Home should be a peaceful place, a haven after a long day of work. As a homeowner, you know there is a long list of tasks that, when properly done, will protect your home so you can enjoy your investment. And you also know that overlooking some of those key items, like pest control, can cause a huge problem - one pest infestation can turn your beautiful Visalia dream home into a nightmare. While it is inevitable that we will share this world with pests, here are three keys to keep them out of your home.
Control the Exterior Environment
If left untended, your lawn, garden, and outbuildings can be a giant playground for rodents and other pests, attracting them to your property and leading them closer and closer to your home. Eliminate as many potential hiding or nesting places as possible – pests are on the lookout year-round for a safe place to reside, preferably with easy access to food and water.
- Mow the lawn to eliminate the protection tall grass offers the little critters
- Keep branches and limbs away from the structure, ensuring they aren’t brushing up against the roof, walls, or foundation of your home
- Clean up toys, tools, and other debris that may have become semi-permanent fixtures on the lawn
- Seal pet food and water to eliminate an easy source of nutrition for pests
- Keep trash in cans that rodents can’t chew through, with lids that close tightly
Create a Barrier
Once you’ve eliminated the exterior elements that might attract pests to the surroundings of your home, create a barrier to seal off any potential entry points to the structure. Regularly inspect the exterior of your home, checking for gaps, holes, and crevices that pests might be able to slip through. It’s important that any openings be sealed quickly and properly to prevent pests from invading the interior. Pay special attention to the seals around windows, doors, and any cables or piping running from the exterior into the home. Attention to detail and making these small repairs will go a long way to creating a strong barrier that will keep your home free from pests.
Monitor the Interior
If pests do manage to make it through the exterior, across the barrier, and into your home, it’s important that the interior is as unattractive as possible to keep them from bringing along their little friends and multiplying their families.
- Keep the house clean, wiping up spills and cleaning up food left on counters or floors
- Tidy up and declutter to eliminate cozy, warm nesting sites in closets and storage areas
- Check pipes and plumbing regularly to ensure there aren’t leaking sinks that might lead to standing water in cabinets, which is a prime attraction for cockroaches
Pests are all around us, and pest control is a routine and important part of homeownership. These three keys will help keep your Visalia home free of pests - but consider hiring a professional if you’re ready to take your level of home maintenance to the next level. With their experience, knowledge, consistent monitoring, and preventative treatments, a pest control professional can step in to carry the burden of preventing and treating infestations. Call San Joaquin Pest Control to work with a caring team that’s ready to help protect your home from pests.
