5 Ways to Avoid Pests in 2021

 

5 Ways to Avoid Pests in 2021

1. Pack up Holidays Properly

When your storage consists of cardboard boxes and plastic bags, decorations aren’t always the only thing you unpack each year. These methods of storage don’t offer much protection against pests and, as such, you may find a variety of different pests tucked away with your décor. From dead spiders to mouse droppings, these nasty, unwanted additions to your holidays can easily be avoided. By utilizing durable plastic containers with good sealing tops, you will not only avoid these holiday-time shocks the following year, but you will also prevent the opportunity for pests to make their nests and breed within your home via your storage.

2. Keep Foliage at Bay

Even though it is still cold outside, it’s important not to neglect the exterior’s involvement in encouraging future pest problems. Keeping the outdoors tidy can make a massive effect on your likelihood of running into pest problems in the spring. Here are a few steps you can take to help avoid pests:

• Trim back branches and bushes from your home – these can be used by pests like bridges/highways to your home
• Remove dead foliage – piles of leaves and decaying plants offer shelter for a variety of pests and can end up harboring full nests of insects
• Clean gutters – just like the dead foliage on the ground, a build-up of debris (particularly damp debris) is a huge attractant for pets
• Keep firewood away – wood piles are like a haven for pests. The pile provides shelter and warmth for insects and rodents alike, so it is important to take the proper precautions against the likelihood that they will move from the pile to your home by moving firewood at least 30 feet from your home if possible
• Remove standing water – clear away any areas where excess water is collecting (empty planters, clogging sewage drains, etc.) as these places will be a massive attractant for pests as a source of water once they reemerge from the winter months

3. Clean Kitchen

This goes hand and hand with number one on this list: the holidays. Thanksgiving, Christmas, Kwanza, the New Year… no matter what you’re celebrating, there is food galore at this time of year. With such an excess of baking, roasting, etc. it stands to reason that everyone’s kitchen is, at the very least, a tad dirtier than normal. Even the most cleanly kitchen might have a dusting of excess flour in the edges of the counter and floors, or cooking oil residue on some surfaces, or even a collection of crumbs under the oven and fridge. Food is one of the main attractants for pets, so an extra deep cleaning of your kitchen is vital for that extra level of defense against new year invaders.

4. Watch for Water

Just as we stated above, insects are drawn to water. However, this does not exclusively apply to standing water outdoors. If you have areas of high humidity in your home, whether that be in your laundry room or basement, you could be at risk of drawing in pests. As such, it is important to repair any leaking pipes, sinks, or showers; and install dehumidifiers in areas that sustain excessive moisture in the air.

5. Secure the Fortress

You’ve been keeping out the cold, make sure to keep out the pests now. Securing your home so that pests cannot make their way inside when they emerge in the spring is probably the most crucial way to avoid pests in the new year. Here are a few steps you can take to make sure your “fortress” is properly secured:

• Seal cracks and crevices – check around your home, especially around utilities, and fill any areas that appear to give access into your home
• Reinforce caulking and edges
• Repair screens and windows
• Door sweeps – often times pests can sneak in using the gaps beneath doors and garages. While you may already have door sweeps installed to protect against the frigid weather, it is helpful to check them for damage, wear, gaps, etc.

We’ve Got Your Back

Our year-round treatments will also keep your home protected. Your experienced technicians utilize different application methods depending on the time of year and weather in order to give you the best defense against pests in the new year. Happy 2021 Everyone! We are looking forward to a more positive year for all of us.