Pest Invasion… The time has come.. Now the ways to solve it

 

We have all had our experiences with bugs of some sort invading our homes or yards.

Every few years we are visited by an army of ants around our kitchen window and countertop.  We have successfully routed them and found how they’re getting in – so we put a stop to that!  Since spring will soon be here, insects and such will begin to appear.  So to that end, we thought we would share some tips on protecting yourself from a pest invasion.

The National Resources Defense Council is a great source regarding the prevention of pests and pest control treatment.  Following are a few of their tips.

Keep House Clean and Dry

Insects and rodents are attracted to food and water to make your home less enticing to pests.

  1.  Wipe up spills immediately with soap and water.
  2. Keep ripe fruit in the refrigerator.  This will eliminate those pesky flying insects that eat on the ripe fruit left out on the counter.
  3. Keep dishes washed – at least submerge them in soapy water until you can wash them.
  4. Sweep/vacuum floors regularly.
  5. Keep bathroom and kitchen areas dry.  Fix leaky faucets and don’t let standing water accumulate.

Seal Entryways

Deny access by making sure potential entryways are sealed off.

  1.  Use silicone caulk to seal cracks and crevices in baseboards, cupboards, ducts and electrical outlets.  We had to seal outside where the porch met the house to keep the ants out of our kitchen.
  2. Place screens in front of heating and cooling vents and repair holes in existing screens.  A mouse can squeeze through a hole the size of a dime!
  3. Keep vegetation and stacked firewood away from the exterior of the house.

Chemical-Free Solutions

  1.  Vacuum for individual bugs or nests.
  2. Lay traps such as flytraps, jar traps, pheromone traps, etc.
  3. Use a swatter

Lower-Risk Pesticides

If problems persist you can try these techniques to minimize the health risks to family members.

  1. Dust boric acid on cracks and crevices.  It will slowly poison insects such as ants, cockroaches, and silverfish but is far less toxic to humans and pets.
  2. To control insects and rodents you may try tamper-resistant bait boxes.  They are effective and safer than sprays, powders or pellets.  It’s suggested to find bait boxes that use a nonvolatile chemical like boric acid and be sure to keep them out of the reach of children.
  3. Insecticidal or fatty-acid soaps will kill soft-bodied insects such as caterpillars, fleas, and mites on contact, and are virtually harmless to humans and pets unless ingested.

These are all good reminders to keep handy year round because no matter how careful we are, at some point, some type of pest will get into the house or will torment us when we try to relax outside.