Keep your Home Pest Free

Rodents, cockroaches, spiders, and ants can easily enter your home and cause potential damage indoors. Therefore, it is wise to prevent pest problems at the source itself rather than taking action after pests enter your business. Follow these simple steps to create a pest-free home. Deep home cleaning Vacuum your interior regularly, remove stuck cobwebs, pest droppings, and don't allow any clutter to build up. Since pests generally breed in dirty, impoverished, damp, and dark spaces, the area under the bed, refrigerator, lofts, and other hard-to-reach areas should be kept clean so as not to attract pests. Slide all surfaces and clean every corner of your home Clean litter boxes Clean up your trash regularly and use a wet and dry container to dispose of the waste.   Check for leaks Many pests seek out damp, dark areas indoors because they primarily thrive on food and water. Therefore, inspect the house for damp walls, internal plumbing leaks, exterior plumbing, leaking pipes under the sink, faucet leaks, and correct them immediately. There should be no standing water around the house as mosquitoes breed in standing water. Keep the kitchen clean Be sure to clean the kitchen (countertops, floor, and cabinets) and tidy up after meals. Do not store dirty utensils in the sink overnight and store all kitchen ingredients in airtight containers. Check and clean drains and floor drains regularly, as these areas accumulate a lot of dirt and food debris that attract pests and insects. Use a mixture of baking soda and vinegar to create a homemade drain cleaner to remove clogs within the drain through a foam reaction. Crack and hole filling Maintain the house regularly until all the cracks in the wall are sealed. There should be no gaps between the door or window frame and the wall because these areas are potential entry points for pests, termites, and small insects. Close spaces around utility lines, ducts, or exhaust vents. Pruning outdoor plants If you have plants or shrubs outside the house, trim them regularly as they can act as conductors for pests to move from the outside to the inside. [caption id="attachment_3808" align="alignnone" width="680"] Gardener woman pruning a cypress with pruning shears with the sky in the background[/caption] Pest control As a preventive treatment, opt for pest control at least once a year. You can also choose bug sprays and bait traps as DIY options to get rid of pests. Natural pest control methods Plants such as peppermint, tea tree, citronella, and lemongrass can be kept near entryways or windows as they emit a strong odor that repels pests and prevents them from entering the home. Add 1/4 teaspoon essential oils like peppermint or eucalyptus oil to a cup of water, transfer to a spray bottle, and spray around the house to reduce the number of flies, mosquitoes, and ants. Keep the house ventilated by opening windows regularly to prevent pests from multiplying. Mix vinegar and water in equal parts to get a solution. Clean countertops, cabinets, and other surfaces to keep ants and flies away. Also Read: Interior Design Hacks for Low Spaces