5 Spring Cleaning Tips for Pest Control
Spring cleaning is about more than letting in the fresh air and getting a home ready for summer. Spring cleaning can also be an important step in a pest control management project. By completing some basic cleaning tasks, a person can protect his or her home from attracting insects, rodents, and other pests; which means no call-outs from a local pest control company.
1. Keeping Your Kitchen Clean & Tidy
The kitchen is the area of a home most likely to draw pests for one simple reason: that is where the food is kept. An important part of spring cleaning is to pull out appliances and clean under and behind them to remove any spilled food that may be present. A clean kitchen is an important part of any pest control plan.
As an added bonus, dust and other grime can be cleaned off of the refrigerator’s coils when it is pulled away from the wall. This will help it to run more efficiently and use less energy.
2. Clean Bedroom
For many bugs, the dead skin that makes up a significant portion of household dust is an attractive meal. To prevent attracting these insects into the bedroom, it is important to not only clean bed linens on a regular basis, but also to clean the mattress and box springs. Vacuuming these items during a spring cleaning can help to make pest control efforts successful.
3. Exterior Cleaning
To prevent bugs and rodents from entering a home, it is important to keep them away from the home. Removing accumulations of sticks and other yard debris will prevent pests from using them for homes. Gutters can also clog with debris and make an attractive home for some insects, so they should be cleaned as well. Standing water is another sure bug attractant. Remove any sources of water in the yard or under a home.
4. De-Clutter Your House
Getting rid of unneeded items is a great task for spring cleaning. Getting rid of clutter will provide more room in a home while removing places where pests like to live. This is especially true in basements and other unfinished areas where moisture can build up on boxes and other materials and provide a fertile home for a variety of critters. Old clothes, paper, and forgotten trash can also draw insects and rodents.
5. Pay Attention
While completing spring cleaning, keep an eye out for areas of the home that may be drawing insects and rodents or maybe allowing them to enter the home. Removing these sources of easy entry will increase the odds of a pest control project’s success. For example, holes and cracks between walls and floors need to be filled to prevent easy access into the home. A homeowner should also check the screens in the home’s windows before opening the windows to air out the house.
Water leaks are another area of concern to look for while cleaning. Whether it is a roof leak or a leaking sink, water is a natural draw for unwanted pests. If leaks are found in the home, they need to be fixed as part of the homeowner’s pest control efforts.
