Pests can hinder the joy of spring and summer. Many bothersome pests like ants, roaches, wasps, flies, mosquitos, fleas, and rodents are more active during warmer months and would like to make their way into your air-conditioned home.
Here are 21 prevention tips to keep pests away from you and your North Carolina home this summer.
Indoors
1. Keep kitchen and bathroom counters clean
2. Store pantry items in sealed containers
3. Discard overripe produce
4. Vacuum regularly
5. Keep dirty dishes from piling up
6. Take out garbage regularly
7. Keep papers off the floor and stored neatly
8. Try not to keep the door open for too long
9. Consider buying screens for your most-used doors/windows.
10. Keep pet food in sealed containers
11. Don’t leave pet food out for extended periods of time
12. Use your vent fans every time you cook or shower
Outdoors
13. Replace worn weather stripping
14. Find and caulk cracks and crevices around the home’s entry points and foundation
15. Keep sprinklers from spraying toward your foundation
16. Make sure downspouts divert rainwater away from your foundation
17. Mow the lawn regularly
18. Keep shrubs trimmed at least a foot away from your home
19. Don’t let leaves pile up
20. Check your dryer vent to make sure the seal is tight and that the flap works correctly
21. Consider installing a chimney cap and screen
Pests are always looking for two things, shelter, and food. If your home is providing both it can lead to a pest problem. Crumbs on the floor may seem like a small issue, but to a roach or ant, those crumbs are a huge bounty. Pests are attracted to tall grass. They can use long shrubs that lean on the outside of your house to climb up your walls. Many pests are attracted to humidity so using vents and keeping water away from your foundation is important.
There are two lines of defense. Prevent pests from being attracted to your home by keeping food sources scarce, and keep them out by sealing all access points. Keeping your yard well maintained helps deter pests from your yard. The goal for weather stripping and caulking is to keep pests from gaining access even if they are attracted to your home.
For more prevention tips, see our blog. Have a specific pest problem? Our learning center may help or you can give us a call.
Recent Comments