Here’s how you can stay pest-free this summer!
Home is the most comfortable place for all of us. No matter how big or small, it remains our favorite spot. It is not just a building, built with bricks and cement, but a feeling that cannot be expressed in words. But if this beloved place becomes infested with pests, all hell breaks loose. You know there is no way you can let these pests get away with destroying your home. Its time you took steps to control pests so that they do not take over your home completely.
So, what are pests and how do you control them?
The term, pest, is an umbrella term, used for a wide variety of small creatures like mites, insects, rodents, mosquitoes, fungi, termites, etc., that enter our homes uninvited. These pests may appear tiny, but they are mighty. Their aim is to disrupt our lives and grow their breed.
But, worry not, there are some tricks and tips that may help you get rid of or prevent the spread of these unwanted guests. They are easily doable tasks with visible and measurable results.
In this blog, I’ll be briefing you about ten such methods, that’ll help you make your home a pest-free place. All you need to have is a good eye that can spot and identify these different types of pests. The elimination process will be pretty easy if you are able to recognize the kind of infestation you have, and the variety of pest present in your home.
Apart from the chemical and biological pest control methods, there are some DIY (do it yourself) methods to control pests, that are not just super simple, but also very effective.
I would like to share a few of them with you:
1. Don’t let any gaps go unsealed: We know, by now, that pests are of different sizes and shapes. Many of them are extremely small while others may be comparatively larger. The bigger ones will need a space or an opening to get in, and so, here is the first hack.
Seal all the gaps, openings, apertures in your homes, which may, possibly, serve as the route for pests like mice and rats (rodents) etc. to enter your territory. Once you block their entry into your home, you automatically stop the pest menace.
2. Check if any doors or windows need repair: This may appear to be somewhat similar to the first point but this is something that often goes unnoticed. Like mentioned earlier, pests need a space to enter through. For instance, mosquitoes and flies usually fly in through the windows or through the cracks in the windows.
But you want to control pests from entering your home. What to do, then?
Simple, if the net is broken, or if there are gaps in between the windows and the walls, these flying creatures will find it fairly easy to invade your home. So, make sure to check if there are any doors or windows at your place that need maintenance, do get them fixed immediately.
3. Using white vinegar: You might have seen ants crawling in long rows, inside your kitchen, or your bathrooms, like an army. Yes, they are very disciplined, organized and charitable. Charitable, you ask? Read on. While going from one spot to another, these ants leave behind ‘trails’ for other ants to follow. These help other ants reach the food, all they need to do is follow these trails!
But, do not worry, this can be taken care of easily. Cleaning these spaces with a mixture of white vinegar, water and eucalyptus oil washes away such trails completely. Once the trails are gone, the ants vanish with them too.
4. Deploying Onions to keep away spiders: Do spiders annoy you? They definitely annoy me, and that’s why I have done a lot of research on how to get rid of them. Out of all the methods that I came upon, there was one trick that I found to be easy as well as effective.
All you need to do is slice some onions and put them in a bowl of water. You can then place this bowl at the places where spiders enter your home from. This will keep the spiders away from your home, because spiders absolutely hate onions! You are welcome!
Also Read : Dangerous Spider Species that can cause fatal stings
5. Effective use of banana peels: What do you do with the banana peel after you are done eating a banana? Throw it away like everyone else, obviously. But if you wish to get ride of the aphids in your garden, those banana peels might come in really handy. Yes, you heard it right! Just place a banana peel under the soil, near the stem of your plants, and notice how magically these aphids disappear from your property. Time to eat a banana.
6. Regular trimming of the bushes near your house: As we all know, plants and trees attract a lot of insects and bugs, therefore, it is highly recommended that you trim the back bushes, plants and trees that are touching your house. Pests find it easy to travel from the trees to the exteriors of your house. Once they have entered your garden, entering your home will not be too difficult. Trimming down these trees will help you create a barrier, and thereby control pests entering your premises.
7. Cleaning stagnant water regularly: Pests like mosquitoes breed in stagnant water. So, it is very important that you don’t let any water stand in the open. This will ensure mosquitoes do not breed there and will, thereby, prevent the spread of any mosquito-related diseases. Make sure that you clean such open surfaces with disinfectants once you have cleared out the water from them. This is a very effective method to control pests like mosquitoes from multiplying.
8. Take care of your eatables: Many pests breed inside our homes. They do so because we are lazy and we give less importance to hygiene in our day to day lives. But it is not as difficult as it sounds. All we need to do is keep our homes clean and ensure food items are tucked away in refrigerators or air tight boxes when not in use. We should never keep uncovered food outside for prolonged duration as they attract houseflies, fleas, ants and cockroaches to breed.
9. Keep the unused stuff clean: Make sure that you don’t keep the unused stuff lying in your house. Pests love things that usually remain still, and untouched for long. If you don’t need them, pack them well and keep them away in a well cleaned place. This way you not only control pests from making your home their home but also keep your home clean!
10. Get your house cleaned by a professional regularly: Though we might consider ourselves as the best house cleaners, but we cannot reach the level of expertise of professionals. Professional cleaners are well equipped and well trained to do cleaning work. They also know what chemicals to use and how to use them.
It is, therefore, recommended to get help from a pest control company for a better experience. If you need to contact a company that helps to control pests, then here’s a link to get in touch with them.
These were some of the methods that I personally use to keep my home pest free. After all, prevention is better than cure.
Also Read: 5 signs you need professional office cleaning services