It seems no matter what you do, some common household pests find their way into your home and interrupt your day. There are plenty of ways to get rid of these pests, but there are a few tricks to help keep pests away in the first place! Check out these tips on how to keep common household pests away.
1. Clean Your Kitchen Until It Sparkles
Food debris is one of the biggest reasons why pests try to get inside your home, so cleaning any potential food sources is a must for a pest-free home. Wipe down any kitchen surface, clean up spilled food, and if you have a pet, make sure to throw away uneaten pet food to be extra precautious. By being vigilant and cleaning regularly, you most likely prevent any unwanted visitors from stopping by!
2. Avoid Dampness in Your Home
Warm, humid areas tend to attract some unwanted pests into your home. Therefore, you’ll want to avoid any dampness in your home by regularly opening windows to keep the house ventilated. Any way that you can banish the dampness in your home is a great way to keep common household pests away!
3. Check for any Cracks or Crevices
Seal any cracks or crevices that you can find around doors, windows, or where utility lines enter you home to keep pests away. It’s better to be vigilant now then scrambling to find the source where pests are getting in later!
4. Watch for Pests on Pets
If you have any pets, then you’ll want to monitor them for any pests they can bring into the house, specifically fleas. Treat your furry friend regularly with a flea treatment from your vet and make sure to shake out and wash pet bedding once a month. It’s also best to keep a vacuum with a strong suction around to vacuum areas used by pets. If worse comes to worse and you see fleas on the carpet or furniture, spray them with flea spray to help get rid of them.
5. Don’t Stomp on Pests
Most people’s reaction to finding an unwanted pest in their home is to kill it by stomping on it. You might not want to do that anymore because this could lead to spreading eggs, which leads to even more pests in the future. Instead, use a household insecticide spray or powder on the pest or just try to remove them from your home!
6. Use Strong Smells to Repel Spiders
Most spiders that find their way into your home are usually harmless, but if you absolutely hate the eight-legged visitors and want them to stay away use strong scents. Spiders are not keen to strong smells/scents, therefore add 15 – 20 drops of peppermint essential oil to a spray bottle of water to mist around the house. You can also use tea tree, lavender, rose, or cinnamon essential oils if you aren’t a fan of peppermint! But do your research if you have pets, not all essential oils are dog/cat friendly! This should keep most spiders at bay and away from your home!
7. Seal All of Your Food
If you have any dried food or other food items lying around unsealed, you might want to find a way to seal everything tightly to keep unwanted pests away. Use anything from air-tight food containers to sealable bags to protect your food and home from pests.
8. Call the Experts
Most of the time, pests are easy to manage and get rid of. However, if you notice that some pests are getting a little out of control, it’s best to call an expert to help you out!
Looking for a new home to move into? Check out Judd Builders! Our wonderful planned communities fit the needs of today’s homebuyers. From living well in West Chester at The Reserve at Glen Loch to the spectacular views at Brookshire in Zionsville PA, there is bound to be a community that is the perfect fit for you! If you have any questions, feel free to contact us! We’d love to hear from you!