5 Ways Your Home Is Attracting Household Pests

Have pests become regular unwelcome guests in your home? If so, perhaps you are wondering where you go wrong that you still find these tiny creatures enjoying the comfort of your home regardless of how much you hate them.

Your home could be attracting house bugs through any or several of the following ways:

• Moisture in areas of your home

Moisture as a result of leakages in your home doesn't only cause damages to structures and molds but also invites various household pests such as cockroaches, rats, and water bugs. When the leaks are serious, they may cause stagnant water which forms a perfect breeding site for mosquitoes. Besides, wood items that are damaged by water leaks are a favorite food for termites. Water is essential in the lives of pests. In fact, the majority of them can stay alive for a very long period, perhaps up to four weeks, feeding on water exclusively. Therefore, consider fixing any leaking water or drainage pipe in your home as soon as possible to starve pests completely and make the place unfavorable for their stay. Also, find ways to dry up areas with the moisture of which the bugs can take advantage for their survival. You can hire a pest control expert to assess the factors that may be bringing humidity or stagnant water to your home. Ensure that your plumbing is leak-free all the time to discourage pests as well as for the prevention of moisture damages to your property.  

"Consider fixing any leaking water or drainage pipe in your home as soon as possible to starve pests completely and make the place unfavorable for their stay."

 

• Damaged screens on windows/doors

Although some people tend to overlook small defects in the screens of their doors or windows, the imperfections should be taken seriously by anyone who wants to keep their houses out of bounds from pests. Even the tiniest holes in a door or window screen can give some small house bugs way into your home. Unfortunately, some of these holes are so tiny that you can only notice them upon keen scrutiny. Besides being used by pests to enter your house, the voids make the aroma of the food in your house to escape to outdoors, and scent attracts insects in. If you want to keep tiny insects out, you must ensure that your window and door screens don't have any hole. In case the holes are present, purchase new screens or patch up the existing ones.

 

"Even the tiniest holes in a door or window screen can give some small house bugs way into your home."

• Small cracks in walls

The major reasons as to why pests make to get into homes include the presence of gaps, holes, and cracks in walls, especially where plumbing and wires enter. Pests use these voids to gain access to your home. Spaces beneath your exterior doors can also make it easy for pests to come in. Besides, some of these holes and gaps form ideal hideouts to the tiny animals. One of the most effective ways of keeping out pest forever is to fill in all these voids using an effective proofing material.

• Clutter is an attractive place for pests to hide

Clutter in your compound or inside your house makes your home appear untidy and also makes it vulnerable to pest infestations. Irrespective of whether it has food or not, clutter can attract pests of different types. Rats, mice and some insects tend to forage and hide in heaps of clutter such as newspapers. Therefore, it is paramount to remove clutter from your house and clean the property regularly to avoid a myriad of pest issues. Besides, store idle items in closed plastic bags or containers and discard the ones that you don't need.

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Related Article:

House Bugs in Spring: 7 Ways to Prevent the Nuisance Pests Coming into Your House

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• Neighbors

No matter what season it is, you can bet that household bugs problems will affect your way of living. Whether it's cockroaches, ants, or any other variety of insect, when they get into your house, there's a good chance that you might have an infestation on your hands. Pests in your neighboring homes are likely to come to your house as well. If you are certain that the origin of your pest issues is your neighbor's place, then you need to talk to the neighbor. Tell him or her potential risks dangers that the pests pose to both of you and the need for their eradication. The question many homeowners have is also very simple: where are the household bugs coming from? After all, they can't just appear out of thin air. There must be a source somewhere, and you might not need to look very far. Why? Because your neighbors could be the source of your household bugs problem. If you believe this might be possible, here are some questions to ask yourself:

Do your neighbors not seal their trash properly?

Bugs are often attracted to the odor of trash. If your neighbors take out their garbage but don't worry about sealing it in a secure manner, insects can detect this and find their way in. Once they're in your neighbor's yard, it is simply a hop, skip, and jump to your place. If you see trash bags being set outside without being sealed or placed in the proper container, you might have your answer as to why household bugs are entering your home.  

"Pests in your neighboring homes are likely to come to your house as well. If you are certain that the origin of your pest issues is your neighbor's place, then you need to talk to the neighbor."

-Rest Easy Pest Control

Do your neighbors have sources of water around their house?

Insects are also attracted to moisture. If your neighbors have a pool, this might be bringing household bugs into their home and yours. Even without a pool, though, water can be a real problem. Leaky pipes, excessive rain run-off, or overwatering a lawn can quickly cause some bugs to gather forces outside your neighbor's home.

Do your neighbors have debris in their yards?

Debris is yet another reason why your neighbors might have household bugs. Many types of insects hunt out places that allow them to hide and set up shop, so to speak. Debris can include anything from old cardboard boxes and pieces of wood to rotting children's toys and out-of-service grills. A number of insects love to burrow beneath even the largest of these items. If you are unable to reach the neighbor for a certain reason, then you can spray the perimeter of your property with the appropriate pesticide to prevent pests from coming from the neighborhood to your home.

Cleaning Can Help Your Household Pest Problem This Summer

Household bugs and insects can become quite a burden during the summer months. This time of year practically becomes an invitation for insects to come out of hiding. And now they're trying to get inside your home any way they can. For that reason, it's increasingly important to learn how to keep them away. A big part of doing this is keeping your home clean because many household pests want to get inside because they detect spoiled food, leftovers, and whatnot. Here are a few cleaning tips to follow that will help keep your home pest-free this summer:

#1. Dispose of food right away

No matter how clean of a person you may be, chances are you've left food out after dinner. Perhaps you're busy. Maybe you're enjoying some conversation with your family or roommates. Or could it be that you want to rush back and finish your favorite TV show? The "why" is really of no consequence. The only thing that you should be concerned with is throwing your food away in its proper place.

#2. Put away leftovers

If you're not going to throw away your leftovers, don't leave them out on the counter for any period. Nor should you sit them in your fridge on an open plate. Instead, place them in an airtight container. This will keep household bugs from detecting the odor, and they'll stay outside where they belong.

#3. Take out the trash on a regular basis

Even if you dispose of your food in its proper receptacle, household bugs will still be able to detect it. Keeping the trash can lid shut can help, but your best plan of action is to take the trash outside as soon as it's full. Or, if the odor is especially foul, just suck it up and take the garbage out right then.

#4. Clean up spills immediately

If you drop food on your carpet or spill juice on your couch, don't let it set. If it isn't cleaned up right away, some of the elements can soak into your carpet, or even your wood floors. This can attract household bugs to the area and help them spread.

#5. Schedule cleanings and stick with them

One of the most effective tools you have in your fight against household bugs is ... yourself. Keeping your home clean on a daily basis is essential to avoiding infestations. If you have kids, this might be more difficult, but it can definitely be done. Set up a reward system if you must. The important thing is to keep everyone on a schedule. It might seem annoying after a hard day at work, or even on the weekend, but the effort is worth it.*** Related Articles:  

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