You might not be aware of some uninvited guests in your house until you find food crumbs littering the floor, damaged furniture, or dirty pests’ feces. They enter your house for many reasons to build their own empires, causing many troubles to our daily life.
Why do we need to prevent and control pests and rodents? Many people think it’s fine to have some insects inside your living space without knowing their danger. Let’s scroll down for more.
Some Common Pests And Rodents
There are different species of uninvited guests in our house. They vary in species and quantities because of the living environment. For example, Southeast Asia’s house’s most common pests and rodents are mosquitoes, cockroaches, ants, and rats. Besides, bats, redbugs, fleas, etc., also appear frequently in America.
The definition of pests is also not the same in different regions. In Vietnam, birds and pigeons are not classified as pests, but in the United States.
Why Do We Need To Prevent And Control Pests And Rodents?
Keep the House Clean
Once pests and rodents enter our house, they will leave their marks everywhere, from food crumbs and garbage to feces. These things make our house dirty and have a bad odor.
Imagining you have to clean the house days and nights due to the appearance of these uninvited guests? It’s absolutely annoying and tiring. Additionally, their dead bodies also contaminate our living space.
By preventing and controlling pests and rodents, you can eliminate them and prevent them from coming back; as a result, your house is clean!
Protect Your Family
Why do we need to prevent and control pests and rodents? Because we want to protect our family.
Under and inside pests’ and rodents’ bodies, various harmful viruses and bacteria were nested. They can be transferred from their hosts to our bodies in different ways, by their bites, food supplies, or direct touch.
Mosquitoes are the favorite host of arboviruses, causing some diseases, namely dengue, yellow fever, etc. On the other hand, rodents also cause some infestations such as hantavirus, lymphocytic, etc. Other species are harmful, either.
Not only infestation, but these unwelcome guests also attack us. Their bites cause some syndromes, including fever, redness, allergy, etc. Although the syndromes may not be serious, it’s annoying and uncomfortable surely.
Protect Your Assets
Rodents have an instinct to damage other assets, especially wooden items, to grind their teeth, which will grow until they die. Also, their feces and body liquid make our furniture lose aesthetics and an awful smell.
Another enemy of wooden furniture is termites – one of the most popular pests worldwide. They will dig into the items and keep expanding their nest inside, making the items become fragile.
Ants, meanwhile, prefer to build their empires inside the wall and damage the house from inside. They will destroy the house if you don’t prevent and control them right now!
Protect Your Harvesting
It’s not easy for farmers to grow plants and cattle, which costs a lot of time and effort. However, these harvesting can be damaged by pests and rodents.
They will damage your plants and fruits even when they haven’t riped yet. Once you harvest them, they will break into your storage space to steal everything gradually.
Now you know, “Why do we need to prevent and control pests and rodents?”. Let’s protect your cozy home, people, assets, and food from pests and rodents, and do not make your house into their home.
If you have some uninvited guests in your house and don’t know how to chase them away, move to our next articles to find the best solution.
How To Prevent And Control Pests And Rodents In Your Home
Have insects, rodents, or other pests ever invaded your home? Go on the offensive to stop pest issues before they arise rather than waiting to respond defensively after a bug has invaded your home. There are a number of methods for getting rid of pest-attracting elements both inside and outside your home, which should lessen the likelihood that they will ever disturb you.
These ten suggestions will help you keep pests out of your home.
1. Seal Windows and Doors
You should routinely check for and fix any warped, damaged, or poorly-fitting doors and windows since pests can squeeze through even the smallest openings and holes. Additionally, patch up any rips or tears in screens right away. Utilize screen mesh sizes with at least 200 holes per square inch; you can find these easily at hardware and home improvement stores.
2. Proper Trash and Litter Disposal
The majority of people are aware that domestic rubbish can draw pests including rats, roaches, and ants. Yard debris, however, can also attract pests who may mistake it for a nest or a food source. Make sure that all of your garbage cans have secure lids, and clean the cans and the area where they are placed frequently to get rid of any spills and debris that pests might eat. Keep leaves, plant trimmings, and standing water out of garages, patios, decks, and yards as well because these areas can all serve as great habitats for pests.
3. Use the Appropriate Light Bulbs
Replace ordinary mercury vapor lights with high-pressure sodium vapor or halogen lights to cut down on flying insects around doors and windows. The insects will be least attracted to bulbs that have pink, yellow, or orange colors. If it is practicable, you could also wish to relocate your light. Although it is typical to place lights on exterior walls close to doors, it is preferable to place the light on a pole further from your house. This will keep the majority of insects away from your home and near the pole. To keep the door lit for safety, just make sure the light is still getting to it.
4. Clean Drains
Gunk and dirt frequently gather in floor drains and sinks. Especially for little flies, this can draw pests and make an excellent nesting ground. So be sure to frequently check and clean all of your home’s drains, especially those in the basement and laundry area. An effective DIY drain cleaner that uses vinegar and baking soda to clear out clogs uses foaming action.
5. Keep Your Home Clean Frequently
Your home will be less appealing to pests if it is cleaner. You will routinely disrupt any locations where a pest may be considering constructing a home if you keep up with your cleaning, mopping, and other household tasks. Additionally, you’ll remove trash and other debris that would have served as a pests’ possible food source. Additionally, if you consistently perform the cleaning rounds, you are more likely to notice any insect entryways before they become an issue.
6. Use Less Mulch and Plants
Retrim any shrubs or tree branches that contact your home. This aids in removing “bridges” that pests can use to quickly access your home and gain entry. Similarly, mulch in plant beds can serve as the perfect haven for pests. So use less pest-attractive ground cover, such rocks, in locations that touch your foundation rather than mulch.
7. Look for Gaps and Cracks
The presence of small openings is not limited to doors and windows. Check the exterior of your house on a regular basis for additional openings that pests could use to enter. Look for gaps around utility lines, such as pipes, electric wires, and cable wiring, as well as loose siding, missing roof shingles, and cracks in the foundation. Copper mesh, coarse steel wool, sheet metal, or plaster can be used to plug any gaps. In order to prevent rodents from chewing through it, expanding caulk should not be used.
8. Rinse Recyclables
Similar to how trash should be disposed of, recyclables should be kept in containers with tight-fitting lids. However, some local governments give their citizens access to open trash cans. If this is the case, thoroughly clean any trace of food off your recyclables before disposing of them. This extra effort should keep pests out of your trash can. And if at all feasible, keep the trash can outside as opposed to in your house or garage.
9. Check for Gaps Inside Objects
Outside the home, there are numerous pest prevention methods used. However, certain fissures and openings will only be seen from the inside. Check for rodent activity frequently inside, underneath, and behind kitchen cupboards, refrigerators, and stoves. Additionally, check for gaps in the trim and the areas around cables, pipes, and vents. Fill in any gaps you see, especially ones that are at least a quarter-inch wide. If you sense airflow flowing from these holes, you can be quite certain that it is coming from the outside.
10. Keep Food in Tightly Sealed Containers
Some pests, like rats, have keen senses of smell. Additionally, chances are they will focus on any open food containers you may have in your home. Foods from your pantry, including cereal and crackers, should always be kept in resealable bags or reusable containers if the original packing can’t be completely sealed. And make it a point to regularly purge your pantry of expired food and other stuff you won’t be using. This will lessen the appeal for any “pantry pests”.