EasyBlog

Spring in Georgia brings with it not only the sun and warmth but also the arrival of various pests that can make their way into your home. From rodents, mosquitoes, to termites, these common pests can be troublesome and cause serious damage to your property. One of the biggest challenges is how these pests find their way into your home. At Ideal Pest Control, we understand the importance of identifying and addressing the root causes of pest infestations. In this article, we will be discussing different types of pests and how they can get into your home, as well as providing solutions to help keep your home pest-free.

Rodents

There are several types of rodents that can find their way into your home in Georgia, including mice and rats. These pests can cause significant damage to your property by gnawing on wires, walls, and insulation. Additionally, they can spread diseases that can be harmful to humans and pets such as:

• Hantavirus
• Lassa Fever
• Leptospirosis
• Monkeypox
• Rat-Bite Fever
• Salmonellosis

Rodents can enter your home through small cracks and gaps in walls and foundations, as well as through open windows and doors. They are also attracted to food sources such as garbage cans, pet food, and crumbs left on counters. To prevent rodents from infesting your home, it's important to seal off any entry points and to keep your living areas clean and free of debris that may attract them.

The kitchen might be your favorite place for a quick snack, but did you know it’s also a pest favorite? There’s nothing worse than coming face-to-face with your unwanted housemates, but Ideal Pest Control is ready to prepare you with the necessary steps to keep kitchen pests at bay. 

Put Your Food Away

It’s tempting to leave out that ravioli for when you’re hungry in an hour or so, or maybe you just bought a huge bag of oats and are planning on storing them in the pantry. All it takes is one small taste for pests to realize the treasures you’ve got, meaning it’s essential to follow proper food storage techniques. Airtight containers will be your best friend if they’re not already, as they keep your food fresh while keeping pests out. 

Make Sure Your Trash Can Has a Lid

Even when you’re totally done noshing, whatever scraps you toss out should ideally be sealed off from pesky visitors. For your home kitchen, trash cans with lids are a foolproof way to prevent infestation. Just make sure they’re as airtight as your food containers, as that will minimize odors and make your kitchen less of a temptation for insects and rodents alike. Nothing ruins a good dinner party like a stinky trash can, much less one with a cockroach lurking nearby. 

Maintain a Crumb-Free Environment

To humans, a crumb is the smallest form of food. But to ants, a crumb is an absolute gift. It’s sustenance! From a preventative standpoint, regular maintenance of your countertops goes a long way. A simple counter or floor sweep after you’re done cooking or eating is all it takes. Spills aren’t a big deal, but they can quickly turn into one if left for pests. 

Keep Your Sink Clean

When water and food leftovers sit for too long, your sink can quickly become a breeding ground for one of the more annoying pests, drain flies. If you suspect drain flies are or could be an issue, establishing sink cleaning as part of your kitchen maintenance will take care of it. You can do this with boiling water, DIY mixtures or a bottle of Draino.

Cut spiders off at the pass by preventing them from entering your basement in the first place. 

The most prevalent types of spiders found in basements are the Brown Recluse and the Wolf Spider. Both of these types of spiders should be avoided at all costs because they pack a venomous bite which can cause severe medical problems to a human or pet if bitten.

Besides the dangerous aspect of spiders, they are also just a nuisance, spinning creepy webs in oftentimes cluttered, dark spaces. We’ve gathered three tips on how to keep spiders out of your basement.

Clean Your Basement.

It's important to keep your basement clean because a dirty basement invites spiders and other pests into your home. Spiders love dark, cluttered spaces. If your basement is dirty, cluttered spiders will be much more likely to build webs and live in those spaces than if it was clean.

Clean up any clutter from the basement floor including boxes, old furniture, etc. Also, make sure all the windows are open to let sunlight into the space. This will help keep your home spider-free as well as create a positive environment for your family (if you hang out in your basement).

Spiders can be pesky during any time of the year, depending on where you live. Spiders can live in most climates, so no matter where you live, chances are that you will experience spiders in your home or commercial space. Spiders can be especially pesky during winter because they are looking for shelter from freezing temperatures. Here are some tips to help you prevent spider infestations this winter. 

Seal Off Cracks

Sealing off small cracks and crevices in your home is one of the best ways to prevent a spider infestation. Spiders can fit inside even the smallest cracks, so if you have cracks within your walls in your home, spiders will have immediate easy access inside your home. When seasons change, it is a good idea to use caulk and some paint to seal off small crevices. This will definitely help you avoid a spider infestation. 

Keep Outdoor Lights Off

Spiders aren’t attracted to lights, but their prey is. Flies and other small insects are attracted to lights, and spiders will therefore stay near those lights to catch their prey. If you have lanterns in your yard and other lights surrounding your home, these could be attracting spiders to your property. If you are experiencing a spider infestation, consider turning the lights off for a few days. 

Vacuum Your Home

Vacuuming regularly can prevent a spider infestation before it even happens. Vacuuming will clean up spider webs and eggs before you even notice them. Make sure to get behind furniture and in small cracks, because that is where spiders tend to hide. Cleaning up food, waste and other debris will also keep spiders away from your home. Vacuuming at least once a week will help keep your home free of spiders this winter, and also during other seasons. Being neat and tidy is one of the best ways to keep spiders away. 

Contact Ideal Pest Control Today!

If you need a team of professional pest control experts to fix your pest problems, we are the company you are looking for. At Ideal Pest Control, we specialize in all kinds of pest control, from termite extermination to flea control, to rodent control. Our team of pest experts would be happy to come to your home and or business and work for you. Click here or give us a call at 912-335-4187. We look forward to working with you!

Rats, like mice, are known for squeezing into tight areas in order to find food and shelter in your home. They can find their way inside through holes, cracks or gaps that are under doorways, windows, floorboards or in the ceiling. Once they find a way in, they create a hidden nest for their family. Predominantly they enjoy nesting in higher areas, such as in the ceiling, the attic or the roof. It may seem impossible to keep them away from your home, but in fact, there are ways to deter them. Keep reading for ways to prevent rats on your roof. 

1-Mothballs

Not only do mothballs repel moths, but they also repel rats and are poisonous to them. Rather than setting a trap, place mothballs in your attic where rats are congregating. Make sure that wherever you place the mothballs will be out of reach of children and pets. 

2-Peppermint Oil

Peppermint produces a strong odor that many pests hate, including rats. They dislike the taste as well. If you wish to repel rats, place some peppermint oil on a cotton ball and hide them in different areas of your home where rats tend to gather. You may also want to consider growing peppermint in your garden or keeping some in your kitchen. 

3-Ammonia

Use a mixture of ammonia to keep rats away. Pour two cups of ammonia along with two tablespoons of detergent into a bowl. Rats cannot stand the smell and will stay far away from it. Be sure to place the ammonia in an area that is away from children or pets, as it is toxic to them. 

4-Red Pepper Flakes

Rats are deterred by spicy scents, as they find these overbearing. They also do not like the taste. Sprinkling them around the attic and other areas where rats may be entering your home helps to keep them at bay.

Unwanted pests in the home can lead to headaches due to the destruction they cause and costly repairs. Having them removed can be a challenge, especially when you handle them on your own. But with the harsh chemicals that are used to treat pests, you may wonder if it is safe for your family, especially if one of your family members is pregnant. Certain substances are unsafe for pregnant women to be exposed to. Keep reading to learn more about pest control treatments and if they are safe during pregnancy. 

Do-It-Yourself Pest Control is Unsafe for Pregnant Women

If you have taken the do-it-yourself approach to getting rid of pests, then there may be dangerous effects for pregnant women. Many products bought over-the-counter to treat for pest control contain harmful chemicals. Speak with your obstetrician about chemicals that may be unsafe for you to be around. Before taking the do-it-yourself approach to removing pests from your home, you may want to talk to a pest control company about the best course of action for successfully and safely eliminating pests from your home. 

Placement of Treatment is Important

Aside from what type of treatment you receive, it is important where the treatment is placed. For those who use their own form of pest control treatment, it is essential to make sure that whatever product that you are using is safe to use indoors near humans, animals and food items. You also need to determine what treatments to use outside as they are necessary for preventing pests from entering your home. Pest control companies understand the proper procedure for treating pests inside and outside of the house. They also know what will be safe for a pregnant family member, as well as for the rest of your household. 

Pest Control Companies Know the Safest Treatments

More pest control companies are using chemicals that do not pose as much of a risk to your health. However, it is still important to talk with the company about your pregnancy and discuss options. If treatment can take place, it is highly suggested that you stay away from your home while it is being carried out. Keep in mind that foregoing treatment for a pest infestation may pose more harm as pests can cause illnesses and diseases. 

As noted before, it is important to discuss with a pest control professional, and your doctor, what is safe for you and your unborn child. Before doing your own treatment for pest control, speak to professionals who know which substances are safe as well as how to properly use them. For more information, contact the experts at Ideal Pest Control.

If you’ve ever had drain flies in your kitchen, then you know what a nuisance they can be. What starts out as one small, irritating bug quickly turns into dozens and dozens of tiny, irritating flies ready to fly out of your drain and pester you at the slightest provocation. No matter what you do, they stay there for weeks and weeks until one day, like magic, they disappear.

It doesn’t have to be this way, though. Like any pest, most drain fly infestations can be prevented relatively easily by following a few simple procedures. Here’s how to keep drain flies out of your kitchen.

Clean Your Drains

Drain flies live in your drains in part because there are a lot of great things down there for them to eat. The food that you have washed down the sink builds up and stays there. It is like a buffet for the flies, who find all the food they can eat as well as water and shelter.

To combat this issue, keep your drains clean. Use hot water to rinse them as thoroughly as possible, and use a plumber’s snake to help scrape the sides and loosen the food that has built up over time. 

Use Special Cleaners

Hot water and scraping will help get rid of a lot of organic material, but it won’t clean up everything. You’ll need to use stronger chemicals, too. Use an enzyme cleaner that breaks down those food particles that have collected and won’t go away. Pay special attention to the U-trap, which is where a majority of gunk builds up and causes problems.

Summertime is here and you want to enjoy it to the fullest. Fill your days with fun activities free from the nuisance and dangers of buzzing mosquitoes by learning what attracts these unwelcome visitors to your home.

Standing Water

Mosquitoes love water in the summer months as much as you and your family do, but for very different reasons. Mosquitoes seek standing water for hydration and as a place to lay eggs undisturbed. Their favorite types of water include shallow, stagnant pools that collect around your yard.

Examine your property for areas where water collects. These areas include overturned garbage can lids, birdbaths, low spaces in landscaping and potted plants. Make a note of these areas and drain them immediately. Develop a schedule for checking these spots throughout the summer to assure that they stay free from a recollection of water. Eliminate potential breeding grounds so that mosquitoes choose to travel elsewhere.

Tall Grasses and Weeds

Not only are mosquitoes attracted to water, but they also seek shelter from the hot summer sun. Look around to see if you are unintentionally providing places of refuge for these bothersome insects. Overgrown patches of grass or weeds are the perfect places for mosquitoes to hang out. Mosquitoes also love areas such as stacks of wood or stored items such as chairs or toys.

Be diligent in trimming overgrown areas and keeping them cut back throughout the summer. Put away unused items in your garage or storage containers. Limit anything that welcomes mosquitoes to congregate and cool off.

Stinging insects, such as bees, hornets and wasps, frighten most of us, and our first thought is to exterminate them. But, stinging insects are very beneficial to the environment. They’re responsible for pollinating many of our plants and crops and usually don’t pose a threat. 

However, should you find that they’re nesting in your home or on your home, you should take steps to get rid of them. When it comes to handling these insects, pest control companies know how to properly remove beehives and wasp nests to keep them from rebuilding.

How Will You Know if a Beehive or Wasps Nest is on Your Property?

These are the signs to know if you should be concerned about stinging insects infesting your home:

• Repeatedly being surrounded by stinging insects. 
• Noticing swarms of stinging insects around trash cans, eating areas or shrubs.
• Hearing buzzing inside walls but not seeing anything.

Why are These Pests on Your Property?

Stinging insects, like all living creatures, look for a place to call home for their young. They look for cracks, holes and any place that serves as a shelter to build their nests. Houses are ideal locations for their shelter. Gaps in your siding, cracks in your foundation or spaces in your doors and windows are the perfect means of entry for bees and wasps. 

If surfaces like roofs, overhangs, vents, fences and attics are untreated, they become prime real estate for hives and nests.  A pest control company will apply environmentally-friendly treatments to various spots around your home, preventing these insects from building nests there in the future. 

Fleas are the unfortunate result of being a good pet owner and letting your pets romp around outside. Don’t worry, we shall walk you through the steps to be flea-free. 

Make Sure It’s Fleas

Fleas on a pet look like dark sesame seeds moving through the fur. They can also jump long distances for how small they are and move through pet fur surprisingly fast. Lastly, do not confuse them with ticks, which are also small but will grow to the size of small grapes (fleas do not) when full of blood.

Treat Fleas on Your Pet

Deal with the immediate problem first; get those fleas off your pet. Use flea shampoo to kill and wash the fleas on your animal’s body off. Ask your veterinarian if you are unsure which shampoo to choose.

Treating the fleas on your pet is the easy part.

Treat Fleas in Your Home

Fleas could still be infecting your home; they jump incredibly far for their size and can lay dozens of eggs a day. Wash all bedding and clothes (yours and your pets’) with the hottest water setting allowable with detergent to eradicate fleas in all life stages (egg to adult). Vacuum the area, and don’t forget the drapes.

Imagine a creature that tastes with its feet. Then, it vomits stomach juice on its food and slurps it up. That annoying fruit fly is far fouler than you had imagined.

They show up unexpectedly, multiply faster than other pests like rodents and are an absolute nuisance to eliminate. What can you do to keep them out of your kitchen?

Know Your Enemy

In a Savannah summer, they almost seem to materialize out of thin air. The truth is that Mother Nature designed fruit flies to be rot-seeking missiles. They will sniff out those bananas you left out too long, the can of beer you didn’t quite finish, and even the mucky slime that coats your drain.

Once they find a food source, they shift into production mode. One female can lay batches of 100 eggs a day, which become flies within 10 days! Ten females can produce 1,000 new flies with another 1,000 on the day after and so on.

Now, thousands of cross contaminators bring bacteria from decomposing food straight to your crystal wine glass, can of beer or the uncovered fruit salad on the table.

Professional pest control for your commercial property comes with many advantages, especially employees and clientele. Not only does it keep your customers from encountering unsightly bugs and vermin, but it also provides your workers with the environment they deserve. 

Best of all, no one at your business needs to do the dirty work. Everything is handled quickly, safely and discreetly by a highly trained professional. Here are the top five benefits of commercial pest control for your company.

Health & Safety

Everyone hates pest insects and animals. They gross people out, and rightly so. That being said, there are intelligent and practical reasons to loathe pests that can infest your business, too. Vermin and pest insects can carry disease and harmful bacteria that expose your employees, stock and customers to illness. 

Ticks carry Lyme disease, roaches carry salmonella and e. Coli, ants contaminate food supplies. Worse still, bees and wasps carry venom that causes severe allergic reactions in certain people. Keeping pests under control is in the best interest of everyone’s health and safety, especially in a commercial setting. 

Reduced Toxins

Untrained personnel is up to 67 times more likely to misapply pesticides than trained pest control technicians. Over applying pesticides can result in harmful exposure that leads to illness for persons with compromised immune systems, asthma and the elderly. Worse still, if it is not the correct formulation of pesticide, the pest population can actually increase once you have killed off their competition in the food chain. 

Over 4,000 species of cockroaches exist worldwide with the most common type being the German cockroach. In the United States, the American cockroach, brown-banded cockroach and Asian cockroach are the most common. No matter the type, no one wants these tiny creatures roaming around their home. They are not only unpleasant to see, but they also defecate throughout your home, breed more cockroaches and munch on the food you have lying around. Do not let these bugs take over. Instead, check out these three ways to keep your house cockroach-free. 

Clean Your Home

Many pests love messy areas. They are always on the hunt for food and water. So, the empty potato chip bag that you stuffed under your bed is a feast for cockroaches. To avoid inviting these pests in, you need to thoroughly clean your home. You need to sweep, vacuum and mop your floors. Plus, you will want to do dishes daily and take out trash as soon as the bin is full. Also, never leave open food containers laying around. All this cleaning may seem like a lot to do, but once you are in a routine it becomes easier. Also, avoid leaving random items lying around. 

Try Traps

Sometimes even a clean home is not enough to keep these pests out. Cockroaches are resilient. They have been around since the dinosaurs. So, if a meteorite did not wipe them out, then cleanliness will not stop them from entering. However, there are some steps you can take to deter them from coming in the first place. One of these steps is traps. From sticky traps to liquid roach poison, many traps can kill these bugs. You can find these traps in-store or online at any supermarket or home improvement store. If you do use traps, read the instructions before trying them out and keep them away from small children. 

Seal Cracks and Gaps

Cockroaches can easily come into your house through cracks, crevices and gaps. It does not take a big space for these bugs to crawl through. All it takes is an opening that is the size of a dime for them to come in. So, sealing these spaces up will help to prevent them from coming in. So, closing windows and doors and filling in small openings with caulk is a great start. 

Contact Ideal Pest Control 

When in doubt, if the steps above do not work, call your local pest control company for help. If you live in Savannah, Georgia or the surrounding areas, call Ideal Pest Control your local pest service. Call us today for more information.

One of the worst things you may have to deal with as a homeowner is handling a termite infestation. Most homeowners don't realize that their home is being infested until there are so many termites that you are overwhelmed. There are many termite infestation signs that you should look for around your house to tell if you're going to need to contact termite control.

If you determine that your home is infested by termites, you'll need to contact a pest control company such as Ideal Pest Control in order to take back control of your household. Here are a few things to look for in order to determine whether or not your home is infested with termites:

Discarded Wings

Discarded wings are one of the first signs that you are dealing with an infestation. One of the biggest mistakes homeowners make is confusing termites with flying ants. Although these two insects can look very similar, you will be able to tell the difference because only termites shed their wings. Flying termites usually fly around light sources and once they find a mate, they shed their wings as they do not need them anymore.

Swarmers

When it is time for termites to procreate, they will leave their colonies and begin to search for a mate. As stated previously, these termites will fly and have a similar appearance to flying ants. These flying termites are known as swarmers and if you spot them gathering in your home, it could be a sign that they are trying to start a new colony inside of your residence.

Mud Tubes

Another huge sign that you're dealing with an infestation of termites is that you will find mud tubes or mud tunnels throughout your home. Termites create these mud tubes as a way to protect themselves as they travel between their nest and the areas of your home that they are feeding on. These tubes are usually the size of a straw and termites build them using wood, debris, soil and fecal matter.

Most homeowners know the harm rodents can cause to their house. As they seek warmth, sustenance and suitable conditions to set up their nests, rodents help themselves to your stored food and cause structural damage to your house. 

They can rip into your insulation to use in their nests and chew through the electrical wiring and wooden frame of your house. This damage creates major safety issues and incurs massive repair costs.

The damage to your home isn’t the only hazard of a rodent infestation. Health problems can arise from the contact you have with them as they try to share your space. It is important to understand how rodent infestations can affect your health so that you can identify the issues and take steps to prevent them.

How Rodents Can Infect You

There are a number of diseases identified as being spread by rats and mice. Some are spread directly through handling their bodies, from rodent bites and through contact with their waste. They can also have an indirect effect if you are bitten by other pests, such as fleas, ticks or mosquitoes, that made prior contact with an infected rodent.

Since rodents are able to squeeze their bodies through holes as small as dimes, sealing your house and food supply is essential to prevent the spread of disease. If you encounter any dead rodents or waste, handle them with protective gear and use disinfecting cleaners on any contaminated surfaces.

For many, summer is the best part of the year. Warm weather means swimming, cookouts, and other great activities. Unfortunately, it also means mosquitoes.

Most people realize that mosquitoes are more active in the summer, but what you might not know is how the weather actually affects the mosquito population in your area. That’s right – whether you have to contend with a large number of mosquitoes or just a handful of the tiny pests can depend a great deal on three important weather factors: temperature, precipitation, and cloud coverage.

Temperature

As mentioned above, summer is typically the time when we see mosquito populations thrive. That’s because mosquitoes need warm air to survive. The reason we almost never see these bugs in winter is that they actually start to die off once the thermometer gets down to a certain point. This killing point is different for each breed of mosquito, but it usually falls somewhere around 50 degrees Fahrenheit.

Why do they come back each year if they’re dead, you might ask? The answer lies in their eggs. Even though the adult cannot survive cold temperatures, the eggs can. So, if a female has laid her eggs before the cold sets in, those eggs can actually withstand winter, thaw out in the spring and begin their life cycle all over again for another season.

Precipitation

A second crucial factor has to do with the amount of precipitation in an area. Like all creatures, mosquitoes need water to survive. This need goes just beyond nutrition, however, as mosquitoes actually use standing water for breeding. Hatched eggs become larvae, and mosquito larvae and pupae must be in the water to survive. 

Safety is the top concern of having pests in the home. Household pests like mice, rats, cockroaches, bed bugs, fleas, spiders and termites not only cause damage to your home but can also carry harmful bacteria and disease that may make you and your loved ones sick. Keep reading for more information about some of the health problems that can be caused by pests in the home.

Allergies and Asthma

Many people are allergic to cockroaches, and since this bug sheds its skin, they are notorious for causing allergic reactions in those who suffer from this allergy. Their droppings and urine can also produce allergens that may affect those who suffer from asthma or who are sensitive to these allergens. As these pests quickly reproduce and can crawl through tiny cracks, they can easily infest your home and spread these harmful allergens. Dust mites can also contribute to allergies and other respiratory issues as they spread allergens, too.

Lyme Disease

Lyme disease is spread by an infected deer tick. This disease can be life-threatening if not treated. The most common symptoms are a bullseye rash, fever-like symptoms and joint pain. Each case is different and can affect people differently. If you have been bitten by a deer tick, watch for symptoms of Lyme Disease.

Zika and West Nile Virus

Mosquitoes are hard to avoid if you spend time outside, especially during the early morning and evening hours. Unfortunately, mosquitoes can carry illnesses like the Zika virus and West Nile virus. Both viruses can become serious, and cause issues such as encephalitis, meningitis or death.

Insomnia and Depression

Bed bugs are nasty pests that can infest not only your bed, but can also find their way into your walls. They enjoy feeding on human blood as the person sleeps, which is why you may find yourself covered with bites in the morning. Bed bugs can transmit diseases through their bites that can affect your mental health. It has been documented that some individuals who have suffered from bed bug bites have suffered from insomnia, depression and stress.

All spiders carry varying degrees of venom in their system, but there are many spiders that pose no threat to humans. Some spiders are unable to effectively administer the poison to humans, but they can still bite. The following are spiders in Georgia that are harmless.

Common House Spider

Common house spiders vary in their appearance and are most frequently found inside homes under furniture, inside garages and basements. They may be able to frighten you by showing up unexpectedly, but they pose no threat to humans.

Wolf Spider

Wolf spiders are primarily dark brown in color and possess the ability to move at rapid speeds. They’re often brought indoors while transporting firewood from outside. A bite from a wolf spider is incredibly rare, and the bite itself poses no threat to humans.

Yellow Garden Spider

Yellow garden spiders are large, yellow spiders that are typically found spinning webs near plants in sunny areas. They produce venom that can immobilize bees, flies and other insects, but this venom is completely harmless to humans.

Orb Weaver Spider

Orb weavers are known for creating large webs that feature an escape tunnel, and they’re often bright in color. They will bite if they feel threatened, but the pain is comparable to a bee sting. They don’t pose a threat to humans.

Bed bugs can be a problem during any time of year. While some people think that the cold weather kills off all pests, this unfortunately isn't the case. Bed bugs can still live on in your home during the cold winter months.

If you think you may have a bed bug problem, don't panic. There are a few things that you can do to control and prevent bed bugs.

1. Make sure the pests are definitely bed bugs

Fleas and ticks can be confused for bed bugs, so if you see tiny pests in your home, don't immediately assume they are bed bugs. You can compare pictures of these bugs on Google to see exactly what you are dealing with. If you're still not sure, call your local pest control service to come do a routine check.

2. Eliminate clutter

Having a cluttered home just gives bed bugs more places to hide and can make them harder to treat. By eliminating clutter, you are taking the first step to prevent bed bugs in your home. If bed bugs are migrating towards your bedroom, make that room as clean as possible.

3. Do not bring food upstairs

As bed bugs do end up in people's bedrooms, it's vital to avoid bringing food to the bedroom as well. Food will only attract more bed bugs and will make them want to stay put in your room.

If you own a home, then you work hard to keep it a warm, safe place for you and your family. When pests invade your home, it costs your money to resolve the problem, and is a disturbance to your peaceful sanctuary. Keep reading for four practical tips to preventing infestations.

1. Store Food Properly

One of the main reasons that pests wander into your home is to find a food source. If you have exposed food, crumbs or sticky spills then you are much more likely to find bugs or mice in your kitchen (and any other part of your home where food is consumed). After you prepare a meal, be sure to clean all counter tops, stove tops, dishes and even the sink. Store food in airtight containers. Sweep or vacuum all crumbs off of floors.

2. Seal Any Holes or Cracks

Any small opening in your home is an invitation for pests to come in. This is why you should check your house often for cracks or holes in your walls. Make sure that your screened doors and windows have no rips or tears. Repair any leaky pipes and make sure that any mold or mildew is removed. Have your foundation checked for termites once a year. When you are on top of your home repairs, you will have a much lower chance of encountering pest infestations.  

3. Keep A Tidy Home

Much like in your kitchen, keeping your home free of dirt, mold and clutter will help deter pests. Be sure to keep your bathroom well ventilated and free of any leaks, as stagnant water and mold can attract certain pests. Vacuum your furniture and floors weekly. Dust often- check for spider webs as you go. Keep any areas where your pets sleep and eat clean as well.

4. Keep Your Yard Tidy

Pests love to find a home in overgrown grass and bushes. They may even discover a way into your home if you happen to have trees and bushes that grow near a window or an entryway. This is why it is important to make sure that your grass, bushes and trees are kept trimmed. Pay close attention when gardening for any pest activity, such as deep holes in the ground or plant leaves that look to have evidence of aphid invasion.