It is no fun to have bugs. Pests are able to get into what you eat, while bringing discomfort too. Follow these tips to chase pests out of your house quickly.
Don't wait for a pest control problem to become an infestation; call a professional or take action on your own immediately. You might think that just because you've only seen one or two or that you don't see them often there isn't a big problem. Do something fast or you can expect big problems later.
If you want to get rid of the ants around your house, sprinkle some borax powder near your home. This will help to poison the ants so that they are stopped in their tracks and cannot come back. This will help to temporarily eliminate the ant problem during certain seasons of the year.
Take away any pet food in the overnight hours. You will also want to take away their water bowl. Bugs like to eat the food and then wash it down with the water bowl. If you are spraying for bugs with pesticide you want to take away the dog bowl before hand.
If you see that there is a sudden infestation of bugs in and around your home, look around for trash that may have been left out. Bugs, insects and animals will run to this, as cleaning this mess up can get rid of your issue effectively, saving you time and money.
If you're using mulch, don't mulch all the way to the side of your home. Leave a gap about half a foot in length between the mulch and your outdoor wall. This will give you (or any exterminator) a better ability to see if any pests (like termites) are crawling from the mulch onto your outdoor wall.
Avoid furniture from unknown sources. Furniture, especially upholstered furniture, can harbor pests. To keep them out of your home, avoid furniture from resale shops, trading websites, or the side of the road. If you bring an infested piece of furniture into your home, it can spread to all of your own furniture as well.
Keep standing water at a minimum if you want to keep mosquitoes away. Mosquitoes lay their eggs in stagnant water, so if you have a small puddle in your yard you are giving them a perfect place to breed. To prevent this you can walk through your yard after rain storms to ensure that your yard does not become their breeding ground.
If you have a problem with mice, use peppermint. Mice hate the smell of peppermint, so simply start growing some around the perimeter of your home. You can also leave dishes of peppermint oil in your kitchen and around your house. Soon you will discover that you no longer have a mice problem.
Pesticides can have devastating effects on the environment. You should carefully assess the risks before using these products. Do not use pesticides if you are located near a stream or a place where children play. If you use a pesticide inside your home, open the windows to let the toxic chemicals out.
Keep your home clean. Food is the most common cause of pests infesting the home.
It basically lures them inside. Be sure to clean the counter tops and floors and clear out any food debris after eating and cooking. Keeping your surfaces clean can help prevent pests from entering your home.
Try to get your neighbors to help with your pest control. In areas that are in the city, people around you probably have similar pest problems. If you eliminate them from your house, they will likely return if the neighbors do not take action, too. If you band together as neighbors, you can more effectively combat your pest problems.
Talk to friends and family about what has worked for them. You might be at your wits' end when you are dealing with pests. That's when you need to take a step back and find out what has worked for other people. Your friends and family may be able to step in and help you come up with a better plan.
Prevent ants from invading your pet's food bowl by putting the bowl in a shallow dish of water. Ants will not go through water and will turn away when they encounter it. Keep the food bowl away from the wall so the ants will not find another way to invade it.
Deal with hives after dark, preferably. You may have to get rid of a bee hive using an exterminator. These foams can reach a long way and are great for killing bees from a safer distance. You should spray hives at night when bees are barely active and then watch and respray for a couple days. Wait until you know the bees are no longer living before removing the hive.
Sprinkle boric acid, a white powdery substance, into cracks and crevices around your home to keep roaches at bay. The powder sticks to the roaches, and they ingest the poison as they clean themselves. You can also mix the powder with sugar to bait them. Avoid spreading the powder in areas that children or pets can access.
Although you want to get rid of these pests no matter what, you should ensure you are properly protecting yourself. Always wear the protective gear that the label instructs you to wear. In addition, it is always a good idea to use proper precautions on your own. Always wash your hands before you eat, drink, use the restroom, etc.
You should not rely on a single product to get rid of pest. In most cases, homeowners manage to get rid of pest thanks to a combination of products and actions. You could for instance clean your home entirely, spray some pesticide in some areas and fill the cracks in which pest is hiding.
Be sure to use your new knowledge of pest eradication. These annoying critters can really cause problems, so you must eliminate them quickly. Apply the knowledge you have gained here to rid yourself of your uninvited house guests yourself.
