Keep Your Home Safe From Pests

Here is how to get rid of these pests and protect your home for cheap (or even free).

Do you have a bug problem in your home? Are there termites, ants or mice disturbing the peace of your home; the time has come for them to leave.

If you’ve seen mice in your home, there is a huge possibility that your home is under mice attack because they can breed easily.

These pests excrete toxic droppings that are filled with harmful bacteria that can contaminate food items which is why you should get rid of them.

Mice

A lot of people use mice as their pets whereas, to others, they are a menace to the peace of their home. Mice love holes regardless of how small or narrow it is; because they have no collar bones, they can squeeze into any hole.

Mice breed easily and multiply quickly if you don’t act fast. A female mouse can give birth 5 to 10 times a year. Each birth can produce between five to six pups and after 25 days, the mother is ready to mate again.

Once the pups are 2 months old, the female among them will become mature enough to start matting and breed their pups.

Here are facts about mice you should know:

They can infect your household with listeria, hantavirus, salmonellosis and many deadlier diseases.
Mice urine, droppings and saliva contain contagious allergens that can infect your kids with asthma should they inhale it.
Their love for eating electrical wires can lead to a major fire
They will take over your home and might even embarrass you and your guests

Mice usually multiply and grow their ranks during winter because the cold weather pushes them into shelter where they mate and breed comfortably.

There are several ways of getting rid of mice and they include the following:

Get a cat as a pet

Mice are naturally scared of cats because they have a predator and prey relationship that helps to reduce the mice population. Cats can’t eradicate mice entirely but it will scare them away from your environment and reduce their population.

In addition to your cat, you can also use mice traps and repellent to get rid of mice.

Clean your environment

Clean your home regularly and get rid of food crumbs and leftover food including boxes that contain unwanted and unused items so you don’t attract mice indirectly.

Store food properly

You should store your food in a pantry or on a shelf where mice can’t get to them. Also, after your pets finish eating, pick up their feeding bowls and keep them where mice won’t find them.

Look for holes and plug the gap

Make out time to inspect your home and look for holes that offer shelter to mice and plug the gap with either hardware cloth, concrete or sheet metal.

Termites

When it comes to termites, it is difficult to detect an infestation if you’re not a pest control professional. They can damage your property once they have grown into a colony in your house.

There are three major species of termites namely

Drywood termites
Subterranean termites
Dampwood termites

The drywood and dampwood termite infestation usually occur when a colony sends out termite swarmers to search for food and if they see your house as a source of food, they’ll settle there.

While the subterranean termites will build mud tunnels near walls to access any wooden structure nearby.

Here are facts about termites you should know:

All three termite species have a different mode of operation
Termites can weaken and destroy furniture of any size in your home as long as it contains cellulose
Termites can’t infect humans with any known disease but they can emit particles that can cause asthma and allergic reactions

Prevention tips

Don’t place firewood or any type of wood close to the wall of your home because termites will cut through it and settle inside your home.

Reduce moisture close to the foundation of your house and in crawl spaces because termites love moisture and can settle there.

Bedbugs

Bedbugs are more dangerous than termites and mice because they feed on the human body and live animals. They can’t fly but they can move around undetected due to how tiny they are.

Bedbugs can build a nest in your bed, clothing, furniture, travel luggage, appliances and many more. If there is an infestation in your home, it will be quite hard to notice.

Here are facts about bedbugs you should know:

Not all pesticide can take care of bedbugs
They can feed on human blood and live for months
No one is safe around bedbugs because they attack the young and old and their bite can result in an allergic reaction.

If you have confirmed that your home has been invaded by bedbugs, get the services of a pest control professional to help you take care of the situation. However, if you want to prevent bedbugs from coming into your home, do the following;

Prevention tips

Clean your house regularly
Spray your bed, furniture and pets with a disinfectant regularly
If you take your mattress outside, before you bring it in; examine it thoroughly for bedbugs
Whenever you stay in a hotel, ensure your suitcase is kept in a protective bag.

Ants

Ants are not left out of the equation; they should be wiped out once spotted. Ants easily attack kids and adults if you are a threat to them and they can be very problematic.

Here are facts about ants you should know:

Like termites, they can take over your home, build their colony and weaken your furniture
Ants sting contains formic acid and it hurts
Ants behave like scavengers so it’s always hard to send them on their way

Prevention tips

Here are some ways to prevent ants from infesting your home.
Block off all possible entry points like windows and whenever you notice holes in your house, fill them up.
Quickly clean up spills and food crumbs as soon as they get on the floor
Store food in tight containers

Conclusion

Once you follow our recommendations on how to protect your home from common pests like mice, termites, bedbugs and ants, you’ll never have to deal with them.

However, if you already have an infestation problem, get the services of a professional pest exterminator to come to your aid.