5 Ways Your Home Is Attractive To Pests
All types of pests can be a real problem for homeowners. They cause destruction to your home, spread disease, and contaminate food. Common household pests in Florida include ants, cockroaches, fleas, flies, small rodents, and spiders. Understanding why your home may be attractive to pests is important to help prevent them. Check out these common ways pests are attracted to live around your property and enter your home.
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Openings & Cracks In Your Home
Openings and cracks in your home can be a major source of entry for pests. They are attracted to the warm, dark spaces provided behind walls and in other areas difficult to access. Common places where pests gain access include door thresholds, windowsills and screens, and gaps around siding or foundations. These small openings provide easy access points for bugs, rodents, and other critters to enter your house looking for food or shelter. Sealing off all potential entrances with caulk or weatherstrip is a simple way to help keep unwanted pests out of your home.
Poor Sanitation
Poor sanitation conditions, such as leaving out old food scraps, not washing dishes regularly, and not taking out the trash enough, are major factors that attract pests to your home. Simple steps such as keeping counters clean and free from crumbs or spills, vacuuming regularly, taking out the garbage frequently, and reducing moisture sources are all ways to help prevent attracting pests.
Standing Water Around Your Property
Standing water is common in attracting pests around your home or yard. Mosquitos and other insects, as well as rats or frogs, are attracted to standing water because it provides a habitat for larvae to grow into adults while providing them with moisture and hydration. Areas on your property, such as clogged gutters, an overflowing rain barrel, potted plants, and outdoor furniture, are prone to pooling water. To help reduce this, don’t overwater your lawn and plants, and be mindful of clearing out gutters and other places where water collects.
Overgrown Vegetation Around Your Property
Overgrown vegetation around your property can become overrun with weeds, tall grasses, and foliage, creating a perfect habitat for pests to thrive in. These areas provide food and shelter for pests and are a great nesting ground for many species. It is important to keep up with regular yard maintenance, such as trimming trees and bushes and removing dead plants or debris, to prevent an infestation.
Improper Food Storage & Disposal
Not properly storing food away in air-tight containers or refrigerators also makes it easier for pests to find and access it. This can include leaving sugary snacks out on counters or tables, leaving pet food out overnight, having unsealed bags of chips or cereals, or taking too long to throw away garbage full of food debris. Improperly disposing of food waste can also appeal to many species of pests, including rodents and cockroaches that often go through bins for leftover scraps. Be careful to reseal packaging tightly, fully close Tupperware containers, put leftover food away in the refrigerator, and take out the trash frequently. Also, ensure your outdoor trash storage is sealed tightly and taken to the curb regularly.
