Pests can be annoying, but they can also carry diseases, damage your home’s structural components or destroy your furnishings. You may sometimes feel as if you are waging a never-ending battle to keep pests out of your home. However, you could be attracting them without realizing it.
Here are five things that can make your home a “pest magnet.”
- Standing Water
Although many people know that mosquitos lay their eggs in stagnant water, standing water actually attracts a wide variety of pests in your yard. Birdbaths, pet dishes, pails, toys and even bottle caps can draw pests seeking moisture for survival or reproduction. If you have pet dishes or birdbaths in your yard, be sure to change the water frequently. Other items may need to be thrown away or stored in your shed or garage.
- Garbage
Whether the can is in your home or outside in your yard, it should have a lid that fits tightly. Indoor garbage cans should be emptied regularly and lined with a bag that can be closed tightly. Do not store bags of garbage in your garage; humidity and heat will make the aroma even more enticing to pests. Leaving bags of trash on the patio increases the risk of rodents rummaging through it as well.
- Pet Food
Pet food is often purchased in large bags. Once these bags are opened, pests can quickly find a feast whether you store the pet food in your garage, in your home or on your patio. Some pests can even chew through unopened bags to access the food. Pet food should be stored inside a metal container with a tight lid if rodents are a problem; tightly sealed plastic containers are usually sufficient to keep insects out of the pet food.
- Clutter
Piles of magazines and newspapers, stacks of books or piles of mail can provide pests with hiding places as well as possible nourishment, so clutter should be eliminated. However, many people do not think about what may be cluttering up their porches, patios or yards. Open recycling bins, empty flower pots, broken toys and tools that are rarely used can provide pests with shelter and/or food and moisture.
- Landscaping
Mulch and grass clippings next to your home’s foundation give pests a moist, sheltered environment in which they can hide and breed. Once the young are ready to leave the nest, they need only take a short walk to seek out any tiny cracks or gaps in your foundation and enter your home. Shrubs and other plants growing within inches of the foundation only make the problem worse. Tree limbs that overhang your roof or brush against exterior walls can also give pests an easy way to access your home.
If you need help to control pests, contact the professionals at Geiger’s Pest Services, Inc. We can tailor an effective, safe treatment plan to meet your precise needs. Contact us today to start enjoying the benefits offered by an experienced, licensed, trustworthy pest control company.