How to Identify and Manage Pests in And Around Your Home

Whether it’s ants, flies, spiders, roaches or mice, none of us like to walk into any room of our house and see a pest awaiting us. Yet, at one time or another, it is a reality that we have to face. The good news is that there are several things that all of us can do in order to identify and also manage the pests that try to lurk around our homes. If you’d like a few helpful tips on how to do just that, we’ve got a list of five of them for you below:

Set up sticky traps.

If you’re looking for a way to identify the kind of pests that you have inside of your home, there are all kinds of commercial traps on the market. However, a lot of them contain toxic chemicals and some are not very humane. There is an alternative to them and they are known as homemade sticky traps. You can make them out of things like honey, duct tape and even maple syrup. One website that offers a few sticky trap recipes is Inhabitat. Just go to the site and put “all natural insect traps” in the search field.

Clean your house on a regular basis.

Just like we all enjoy having a good meal, so do pests. This is why it’s so important that you keep the rooms of your house clean at all times; especially when it comes to your kitchen. Sweep the floors daily. Take out the trash when the can is full. And don’t forget to wash your dishes and to wipe down your countertops with vinegar. That will help to remove any remaining food smells.

Seal up any holes or cracks.

If you’re someone who happens to keep your house immaculately clean but you still end up seeing ants, spiders and flies and you’re not sure why, it could be because you have small holes or cracks in along your windowsills, doors and in your basement. In most cases, there is a simple remedy. All you have to do is go to your local home improvement store and purchase some caulking. If you apply it to the holes and cracks, you should see a lot less pests in just a matter of days.

Fix any leaks.

Something that all pests need in order to live is water. That’s why you can oftentimes find them in wet areas like the kitchen and bathroom sink and also around the toilet. In order to find the source of any leaks that you may have, conduct an energy audit. You can learn how to do so by going to Energy.gov and putting “DIY energy audit” in the search field. If you happen to find any, there are a few websites that can show you how to repair them yourself. One of them is Home.HowStuffWorks.com. Just go to the site and put “how to fix leaky pipes and joints” in the search field. Use natural pest removal techniques. If you happen to see some pests in your home, while you can use a product like Powderpost Beetle Control Treatments and Spray for your home pest control needs, if you want to save money and improve the indoor air quality of your home, there are natural pest removal techniques too. One of our favorite websites that provides a list of natural ways to remove pests is One Good Thing By Jillee. Just go to the site and put “natural pest control methods” in the search field.