Pest Prevention Tips For New Homeowners

Buying your first home is an exciting time and it’s filled with a whole host of emotions, once everything is signed and you have your keys one of the first things on your mind is celebrating. The only thing that will dampen your excitement quicker than rain on a BBQ is discovering your brand new house has a pest problem.

There are, however, many things we can do to help prevent this from happening, and that’s by following a few pest prevention tips, remember these aren’t exclusively for your first home so try to remember them for the next time you find yourself buying a house. 

Deep Cleaning

This is usually the first thing we do when buying a home, it’s nice to get the place as clean as we possibly can so we can settle in much easier. It’s also nice to know that it has been cleaned to a standard that we are happy with as it’s impossible to know if the previous owners cleaned it before they moved out even if it looks nice. Pests are commonly found in unclean places, so ensuring your place is clean and tidy is the best foundation to not have an infestation of any kind.

However, some situations can arise and are difficult to prevent like bed bugs, these are a common pest and can arrive at your home via several different ways and they aren’t just annoying, they’re also harmful. You’ve more than likely got a bed bug problem if you keep waking up with red, itchy blotches on your skin, blood stains on your pillow, and shed bug skins on the bedsheets.

If this is the case, then acting fast is the best way to prevent further spread as it can get out of control pretty quickly, using this type of treatment is the most effective way to stop the spread of bed bugs and render your house bug-free as quickly as possible. 

Using the Right Products 

No matter what, we are going to encounter some pest problems throughout our lifetime and it’s to be expected, after all, you have a nice cozy home that’s appealing to all kinds of animals. Keeping on top of any situation is a good way to keep even more pests from settling in, this is best done by using the right products.

There are hundreds of different sprays and home treatments you can buy from the store, so it’s best to look into which one will be most effective for the problem you have. It’s also worth noting that some may contain harmful chemicals so if you have any children or pets, you might want to consider buying a product that’s safe to use around families. 

Traps

There are so many varieties of traps on the market that no one should be at risk of having a pest problem. Therefore, you need to hire the services of certified pest controllers that can help you know how to catch a rat in a DIY manner and also how to get rid of rats in walls and ceilings, by laying traps at the right places and junctures, where rodents move frequently. There are even more humane mouse traps, allowing you to set the animal free in the woods once you’ve caught them.

Whether it’s a humane method or not, placing traps is a good way to prevent a small pest problem from evolving into something much larger that requires a professional company to come in. If we can catch any animals before they have a chance to settle in and breed then we won’t have a problem further down the line, catching 1 mouse is much easier than catching 20. 

Keep It Clean

If the only time you’ve cleaned your house is when you moved in then there is a chance you’ll have a fair few problems to deal with. Animals like mice scavenge for food and will be able to smell it from miles away, so keeping your kitchen in good order is good practice to help prevent the risk of any small creatures wandering in for a snack.

This is the same with ants, bearing in mind they have anywhere up to millions of workers all trying to find food, you could end up with an army marching through your kitchen to find where you keep your bread. 

The Professionals 

If your prevention skills aren’t quite up to the level they need to be then you always have the option of calling in the professionals. There are thousands of pest control companies all over the States that will come get rid of any unwanted visitors, this can take anything from 4 hours to a week to get rid of a problem you might have.

Research to find a local pest control company that deals with your particular situation, having a bee specialist come to your house for an ants nest isn’t going to do you any favors. 

The best way to keep pests away is in your prevention tactics, whilst some situations can’t be helped, making sure your house is clean and tidy is fundamental and should never be forgotten, if you believe the area you live in might be home to some curious critters, then placing some traps or decoys can be useful, and if things do get out of hand then you can always call in the pros!