Spring Cleaning Pest Prevention Tips

Spring Cleaning Pest Prevention Tips

Spring is a particularly vulnerable time of year for homeowners. Many pests like ants, cockroaches and termites breed during this season—making their presence in your home more likely than at any other time of the year. When pests get inside your home, it’s only a matter of time before you’ve got an infestation on your hands. Controlling them after that can be tricky—and prevention is always better than treatment. So, spring cleaning?

By following these tips, you can keep pests from getting into your home this spring and summer!

Use Sealed Containers for Food

Although leaving food out on countertops and tables is common, it’s something that we all should avoid. If you leave food out, insects like ants or cockroaches may come into your home and eat it. This can spread diseases among themselves—and to humans if they’re not careful.

During spring cleaning, be sure to put food in sealed containers. This includes baking products, snacks and cereals—many of which are typically tucked away in your cabinets!

Clean Up Spills Thoroughly

If you leave liquids or crumbs on your kitchen counters, ants and cockroaches will be attracted to the mess. As part of your spring-cleaning routine, look for dirty areas in your kitchen that may have been previously overlooked and leave everything as spotless as you can. You’ll be thanking yourself later!

Plastic Storage Boxes Instead of Cardboard

You may not know this, but pests such as termites, rodents and squirrels all love cardboard. Termites will eat through the cardboard then make their way to your home if they can; mice will nest and breed in these containers once damaged by insects. Consider replacing your cardboard storage containers (for Christmas decorations especially!), and instead use plastic storage bins to keep these kinds of pests out of your home the rest of the year.

Seal Any Cracks in The Foundation

To keep pests out of your home, you should seal up any openings they might be able use to get inside. While doing a spring cleaning, check the condition of your foundation and look for holes or cracks that could let insects in. If you find any holes, fill them with a spray foam or caulk to keep bugs out.

Check Your Screens When Doing Spring Cleaning

Opening your windows during warm weather may be pleasant, but it also can bring bugs into your home. Before you open a window, make sure the screen is intact. Even tiny tears or holes can allow insects inside! When you notice a broken window screen, it’s important to address the problem quickly because bees and even wasps can find their way into your home through these openings.

No More Standing Water

Mosquitoes—those pesky insects that thrive in standing water. If you want to avoid these summer pests, eliminate any areas of standing water from your yard so mosquitoes cannot breed there. For example: kiddy pools and pet bowls can become breeding grounds for the bugs if not emptied out regularly! Termites are attracted to moisture, so eliminating puddles and wet areas from your yard is an effective way of preventing them as well!

Check The Bathroom During Spring Cleaning

Not only do mosquitoes and termites like to live in or near water, so do silverfish and cockroaches. To ensure that pest populations don’t grow out of control this spring, check your pipes for leaks!

However, taking these preventive measures can greatly reduce the chance of an infestation. But sometimes pests still find a way into your home and then, it’s almost impossible to eradicate them. In those cases, you can give us a call. Here at Total Pest Solutions, our experts just what to do to get bugs out and to keep them that way for good.