Preventing An Infestation In Your Home

By Author: Josh Bloom
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As a homeowner, you must be diligent about maintaining the health and safety standards of your home at all times. One major concern for homeowners is the prevention of pest infestations which can take on a number of forms. Regardless of the type, all kinds of pest infestations present the same basic concerns for the homeowner. Specifically, they entail the reestablishment of that safe and healthy home environment which has been compromised by the invasion of pests.

Infestations can occur as a result of encroachment on your home from a wide variety of pests, including mice, rats, cockroaches, fleas, bed bugs, wasps, bees, ants, spiders, gnats, and many others. Regardless of the type of infestation, prevention methods are basically the same. There are some general rules that, if followed, will minimize a homeowner's chances of facing an infestation problem.

Keeping your home clean is the primary means of preventing infestation issues. If you keep your home tidy and neat, it eliminates the conditions pests commonly find attractive. In general, pests are attracted to dark, dirty, and damp locations. Knowing this, ...
... homeowners can stave off problems simply by being attentive to the cleanliness of their homes.

More specifically, there are some things which should absolutely be avoided in your efforts to stop pests from invading your home. Cleaning on a regular schedule in areas which are dark, like underneath cabinets and behind furniture, will aid in your strategies for remaining pest-free. Additionally, you should avoid leaving dirty or wet dishes in your sink. Be sure to cover all food or place it in containers which are sealed. Emptying the trash on a regular schedule and keeping it in a lidded can will help as well.

Maintaining the general cleanliness of your home will help prevent infestations, including the timely cleaning of any messes, whether food-related or not. Many pests are attracted to unkempt areas, and food need not be involved in order to present a temptation for these pests. Large amounts of paper or other such organic materials can be attractive to many pests.

Other pests are right at home in moist or damp locations. Preventing the build-up of moisture in your home should be on your task list for minimizing your chances of infestation. You should make an effort to keep your drains clear of debris or other buildup. Quickly fix any leaks that may occur. Even if they are otherwise only a minor frustration, they can create the perfect living conditions for pests.

Ensure your home is properly sealed to minimize pest entry points. Checking windows and doorways annually to ensure they are closing tightly and forming a solid seal is one way to accomplish this. Fix any cracks or crevices in external walls before they have the chance to become a door for pests.

Specific pests are attracted to particular areas of your home, as is the case with drain gnats or drain flies. These small moth-like flies infest drains in your home, living in the general area of the drains, using the grime in the drain as one source of their food. They lay their eggs in the drain, leaving you with the nasty larvae to deal with later.

Bed bugs are other pests that target a very specific area of your home. Bed bugs are tiny parasites that feed off the blood of humans and other living creatures. They received their name, not surprisingly, from the fact that they like to make themselves at home in your bed.

Fleas often feel quite comfortable in carpets and other materials close to floor level. Eggs can be present in every floor crack and corner in the home, making fleas an extremely difficult infestation to combat once they have established themselves within your home in large enough numbers.

Treating pets regularly for fleas, ticks and other pests will help keep your pets and home free of these invaders. Picking up dirty pet food bowls after the pets have had their meals will also help eliminate pest concerns.

Sometimes, regardless of the methods employed to prevent it, homes become infested. It can be frustrating for diligent homeowners who have tried their best to ensure their homes are not inviting to pests; however, there are ways of dealing with infestations when they occur.

Many products are available on the market to combat infestations on your own. Small infestations may be remedied with such products. Safety of products should always be a top priority, with special consideration given to child and pet accessibility to the products.

Larger infestations and those that are more persistent in nature may require the services of a professional infestation company. These companies have specialty equipment and products for handling a variety of infestations types, allowing them a greater degree of success in eliminating pests from your home.
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