Do you have a pest infestation in your home or yard? If so, what do you do to remove the pests and keep them out?
Pests: A definition and origin
Before we look at ways to keep pests out, let’s look at the definition and origin of pests.
A pest is defined as “any animal or plant which has a harmful effect on humans, their food or their living conditions.”
Common pests include animals like ticks, ants, rats and mice, scorpions, spiders, and even feral cats, dogs, and foxes. Succinctly stated, insects, arachnids, and rodents that are currently designated as pests weren’t created as pests. They have a vital role to play in the natural order or ecosystem.
Animals become pests when this order is disrupted by circumstances such as bush fires, the encroachment by human settlements on forests and natural habitats, and droughts. Thus, there is no longer food and shelter in their natural ecosystems, so they are forced into urban settlements and farmlands where food and shelter are easily accessible.
Keeping pests out of your living space
The first step to making sure that pests stay out of your space is to contact a pest removal company like Responsible Pest Control to remove all pests that are currently in your home, outbuildings, and yard. It is pointless taking note of the following steps and trapping the existing pests in your living space.
Once all existing pests have been removed from your home, here are several ways to keep them out.
Keep your kitchen clean
Pests like ants and flies are attracted to food that is left lying around. Thus, make sure that the floors and countertops are clean, foodstuffs are packed away, and dishes are washed and packed away. Finally, make sure there is no rubbish left lying around in the kitchen. In other words, take the trash out regularly, store it in tamperproof drums, and ensure that the local refuse collection company routinely collects it.
Get rid of all standing water
Mosquitos breed in pools of standing water. Thus, it is vital to drain all pools of standing water that are collecting around your yard. Being bitten by swarms of mosquitos is never fun. However, it is crucial to ensure that mosquitoes do not breed in your area if you live in an area where mosquitos carry malaria or the Zika virus.
Keep your grass short
Long grass around your home is an ideal environment for snakes and arachnids like ticks. Thus, it is vital to keep the grass short. Otherwise, snakes and ticks will move in. Some snakes are poisonous and will kill people and domestic animals. And, ticks carry diseases like Lyme Disease and tick-bite fever.
Keep up with home maintenance projects
The exterior of any home will need maintaining as it is exposed to the harsh elements, both in summer and winter. Thus, any holes that develop in the exterior walls need to be patched as soon as they develop as these holes are the perfect entry point for pests such as rats, mice, and snakes.
Add window and door screens to all exterior windows and doors. And, once they have been installed, make sure that no holes develop in the screens’ fabric. Should holes form, it is vital to repair the holes or replace the material in the screens. Otherwise, pests like mosquitos, spiders, ants, and scorpions will gain access to your home.