When left to their own devices, bugs and pests can take over your home. And not only are they nasty to look at, but they also can be utterly annoying. Try to picture roaches running around or mosquitoes and houseflies buzzing around the house. That is quite an unpleasant sight.
You cannot forget the host of diseases that they can transmit to your lovely pets and other household members. The manifolds of bugs and pests make eliminating them from your house seem like an exercise in futility. However, with a few tricks up your sleeve, you can keep them off your house. Here are some clever ways to bug-proof your home:
Do a yard clean up
Maintaining your yard will help you prevent several bug infestations. Bugs like mosquitoes and fleas tend to rely on some form of water supply to breed. Removing all kinds of standing water in your yard will play a significant role in reducing the populations of mosquitoes and other such bugs in your home.
Not only will it be easier to sit outside, but the number of bugs entering your house will also be much lower. Try to eliminate clutter, especially leaves and grass clippings from the lawn.
This clutter provides insects with the perfect hiding spot to reproduce and gear up for infestations. Prune the shrubs and tree limbs that touch the house to reduce entry points for the bugs.
Also, ensure that all the window wells and drainage guttering are clean. If the drainage has any dirt or debris, remove them to make sure that it operates effectively. Aerating the lawn will also allow any water to naturally sip into the soil instead of gathering around the compound.
If you have a pool in your yard, it is necessary to chlorinate and filter it regularly. Also, change the water in your fountains and birdbaths to prevent mosquito eggs from hatching in them.
Use airtight containers
Bugs are attracted to food. Use airtight containers to store your food to keep tiny ants away from your kitchen. You should also put leftover foods in the refrigerator or freezer.
Fill in the cracks
Repairing cracks means fewer entry points for bugs to slide through into the house. Most bugs are usually small enough to fit in cracks and holes that may seem microscopic. That means that you should be prompt in sealing even the tiniest cracks on your walls to bug-proof your home. Check for any crevices in the foundation.
Or any missing parts of the sidings and any loose or rotten wood on your house exterior. You will need to examine the house critically- so you do not miss any cracks or gaps. You may be shocked to find more openings than you expected. Use mortar or cement to patch up cracks in foundation or masonry walls.
Replace any rotten wood, damaged bricks, or any ruined parts of the siding and cladding. The roofline is one place to keep a sharp eye on because most bees and wasps usually build their nests there. Ensure that the fascia board has no gaps or holes to keep the stinging insects away.
Caulk is a cheap and easy way to keep the bugs out of your home. You can add it to the window frames and around any exhaust grill to patch things up. You could also use it to fill in cracks in the foundations or in the joints where the roofing and siding meet. The best thing with caulk is that it is more flexible than silicone while being less likely to dry out and crack.
Have proper waste management strategies
Garbage bins and waste disposal zones offer pests everything they need to survive- water, food, warmth, and shelter. These places are hotspots for germ-carrying bugs and also rats. Employing proper waste management strategies helps to keep the pests away from your home.
In case of an infestation, you can seek roach pest control services to safeguard your premises from harmful pests. You are better off mitigating the infestation early than waiting!
Look out around pipe and cable penetrations
If you are a homeowner, you are no stranger to utility installations. You have probably had either a new cable line installation for the internet service or phone wiring. The installers tend to run the cables into the house through holes they drill on the exterior walls.
Most installers are usually not thorough enough to put sealants and caulk around the lines both in the interior and the exterior of the house. That leaves some tiny penetrations on your walls that bugs take advantage of to get into your home. Installations like gas, water, air conditioning piping, and electrical wiring leave open invitations for insects.
Assess your home for any openings. You can follow the path that cable lines and pipes use to get inside your home to check for any gaps left after the installation. Fill any gaps you find with pipe sealant or caulk. For openings that are too large, opt for expandable polyurethane foam.
Repair any leaky pipes
Leaky piping not only wastes water but also avails water to pests. That gives them a conducive environment to breed. These breeding grounds make your home vulnerable to infestations. Check your plumbing regularly and solve any issues that you notice. That will not only keep the bugs away but also prevent damage to walls.
Seal the doors
Eliminating all the sneaky entry points like cracks and gaps does an excellent job of keeping the bugs away, but only if you do not forget the evident entryways, the doors. Sealing your doors helps to keep the pests away. Examine your doors and window for any unsealed gaps that provide an easy entrance path for bugs.
Install thresholds under the door. You could also go a step further and install a door sweep. Sweeps are affordable devices that cover the space between the door threshold and the door bottom. Nylon sweeps offer better protection against bugs compared to vinyl or neoprene. Fit your garage door with a rubber seal.
If you have sliding glass doors, you could seal the bottom track with foam weather stripping. Seal the joints where the door frame and walls meet using caulk. Remember, none of these door sealing tricks works if you are always leaving your doors open. You could install self-closing doors or get a door closer.
A door closer automatically closes and latches the door. Luckily, they are easy to find. Browse your local home improvement stores for one. If you live in a relatively hot place, consider adding a screen door.
Have a clean home
Adapting proper sanitation procedures helps to keep the bugs away from your home. Always vacuum food crumbs from the floor. Avoid leaving dirty dishes sitting in the sink overnight. Ensure that you wipe down the kitchen surfaces regularly and clean up your pets’ food dishes.
Final Remarks
These tips will come in handy when keeping unwelcomed bugs off your premises. Remember to seek help from a pest control service should you have an infestation on your premises.