It does not matter if your house is brand-spanking new and has recently been surveyed, or you’re living with ancient Romans and their countrymen, pests will visit! Even the freshest wood or oldest tiles can easily be inhabited by a colony.
This can cause your spouse to scream for help and run to your rescue. You heroically grab a broom and try to sweep them out, sending it packing for the winter, only to find these pests back again no less than a day later and with their cousins.
In frustration, you curse the universe for your luck. Keep your focus and stay calm. Let’s run through these five pests to find out why they keep inviting themselves in, and how you can cast them out.
1. Rodents:
Apart from your freeloading sibling, free food and shelter also attract rodents. To make these areas not so accessible or impenetrable to rodents, consider installing deterrents.
Placing screens with gaps no bigger than 1/4” or hardware cloth around openings are effective methods to keep rodents out. For exterior doors, door sweeps or weather stripping will put up a barrier that will exclude larger pests.
One would argue that the best way to get rid of mice is by placing lots of mouse traps, but you may have underestimated feline power. Yes, those cartoons you saw were fairly accurate. Our furry feline friends are indeed adept assassins at this task. You just have to let it do the work for you. Just don’t forget to treat it like royalty afterwards, they tend to like that.
2. Ants:
Ants can easily spread throughout your home faster than you could notice. In most occasions, it’s because they find a rich supply of food. They’re a little tricky to drive out because even if you find a food source, that doesn’t mean that you have found all of them. Different ants are attracted to different types of food, and they’ve most likely built a home of their own inside yours already!
As to why they’re visiting, it’s mostly because they can. If you have an ant’s nest near your home, you are very likely to have frequent visitations from the countless ants sent to scout. Colonies have a well-organised system where different teams are responsible for a specific task such as the hunt for new sources of food.
When you spread mulch around your homegrown trees and plants, it traps moisture in the soil; thus being good for them. Unfortunately, they are also a thriving point for ants. Ants are prevalent in wood debris, plants, and the mulch you spread near your home, thus giving them a place to proliferate.
Move debris as far away as possible from the house. Remove rock piles or boards and don’t allow anything that keeps soil moist to accumulate under the deck. Routinely inspect under splash blocks near the foundation for signs of ants. Remove any tree stumps, fallen logs or tree limbs. Keep firewood stored as far from the house as possible and do not bring firewood inside or store it in the garage. Make sure you compost far away from the abode and keep your trash bins as far away as possible.
Other than that, a solution to this is to eliminate food sources that ants may potentially reach, such as your leftover doughnut from when you fell asleep on the couch. If you reduce food leftovers and dirt laying around, that will surely help. And to also eliminate the entryways whenever you find one. Ants can be incredibly stubborn which is what ultimately makes them such successful species, and you should better arm yourself with patience and persistence.
Though on some occasions you can solve the problem yourself, it is best to call an exterminator for pest control; they will track down and kill every last ant in a faster and more efficient manner than the average DIY enthusiasts. Professionals have a ton of practice and specialised high-end gear and products, that are rarely bought by the average household.
3. Termites:
While houses do not attract termites actively, when termites find a way in, they are quick to intrude. They eat their way into and around your home. Understanding how termites get in – and why they want to come inside – is crucial to preventing an infestation.
Termites need food (cellulose such as wood), moisture and warmth to survive. Do not store such materials near places that are easily accessible to termites, such as the foundation. Get rid of any decayed lumber or firewood, which termites prefer over sound wood.
Since termites prefer moist environments, try to reduce moisture in your home’s crawl spaces by having your home inspected and evaluated for possible moisture sources. If there is a lot of moisture, you may also discover some wet rot in your home. This issue should also be addressed quickly!
The best way to eliminate termites is to have a professional fumigate your home with chemicals, but there are more “DIY” means to go about this as well.
Certain chemical solutions are also approved for use and may be available to you. The most common type of chemical solution to remove termites is through the use of bait. The bait is set out around the area of the colony, it feeds off of it, and eventually, it dies off. There are three other common chemical solutions that are also approved for use.
- Liquid pesticides that are specially formulated for termites and applied to the soil.
- Building materials that are already infused with a pesticide.
- Wood treatments that are applied as needed.
It is important to apply any chemical solution to kill termites as instructed. These chemical pesticides can get into the water system of the home and any surrounding drinking wells. When this happens, the treatment is generally not effective against the pest. That’s why legitimate DIY methods of termite pest control can be helpful to eliminate stubborn colonies.
4. Cockroaches:
Cockroaches are resilient. Once they have invaded your home, it can be difficult to get rid of all of them. Not only are cockroaches unattractive but they are also a health concern. Cockroaches are known to carry diseases and can cause allergic reactions. Understanding how and why roaches are getting into your home is important for the health of everyone in it.
As with ants, the biggest attractant for cockroaches is food. This can be human food, pet food, bird feed, or even cardboard. Ensuring that these items are tightly sealed is imperative in keeping the roaches out.
These pests are the worst because it can take months to get rid of them. Essentially gassing your home with a pesticide is the best option for these nasty creatures. Once the pest control company has gassed your home, you have to wait for the cockroaches to be openly exposed to the pesticide before they will die, so until they come out of hiding, they will remain alive.
5. Bed bugs:
The simple fact of the matter is that it is as the name suggests; bed bugs are always in proximity to your beds! Box springs, headboards and bed framing are favourite harborage sites for these pests. They may also settle into furniture and fixtures that are close to a bed. Bed bugs are consummate hitchhikers. In fact, they are primarily transported by humans and human belongings.
Bedbugs can be acquired anywhere. They can hop on at the movie theatre, on the bus, or at a restaurant. For this one, we recommend nothing other than calling the experts! If you believe that you have bed bugs, do not try to self-treat. It will only make the situation worse and cause the bugs to spread.
Because they’re a thousand times harder to see than cockroaches, to disinfect them yourself would mean to scrub absolutely every crack and crevice of your home. Bear in mind that this can be an effort and time-consuming task so it would be better to let the professionals handle this one, while full fumigation of the area might be required. According to the Mortgage Saving Experts a buildings and contents insurance or landlord insurance could potentially save you the expense for professionals but only if you manage to prove that the property infestation was not by the fault of the owner or renter. Although this can be slightly tricky to do, it is possible.
There is always a way!
You may have noticed that for all of the pests above, there is one common solution to them – professional high-end pest-control. This simple guide, however, is made for when you either don’t have access to a local pest-control company, or it is charging too much, or your problem isn’t that serious at all. This serves as proof that there is always a way, you just have to find the best solution for your particular case. It is always best to first start with your own research, where there are countless forums and groups to help you get the right direction. Don’t despair and farewell!
June 15, 2018