Spring Cleaning Tips That Will Protect Your Home From a Pest Infestation

Now that winter is over, many pests come out of hiding and are eager to invade your home. But don’t worry, because there are a lot of things you can do to prevent this from happening, so follow these tips, and your home will be pest-free, plus learn more about common wildlife pests here!

General Home Maintenance

There are a few basic steps you can take while spring cleaning. These are simple and straightforward, but they’re incredibly effective.

Vacuuming Your Home

Vacuuming is a crucial step. It helps pick up all the tiny bits of food and debris around your home.

Vacuuming might sometimes feel pointless, but the crumbs it picks up attract tiny pests like ants, cockroaches, and rodents. By vacuuming your home thoroughly — and getting every nook and cranny — you’re stopping many problems from coming in.

Cleaning the Pantry

Pests love your pantry because it’s a buffet of food. These critters will have enough food to last them a lifetime once they get into the pantry.

That’s why it’s crucial to clean things up. It would be best if you disposed of any expired or damaged food, as the strong scent will quickly attract unwanted visitors. It would be best if you also put everything you find into air-tight containers, so they don’t give off a smell, and so insects can’t access the food.

Removing Clutter

Tiny pests love clutter. It provides them with the perfect hiding spot, and it makes it that much harder for you to find and get rid of them.

By taking just a few hours to remove clutter and organize your home, you’ll be making things harder for the unwanted invaders.

Sealing Holes

Over time, your home will experience some wear and tear. Small holes will appear on your walls and roof, and it’ll make an excellent entry point for insects, rodents, bats, and many other pests.

That’s why you must inspect your home and seal up any gaps you find. Professional wildlife removal companies like All Star Animal Trapping can adequately check your home for you.

Attics and Basements

Your attic and basement are two spots in your home you rarely visit, making them an excellent place for pests.

Inspect Your Attic

Because you rarely enter your attic, you might have some critters already living up there. These are typically bats, raccoons, opossums, and rodents.

It would be best if you inspected your attic while you do your spring cleaning, as most of these animals enter your home during this time to raise their young.

If you notice a lot of guano in your attic and hear noises at dawn and dusk, you have bats living up there. If there are lots of scratching at night, you might have a large colony of rodents on your hands. And if there’s a lot of stomping and loud footsteps as you try to sleep, you might have raccoons living up there. Identify the noises you hear at atticnoises.com.

Regardless of what animal is causing the problem, you should call a professional to remove them.

Cleaning the Attic and Basement

These parts of the home are most vulnerable to pests, as they’re usually damp and dark. So it’s essential to thoroughly clean your attic and basement to ensure there’s nothing to attract these pests.

Doors and Windows

Doors and windows are a direct pathway to the outside world. Many tiny pests can use them to enter your home, so you should take some precautions while spring cleaning.

Replacing Seals

Over time, your door and window seals will naturally wear out. This creates a new opening to your home, and many small insects will use this to their advantage.

Because this is such a minor change, it’ll be hard to spot. Meaning you could scour the entire home to find the source of the problem, and it’ll still go unnoticed.

That’s why you should pay close attention to your door and window seals and ensure they’re still in good condition. Make sure to replace them if needed.

Replacing Screens

Screens let you make the most of the warm spring and summer air. They let in fresh air from outside but stop nasty critters from getting in.

But over time, screens get damaged. Small gaps might appear, and many insects will be able to wiggle their way into your home.

So take this as an opportunity to replace the screens so that you can enjoy the warm air without risking any pests coming indoors.

Garden

Your garden is directly outside your home. Once an animal gets into your yard, they’re just a few steps away from the inside of your home. By keeping your garden in good shape, you can reduce the number of pests near your home, lowering the number that get in.

Trimming Shrubs and Trees

Shrubs and trees brighten up your garden. They add more color and natural beauty, which is why so many people plant them in their yards.

Yet, these plants help small rodents get into your home. Some pests use shrubs as a great hiding spot, so they can take advantage of an open door or other vulnerability the moment it presents itself. Like squirrels or roof rats, others will climb up nearby trees and jump on top of your home before getting inside.

That’s why you should trim these regularly and make sure branches are kept away from your home.

Picking the Right Plants

Many plants are fragrant or produce fruits and vegetables. These are nice to have, but they also cause the most trouble. These greens will attract wildlife, who can then get into your home.

So you should take this into account when planting things in the spring.

Sealing Garbage

Most people have their trashcans outside, where it’s filled up with some food so that the smell will attract many animals and pests.

Take the time to purchase tight lids for your trashcans. This will reduce the smell, and it’ll even stop raccoons and other pests from getting any food out of your garbage.

Related Articles:

• 7 Common Household Pests and How to Eliminate Them
• Miami Pest Control: Types of Pest Control Services