Pests can congregate in your home without warning, so it’s best to be equipped with an arsenal of the best pest control methods.
When considering the best pest control methods, there are two steps to eliminating these nasty visitors – prevention and eradication. These tasks go hand in hand as you aim to protect your home from pests. Let’s take a closer look at the best pest control methods for prevention and eradication.
Keep Your Kitchen Clean
Pests seek a dirty, moist environment, so keep this in mind as you maintain your kitchen. Keep counters, racks, the stovetop, and drawers clean to prevent a pest invasion. Regularly sanitize them with a disinfectant as well.
Be sure to clean up and throw away food scraps after every meal. Any food left out in the open is a welcome invitation for pests to start a party in your kitchen. Cleaning won’t permanently eradicate an entire pest infestation, but it’s a foolproof method for pest reduction.
Deep Clean the Bathrooms
Most apartment pest management information excludes bathroom pest control; however, bathrooms shouldn’t be excluded from your cleaning routine. Since pests love dirty, moist areas, the bathroom is a hotspot for their arrival. Here are some bathroom cleaning guidelines to help keep pests away:
- Clean your toilets with toilet bowl cleaner at least once per week.
- Use a strong bathroom cleaner to scrub the sink weekly.
- Keep the shower curtain clean and moss-free. Throw it in the washing machine each month, and replace the liner every six months to prevent mold and mildew.
- Ensure your shower drain is covered and free from debris, such as hair and soap scum.
- Shake out any rugs, and sweep and mop the floors weekly.
By following these simple steps, your clean restrooms will deter pests from marking their territory.
Take Out the Garbage Daily
We’re frequently asked how to clean the kitchen after pest treatment, and throwing out the trash is the secret. Ideally, garbage should be disposed of every day. A buildup of trash can result in an infestation of rats, mice, and cockroaches. After all, it’s discarded food that they can eat.
The situation will only worsen when you discover rotten food remnants around the house. This can cause a surge of infection, especially if you have pets and young children within your home.
Maintain Your Garden
A garden can act as an oasis for pesky visitors. Here are a few ways to keep them from overtaking your fruits, vegetables, and other plants:
- Fill in holes or pits where water might accumulate.
- Clean any ponds or water fountains regularly.
- Prune your plants monthly to avoid overgrowth.
- Keep the garden clean, neat, and free from leaves, weeds, or debris.
Keep Tools and Cleaners Outside
It takes plenty of gear to maintain a house and yard. You probably have furniture, tools, buckets, and other items to keep your house operating smoothly. Keep these items outside, and avoid using them inside until they have been thoroughly cleaned; otherwise, you might bring in unwanted visitors.
The same applies to outdoor toys, such as battery-operated bikes and vehicles. Encourage your kids to keep their outside toys in the backyard or the garage instead of inside the house.
Eliminate Standing Water
Stagnant water is a breeding ground for insects and pests. To prevent mosquito-borne diseases like dengue and malaria, ensure the drains surrounding your house are clean and free from debris. When not in use, keep any buckets empty, clean, and dry.
Also, avoid storing containers under an air conditioner to collect water. Instead, consider alternatives like a pipe. If you cannot set up a pipe to drain the water from your A/C, empty the water container daily, and scrub it clean weekly.
Set Up Traps
When it comes to rodent control, using traps is a popular and effective option. Most pest control companies like to use traps whenever necessary.
Using traps has plenty of benefits, including:
Low toxicity – Pesticides are effective, but all chemicals carry certain side effects. Traps offer a non-toxic option for pest control. Since no poison is needed, there’s no risk of contaminating nature, animals, people, food, etc.
Reusable – Traps are reusable and safe for the environment. Since they’re reusable, they’re also very cost-effective.
Tangible evidence – Another benefit of traps is knowing the exact location of diseased rodents. Finding a random dead mouse around your home is dangerous and terrifying– traps prevent this problem.
Traps attract pests to a central location and then prevent them from fleeing. After being imprisoned, they’re either moved or eliminated.
Bait is frequently employed, which adds some toxicity; however, non-toxic adhesive traps use a sizable sticky pad positioned in a busy area. Pests that step on the adhesive pad become attached until they die or are released. This works well against mice, lizards, centipedes, and other tiny pests.
Apply Pesticides
Pesticides are the most popular and widely employed technique in the sector. When mixed and administered correctly by an expert, they’re safe and frequently yield speedy effects. Pesticides are available in liquid, solid, and aerosol forms, and they’re grouped according to the type of pest they kill.
Naturally, it could be hazardous if a non-trained individual mixes or uses the incorrect amount —as with any chemical. This is why you should study any prospective pest control companies before booking them. Verify their accreditation, insurance, bonding, and certification of the technicians they send.
Before using any pesticides yourself, always read the label, and follow the instructions closely.
Summit Lawn & Pest Control Can Help
If you’re looking for the best pest control services in Utah County, Summit Lawn & Pest Control experts are here for you! We are passionate about providing fast and affordable home lawn care and pest control services to help you enjoy your property again.Contact Summit Lawn & Pest Control today to schedule your free assessment! We serve Lehi, American Fork, Provo, Spanish Fork, and all other cities in Utah County, Utah.
