If you want to keep a pest-free home, then you need to know what household pests to look for.
No one wants to deal with a household pest problem, but when you don’t know what you’re looking for, it’s easy for pests to infiltrate and wreak havoc on your home. The more you understand your foes, the better you can deter them, so in this post, we’re going to give you a simple guide to the common household pests.
Getting rid of pests by yourself or with pest control services can take time, but with the proper knowledge, you can make it happen without too much fuss. Read on and learn all you can about getting rid of pests.
Cockroaches
Having a cockroach problem is the result of excess moisture in your plumbing or an unseen source of food drawing them in. They’re usually between half an inch and two inches and have a penchant for contaminating food, eating through cardboard containers, and staining surfaces.
They’re also infamously hard to kill, even with bug sprays and traps. The best thing to do is try to remove all sources of comfort, like food, water, and hiding places. Putting traps out will be helpful in keeping tabs on when they come back, so you can quickly deal with the infestation next time.
If an infestation gets worse, cockroaches can actually transmit bacteria and disease.
Mice and Rats
Mice and their larger counterpart, rats, can both show up even when you’ve done your best to keep them out. They may appear first in your garden, then creep into your house through small gaps. From there, they may end up behind your walls, in your basement, or in the attic.
You’ll know they’re there when you hear them or when you first discover their droppings in your cupboards. They’re likely to chew through food containers to get a meal, but they could also chew through fabric, wood, and wires.
The best thing to do when you discover mice or rats is to first cut off the food supply, then lay traps. Gruesome as traps can be, it’s better than poisoning them and having dead rats behind your walls.
Termites
Although they’re tiny little black and brown bugs, termites pack a potentially devastating punch. If you didn’t know, their M.O. is to chew through the lumber that our homes are made from, which can sometimes compromise the structure of certain parts of your house. That’s only when you’ve got a serious infestation, however, and most termite problems can be managed fairly easily with professional help.
If you notice tiny winged bugs and/or tunneling in the exposed wood on your home, then contact a professional, like www.reynoldspest.com, ASAP. You can prevent them from showing up by keeping the exposed wood at least a foot above the ground and making sure everything’s well-ventilated. Termites are drawn to moisture and a queen can lay 1,000 eggs a day, so if you let them attack, it can be a costly issue.
Take the Proper Measures to Keep Household Pests Away
Now that you know a bit more about common household pests, you can take the proper measures to make a pest-free home. Getting rid of pests can be a chore, but preventing them from coming in the first place is possible with a bit of knowledge and diligence.
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