Over 14 million American households reported seeing rodents in the last 12 months. Pests pose a big risk for you and your family as they can damage your home and affect your health.
A small number of pests can multiply exponentially. It’s important to not only prevent them from entering your home but also eliminate the ones already there. But what is the best way to prevent a pest infestation?
Dealing with pests and pest prevention isn’t always easy, so keep reading to find out what you should do.
Pests aren’t always easy to spot until the investigation starts damaging your home or health. Regular inspections can help you spot the early signs of pests.
These inspections help you find any possible points that pests could use to enter your home. These inspections can also highlight pests that you might not have known were in your home. Many pests like termites can live in your home unseen for quite some time.
Pest infestations could lead to costly damages to your home if left untreated. If you think you might have an infestation, it’s best to call a professional inspector to check if you need to schedule an extermination.
Once the pests are eliminated, you should have your home inspected to ensure there isn’t any damage to it. You might not realize it, but pests can do more than damage your walls. Pests like rodents can chew through wires, which is a fire hazard as well as an inconvenience.
If you’ve been experiencing health problems, you should also see a doctor and let them know you’ve had pests in your home. Some pests can have long-term negative health effects, so you should seek treatment as soon as possible.
If you don’t have a pest problem, you can take preventative steps to keep pests from entering your home later.
Keeping a clean home is one of the easiest ways to prevent a pest infestation. This includes decluttering as well as cleaning. While trash draws pests in, clutter can help them hide in your home.
Some things to consider:
Cleaning your home and yard won’t keep all pests away, but it won’t make your home a target. The less appealing you make your space for pests, the less likely they are to settle in.
You should also seal off any entry points. Cracks and gaps throughout your home are the perfect openings for pests to enter your home.
It isn’t always easy to find all these entry points, but do your best to locate any drafts or filtering of light that shouldn’t be there. Most likely, a crack or small hole will be the cause of the drafts or light.
You should also understand what pests are in your area. For example, if the area you live in is prone to mosquitos or gnats in the summer, you can start preparing for them in the spring. This can be done by removing any still-standing water and planting herbs and flowers that repel them.
Each type of pest has different conditions they prefer, so you can make sure your home isn’t a good place for them.
If you already have pests in your home, you’ll need to get rid of them before you can start implementing preventative measures. There are three main types of pest control treatments:
This is the most common form of pest control and what most people initially think of. This method involves using pesticides and insecticides to kill the pests in your home. This also prevents new pests from entering your home.
These chemicals are usually sprayed in the home and are incredibly fast-acting. Unfortunately, these chemicals don’t discriminate; they can also affect humans and pets if they aren’t used properly. Some of these chemicals can also have a negative effect on the environment.
This method of pest control uses more natural ingredients to get pests to leave your home. Some of these ingredients are:
These ingredients all work in some way to deter pests.
This is a popular method if you want to avoid harsh chemicals from being used in your home. Unfortunately, you might have to use a variety of ingredients to get the same effect as you’d get with chemicals.
Some examples of natural pest control include:
Biological pest control uses predators and parasites to target pests. These living organisms focus on the pests while leaving other beneficial insects like pollinators alone.
This is a more sustainable method than chemical pest control, as there isn’t any residue left over from this form of pest control. Unfortunately, this is a slower form of pest control and can take quite a while to eliminate the pests. This is because the preying organisms need time to build up their population before targeting the pests.
This is one of the reasons biological pest control is sometimes viewed as a preventative measure instead of a way to eliminate pests.
Pests in the home are never fun. If you find yourself asking, “What is the best way to prevent a pest infestation?” chances are you’ve had to deal with one too many pests already. Pest prevention can take some time, and you must stay on top of your pest management methods to succeed in eliminating pests from your home.
If you’re ready to have a pest-free home, contact us today. Pest Control Now is the premier choice for all Visalia residents’ pest removal needs.
