invade your home. Often by the time you notice the problem, it is already too late. If you see an insect or rat for example, this could point to a much bigger problem as pests are generally not solitary animals. It is therefore so much better to prevent the problem before it gets out of hand and you need to employ someone to deal with it.

10 best tips for a pest free home

If you find yourself with a pest situation, there are different things you could do to deal with the problem. You could use chemical insecticides or you could use more natural repellents but doing the following regularly, will help to prevent the problem in the first place. So here are the 10 best tips for keeping your home pest free.

Top 10 Tips

1. Remove debris

Small rodents and insects make their homes in dark moist places. If you allow rubbish to pile up, perfect conditions are created for these pests to breed. If these piles of rubbish are near your house. You could expect unwelcome visitors.

2. Keep your kitchen clean

Pests are attracted to food and anything left out in the kitchen is an open invitation to them. Keep surfaces clean, do not leave dishes dirty or leave crumbs or other food lying around. Check this to to know more about how to clean your kitchen clean.

3. Do seasonal checks

A lot of pests seek shelter when it gets cold. Check for cracks and small holes where pests could get in, and deal with these. Small holes in the roof or in the foundations must be repaired to keep insects and small rodents away.

4. Keep trees and shrubbery trimmed

Raccoons and squirrels use tree branches to get to the roof of your house and find a way in, so it is best to keep these branches away from the edges of your roof. Mulch, bark chips and straw make great homes for pests, so keep these away from your foundations. Store woodpiles and stacks of bricks away from the house.

5. Keep garbage bins closed

The animals which share your yard also get hungry and garbage is a great easy source of food. It is common for squirrels, raccoons and sometimes even for birds to rip open garbage bags and really make a mess. It is always advisable to keep the bin lids closed. The mess caused by one animal is also an invite for more to join in the party.

6. Windows and doors must be properly sealed

Seal cracks and openings. Insects can creep through the smallest cracks so it is wise to carefully examine the walls, windows, and doors. Seal off any holes where little critters can crawl through. Sealing cracks is also energy efficient.

7. Cover or pick up uneaten pet food pet food is also attractive to pests, your pet will not be impressed with a bowl full of ants.

8. Keep garden hoses tightly turned off

This will help to prevent a ready source of water being available for pests.

9. Change your lights

Replace standard outside lights with high-pressure sodium vapor or halogen light bulbs. Pink or orange lights are less attractive to flying insects. If at all possible, have your outside lights placed away from the building, shining towards the door.

10. Keep the drains clear

Drains in the sink and outside can collect residue of all sorts of horrible stuff which is an ideal place for cockroaches, flies and such like to breed. Keep the drains well maintained, as not only do insects breed and spread germs, the smell is revolting.

If you are not keen on chemical insecticides and other harsh pest repellents which may be more dangerous than the pests, there are some natural remedies you could try. There are some essential oils that are unpleasant to pests and help to keep them at bay. If you mix these with pure alcohol such as vodka you can make a spray to apply around the home.

  • Citronella – keeps mosquitoes away
  • Rosemary – repels fleas and ticks
  • Peppermint and castile soap, mixed with water- will keep most insects away
  • Coffee grounds sprinkled around openings will discourage ants

pest free home

Other things to do

  • Screen mesh which is at least 200 holes per inch which you can get from home and hardware stores can be installed in window frames.
  • Store foodstuff in tightly sealed containers
  • Keep pet food bowls on a larger plate filled with water to prevent ants from infesting the food

It is important to keep your home clean to keep it free from pests. Make sure all areas around the kitchen and rubbish bins is always wiped clean. Having a safe “pest-free” environment for your family is important for their health and quality of living.