As a homeowner, you likely want to do everything in your power to keep household pests out of your home. Yet, if you are not aware of the things that attract these pests, you could be unknowingly inviting them inside and providing them with the resources they need to live there. Here are four things you might be doing to make your home a household pest’s playground:
Not Maintaining Your Yard
Not only does an unkempt yard look unappealing, but it also attracts household pests. If you do not mow your yard on a regular basis, you will likely see an uptick in the number of spiders and other bugs inside your home because the long grass makes it easier for them to move across the yard undetected. Additionally, piles of leaves in your yard will start to rot after a while, and this acts as a food source for pests, which will draw them closer to your home.
Providing Reliable Resources
There are some families who toss their leftover food into the backyard after a meal, but we are here to advise against doing that. At best, this food could attract small bugs, like beetles, and at worst, it could attract rats and cockroaches. Storing your garbage right outside your house also provides household pests with ample food and water, so either store your trash in a sealed bin, or store it far away from your home.
Not Sealing Your Home
If your walls have cracks or your doors or windows are not properly sealed, it is almost too easy for household pests to find a way inside. You may think that a small crack or gap in the door frame is not a big deal, but it could be serving as a superhighway for bugs (and possibly rodents). To fix this, check the walls in your home for cracks and the entrances in your home for gaps, and either repair them yourself or call in a professional to do it for you.
Keeping a Messy Home
Clutter on the floor, dishes on the sink and crumbs on the counter are all extremely attractive to household pests. Bugs love to snack on leftover crumbs that linger on the surfaces of your home, and clutter on the floor makes it easy for them to live in your home undetected. To stop these bugs in their tracks, you need to make a thorough cleaning schedule and stick to it. Sweeping, vacuuming, and cleaning off counters are three of the most important chores, but certainly, don’t neglect the others if you want the household pests gone for good.