Keeping your home free of pests is essential if you want to maintain a comfortable, stress-free and healthy living environment. Pests such as insects, unwelcome critters and rodents are going to damage your property if you allow them to roam free. 

 

They can also contaminate food and this is a health risk to your family. The good news is that by following a few preventative measures and adopting good habits you are going to significantly reduce the chances that pests will start invading your space. Here are some tips you can use to keep your home pest free.

 

Kitchen Cleanliness 

 

The kitchen is a hotspot for pests, especially rats and cockroaches. It is the primary source of food and water. To prevent pests from just strolling in and setting up house and home you have to make sure that you're keeping this area as clean as you possibly can. 

 

The best and most logical way to do this is to make sure that you're cleaning up spills immediately. Make sure you're wiping down the countertops. You should try to vacuum or sweep the floor daily to eliminate crumbs from it. 

 

Always ensure that you are storing food in airtight containers so that you can avoid leaving dirty dishes in your sink overnight. 

 

If you do develop a problem with cockroaches and rats, you may have to use pesticide powder to get rid of roaches and humane rat traps to catch them.

Garbage Management 

Garbage management is also something that you need to get right as well. Pests are going to be drawn to trash so you have to make sure that the garbage cans inside and outside of your home have tight fitting lids that make it difficult for them to crawl in. 

 

Be sure to take out all the trash regularly and ensure that it is properly sealed to prevent pests from accessing food scraps. To get rid of pests you have to starve them.

Decluttering

Pests are going to thrive when there is clutter because it gives them lots of places to play hide and seek with you. Make sure you're regularly decluttering your home, especially areas like your basement, garage as well as your attics. 

 

This is where pets like to settle in and take up residence. When you start removing clutter you make it difficult for pests to take shelter and lay eggs in your home to reproduce.

 

Seal Entry Points and Keep Pests Out

 

Even if your home is very clean it can become a target for pests as these are easy entry points for them to come in. Make sure that you inspect your home for small cracks and openings around your door and windows because these can be an invitation for pets to leave the outdoors and come inside.

 

Inspect

 

To prevent this from happening you need to make sure that you are regularly inspecting the foundation and the gaps around the windows as well as holes in walls. Use caulk or weather stripping to seal these gaps as soon as you can. Make sure that you repair any damage to window screens as well. Look at your vents and your chimney to make sure that they are properly cleaned.

 

Plumbing Leaks

 

Check for plumbing leaks because these are a major culprit as well. When it comes to attracting insects water leaks will do this every single time. Cockroaches and rodents love moisture and will search for it and find it wherever they can. 

 

Fix any leaks under your sinks or in your bathroom as quickly as you can. Look at those areas around your appliances such as refrigerator, washing machine and dishwasher because water can accumulate there.

 

Seal Gaps

 

Another thing you can do is to consider installing door sweeps on the bottom of the exterior doors to block any gaps that  insects or rodents may be able to use to sneak in and enter your home. Even a small gap is enough for many pests to squeeze into your home so you need to do due diligence by sealing them up.

Use a Humidifier

You can also purchase a humidifier for your crawl spaces, basement and bathroom if they are going to have high levels of humidity. This is especially detrimental to pests such as silverfish and cockroaches. 

 

Decreasing the moisture levels through the use of a humidifier is going to make your home less attractive for pests in the long run.

Proper Drainage

 

Make sure that water is properly drained away from your home's foundation at all times. This is going to help you to avoid  conditions that can attract a lot of termites as well as other insects. 

 

Make sure that you clean out gutters and downspouts very regularly. Always ensure that your landscaping slopes away from your house because it will prevent water from pooling. This is why you need to make sure that your gutter and your downspouts are working properly as well.

 

Landscape Well

 

The way your landscape is set up is going to make it easy or hard for pests and rodents to get into your yard and into your home. One of the things you can do is make sure that you're trimming your vegetation as much as possible. 

 

Take care of overgrown bushes, trees and plants as this is going to provide shelter for rodents from termites and ants if you are not careful. Keep your vegetation as trimmed as possible especially if it's touching any area of your house.

 

Standing water is always going to be a problem so you need to make sure that you are removing them from your yard. It can become a breeding ground for mosquitoes and other pets as well. If you have bird baths outside make sure that you are cleaning them up. In short, you need to fix any problems that can lead to water pooling up in your yard.

 

Keeping rodents and other pets out of your yard is something that you have to do. It's a non-negotiable.