Your home is supposed to be your safe space – your sanctuary from the hectic reality of the outside world. Unfortunately, it’s also attractive to a lot of pests. They have shelter from the elements and a ready supply of food and water. Fortunately, there are plenty of home pest control services in Phoenix, AZ that can help you in keeping them out and away from your property.
They’ll come in, inspect your property for pests – including possible entry points, hiding places, hot spots, and they’ll analyze how conducive your home is for pest activity. Then they’ll eliminate pests and help you prevent them from ever coming back.
But there are also plenty of things you can do from your end, and it mainly has to do with cleaning and making your home unattractive for pests that just want quick and easy access to food.
Food
Dropping food crumbs from your plate or bag of chips is a very common occurrence. But these crumbs also serve as a tasty meal for pests the second you look away, so make sure to clean all spillage immediately, even spillage in hard to reach areas – trust us, it will be worth it.
Regularly sweeping and mopping your floors goes a long way to getting rid of pests, and don’t leave any dirty dishes on the sink overnight – the food debris and juices left would make for a tasty meal for roaches while you’re sleeping.
A lot of pests also feed on other pests, so eliminating as much of them as possible also means less food sources for them.
Water
There are plenty of pests that survive longer without food than water, the cockroach for one. It can live for a month without food, but can only survive for a week without water. Make sure you don’t provide a steady supply of water for them by fixing leaky pipes, and don’t leave any standing water around – it also serves as a breeding ground for a lot of other pests like mosquitoes.
Moisture
Pests are attracted to damp spaces, especially places that don’t get a lot of human or pet traffic like basements. Help eliminate pests by keeping your house well ventilated. You may also want to invest in a dehumidifier – not only does it help to make it less attractive for them, but it also helps to keep away mold and mildew.
Bug Bridges
A lot of creeping insects like ants use tree branches and bushes to get to your house. Keep them away by cutting away branches and leaves that touch your home.
Clear Debris
Piles of rocks, leaves, and wood serve as great nesting areas for a lot of pests, so you may want to get rid of them or at least keep them away from your house (and not touching it).
Garbage
Of course, your trash serves as a readily available food source for pests. Make sure you properly dispose of them and take them outside daily. Keep covers on any trash receptacle indoor to help keep bugs and other insects away.
Pets and Pests
Some people regularly let their dogs and cats go outside to exercise – unfortunately, our pets may then come back from their daily playtime with fleas and ticks.
Keep an eye out for signs of fleas and ticks on your furry friends, such as abnormal scratching, unusual red patches of skin, or hair loss. If you see small black bugs moving through their fur, then they definitely have fleas.
Regularly treat your pets to flea treatments and intestinal wormers, and make sure you regularly clean their sleeping areas.
Pest Infestation
Depending on the level of infestation, you may need a professional to help you. Pests such as termites and ants are very hard to get rid of, often because their nests are in very difficult areas to reach – which also makes it easy for them to spread and create new colonies.
Termites are also perhaps the most destructive pest you can have in your house – they destroy anything with cellulose, which may mean your walls, floorboards, ceilings, wooden fixtures, paper, and cotton to name a few.
If you need help, don’t hesitate to look up home pest control services in Phoenix, AZ, before a minor pest problem becomes a bigger headache.
