Florida’s warm weather attracts people from all over the country. Many northerners choose to migrate here during the winter months, and others have decided to call Florida their new home. People aren’t the only ones Florida’s beautiful weather attracts, however.
In the state of Florida, more than 90% of homeowners admit to dealing with at least one form of pest infestation in the past and needing some good pest control tips. Some common Florida pests that you might find in your home are cockroaches, termites, and ants. With moist, warm weather conditions almost all year long, Florida presents the ideal habitat for many insects and rodents.
Are pests bugging you in your own home? Pest proof your home today by following all of the information about pest control in our guide below. Here’s everything you need to know about dealing with bugs in the house.
1. Remove Standing Food or Water
When bugs enter your home, they’re on the hunt for just a few things: food, water, and shelter. If your home isn’t providing these necessities, then pests are unlikely to infest it. To ensure your home is unattractive to all pests, start by removing any standing food or water.
If you own pets, clean and remove their food and water dishes when not in use. Don’t allow your food to sit out for too long on the counters, and always wipe down counters each day to remove any crumbs. All food containers inside pantries and cabinets should remain sealed at all times.
A great trick is to purchase plastic food containers for simple and secure storage.
2. Keep Your Home Clutter-Free
Even clean and tidy homes can suffer from a pest infestation; however, it’s still beneficial to remove all clutter. When pests have many different places inside your home to hide, they’ll build nests and set up shop in no time. To help prevent pests, start by decluttering your home room by room.
When decluttering, create 3 piles. One pile is for trash, another pile is for items to donate or sell, and the last pile is for the items you want to keep. Start by removing everything from the room and placing the items into their specified pile.
Only replace the items you’re keeping and consider a few storage hacks for better organization.
3. Maintain Your Home’s Yard
Decluttering the inside of your home is just the beginning. You need to maintain the exterior of your home as well. If your yard has lots of debris throughout it, then this also creates good hiding spots for pests.
Hire lawn care services to come out on a weekly basis or recruit the family to head outside and help you keep the lawn pest-free. Start by removing any loose debris such as leaves, twigs, and branches. Trim shrubs and lay down new mulch.
Walk around the entire house inspecting it for signs of any pests.
4. Seal Cracks and Holes Around the House
Small cracks or holes provide entry points for a variety of pests. While conducting your inspection, you want to look out for any cracks or holes around the house. Have you found any rotten wood, missing siding, or cracks in the foundation?
All of these issues should be repaired as quickly as possible. Use a cement patch or caulking to fill smaller cracks and holes. Don’t forget to check the window screens for damage as well.
Check these spots on a regular basis to ensure they remain closed.
5. Store Trash in a Proper Manner
Your trash cans both inside and outside of your home should have a lid on them. When the trash is left open, it gives easy access to insects and rodents. Invest in secured trash bins now to save yourself the headache later on.
You should also avoid letting the trash fill to the top before taking it outside. If needed, you can secure the lid of the outside bin shut by placing something heavy on top of it. This will help keep rodents and other critters from getting inside.
6. Invite Natural Predators into Your Yard
Birds and bats are natural predators of insects. When you invite these natural predators into your yard, you can get rid of pests. You can invite birds into your yard by maintaining trees and shrubs for them to nest in.
You can also install a bird feeder, which will attract many bird species. To attract bats, you’ll want to hang a bat house in your yard.
7. Contact Professional Pest Control Services
Although there are many steps you can take to pest-proof your home, there comes a time when the infestation might be too far along. When you’re struggling to keep pests out of your home, don’t hesitate to contact professional pest control services.
Professional pest control services will inspect your home to determine what type of pests has invaded it. They’ll then find where they’re coming from and go over the ideal treatment plan for your home with you. The professionals can also discuss various ways to keep the pests out of your home in the future as well.
Use These Pest Control Tips to Protect Your Home All Year Long
Is your home victim to a pest infestation and now you’re looking for pest control tips? Don’t let pests take control of your home. Instead, take control of the pests by contacting Prodigy Pest Solutions. We have 7 years of experience in the pest control industry and counting.
We strive to provide customers with complete pest control services while paying close attention to detail. If you’re ready to call in the professionals, then get a quote today to see how we can help you.