How You Can Keep the Bugs Out: Five Ways To Keep Your Home Pest Free

The most persistent pests can make their way inside your home no matter how many times you try to kick them out. Sometimes, the trick to getting these pests to stay out once and for all is to make a few small adjustments around your home.

Here are five ways to keep your home pest free year-round!  

Take Down Your Welcome Signs

It’s closing time. Gaps in your doors, windows, roof, screens, walls, and everywhere in between are like large invitations for bugs to come into your home. Seal these spaces to signal that your home is off limits.

Weather stripping around your door helps keep out both cold air and pesky pests, while caulking and repairing holes elsewhere ensures that little insects can’t slip through the cracks.

Remove the Clutter

Pests feel safe when they’re able to find a hiding spot. Clutter, such as forgotten toys in a corner, the trash that escaped the bin (six months ago), or even a lost sock can prove to be the ultimate shelter for a tiny insect. Cleaning out under your sofas, beds, and corners could not only help you find your favorite long-lost pen, but also remove some of the cozy spots where bugs like to seek refuge.

Decluttering isn’t just for indoors — trash cans, piles of wood, and yard waste act like a pitstop for the bugs working their way inside your home, especially during winter. Keep your yard, porches, and doorsills clean of debris to help stop pesky pests before they make it into your home.

Remember: You Are Not Their Chef

While it may be tempting to procrastinate on clean-up after cooking, pests will take any opportunity to swarm morsels you leave behind. Rogue breadcrumbs, forgotten wrappers, and dirty pots soon become an insect’s all-you-can-eat buffet.

Some pests, such as ants, will take the food back to their colonies, communicating with the others that they’ve found their new favorite restaurant: your kitchen. It’s best to wipe down and seal away everything edible after preparing your meals so that you don’t unwillingly prepare a plate for pests as well.

Dry Up Their Watering Holes

Leaky faucets, spilled water left to air dry, or the damp and scary cabinet under the sink are all popular spots for pests to find water. Bugs such as centipedes and silverfish even prefer living in moist areas. Ensuring your showers, air conditioners, drains, and pipes aren’t leaking will help make your home less appealing to pests looking for a new habitat.

In damp areas, such as basements or attics, set up a dehumidifier to help keep the space dry and free from invading insects.

Stay On Top of Quarterly Pest Control

As we all know, keeping a home pest free isn’t easy. Keeping up with a quarterly pest-control plan is the most effective way to prevent and eliminate pests — for good.  If you need help coming up with a pest control plan that is tailored to your specific needs, Hughes Exterminators is always just one quick call away!