Many people focus on making their homes look great and enhancing curb appeal. This is advisable if you plan to increase the resale value of your home. But others want to make their homes livable. When it comes to livability, they want to keep rodents, bugs, and pests from entering their homes.
With this, they can work on removing the conditions that make the home appealing to pests. These conditions are normally found inside and outside the house. Here are some things that homeowners can do to keep pests away from their properties.
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Trim the Plants
One good way to prevent pests from entering the house is to remove any bridges that lead them to the house. This means homeowners should trim shrubs and tree branches that touch the house. They should also remove places where these pests may find shelter. The mulch in the garden is ideal for this purpose. So the homeowner should replace mulch close to the foundation of the house with rocks and other items that are not attractive for pests.
Use Suitable Lights
To lessen the risk of insects flying into the windows and doors, homeowners should replace the lights on the porch and areas close to the windows and doors. They should remove traditional mercury vapor lights or halogen lights. Instead, they can use orange, pink, or yellow bulbs. These types of bulbs do not attract insects, and the insects might end up ignoring them.
The homeowner can also install bright lights on a pole at a short distance away from the house. This way, the insects will go to the pole and not close to the house. But they should also make sure the pole is near enough to provide light close to the home for security purposes.
Seal the Windows and Doors
Pests sometimes find a way to go through gaps and cracks in the house. With this, homeowners should inspect and repair any broken windows and doors in the house regularly. They can even hire a company specializing in mosquito control to eliminate these pests after ensuring the windows and doors are fully sealed.
Homeowners can use screen mesh with 200 holes for every square inch to prevent these insects from entering the home again. They can find these types of screens in hardware and home improvement supply stores.
Check for Gaps
Aside from the windows and doors, homeowners should look for any small openings around the house. It is important to regularly check the house for these gaps, cracks, and crevices where pests can enter. They should also check any cracks in the foundation, missing roof shingles, and even gaps around utility lines.
Homeowners should also check if any of the sidings are loose or any gaps in cable and electrical wiring. If they find any gaps, they should seal them using coarse steel wool, copper mesh, or mortar. They should avoid using expanding caulk since insects can easily chew through the material.
Check for Holes Inside the House
Besides the exterior, homeowners should also check if there are any cracks or gaps inside the house. These gaps typically indicate that some pests have already found shelter inside the house. Homeowners should check behind and under kitchen cabinets, stoves, and refrigerators. They should also check for any spaces in the trims, around vents, cables, and pipes.
If they see any spaces or gaps, they should make sure to seal them. One way to find out if these gaps lead to the exterior of the house is the presence of air flowing through them. When the homeowners feel air coming in, then the gap or space leads to the exterior of the house.
Take Care of the Trash
Garbage can attract a lot of pests, including rodents and ants. But trash placed outside the yard can also attract other pests looking for a good place to stay or those looking for something to eat. Due to this, homeowners should make sure to use tight-fitting lids for their trash cans.
They should also clean the trash cans regularly along with the place where these trash cans are position. It is also a good idea to remove any debris that serves as food for these pests. The homeowners should also clean decks, garages, yards, and patios. They should remove any plant clippings, leaves, and standing water. All the debris provides pests a good place where they can make a home.
Keeping pests away does not only mean using pesticides and other chemicals in the house. Homeowners should also work on keeping them away from the house in the first place.