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Pests are undoubtedly the bane of many homeowners in America and beyond. Getting rid of them can be expensive, with research indicating that you can spend about $450 to hire a pest control service to eliminate these animals in one treatment application. Consequently, it is prudent to take proactive steps to prevent these animals from getting into your home in the first place. Here are some practical tips to keep pests away from your house.
- Get rid of stagnant water
Stagnant water is an excellent breeding ground for mosquitoes, so their presence on your property puts you at risk of battling these insects later on. Therefore, conduct regular checks for stagnant water around the home, as it is easy to miss these puddles sometimes. You can look in rain spouts and pick up toys left in the yard, so they don’t collect water. Additionally, check for any leaks near your air conditioner and keep any buckets in your bathroom dry when not in use. Also, clean drains outside your home regularly to prevent stagnant dirty water from collecting. For added protection against mosquitoes, you can reach out to mosquito control experts to treat your property, ensuring that these insects can’t breed or live in or around your home.
- Dispose of your waste regularly
Waste is a prime source of food for mice, birds, flies, rats, cockroaches, and other pests. As such, you can battle a huge pest problem if there is a lot of waste spread out all over your home. Therefore, consider getting rid of your home’s waste every day. Also, remember to dispose of your garbage correctly and keep your trash bins closed at all times. This way, you can prevent food waste from lying around your home, making your property unattractive to many pests.
- Use the right light bulbs
There is no denying that many flying insects are attracted to bright or bluish light. Therefore, to reduce their presence around your doors, windows, and other entryways, consider replacing your standard mercury vapor light with halogen lights or high-pressure sodium vapor lights. Insects reportedly find yellowish, pinkish, or orange lights the least attractive, so you can select lights in these colors to reduce the number of insects on your property. Furthermore, consider changing the location of your lights if possible. Although fixing lights on exterior walls near doors is common, positioning the light farther away from your home on a pole is a better idea to keep many of the insects by the pole and not on your property.
- Declutter frequently
Decluttering your house is also essential to effective pest control, so keep this in mind. Old items like shoes, toys, plastic bags, torn luggage, and packaging materials are hot spots for various insects and germs. Therefore, sell, dispose of, or give away these old items to prevent them from accommodating any pests in your home. A reported 78% of Americans have no idea what to do with their clutter, so they just let it build up. Consequently, if you struggle to decide whether to get rid of something, ask yourself if you will use the item in the next three months. If not, this item is undoubtedly worth getting rid of through sales or donations.
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