Pests enter your home in search of 3 things: food, water, and shelter. If you can eliminate these attractants, pests will have less of an interest in getting into your home.
Many DIY Pest Control Kansas City methods are chemical-based, which can have long-term effects on the environment and potentially your health. The team is trained to carefully administer these products, reducing your risk.
Check For Entry Points
It’s frustrating when pests invade your home. Whether it’s ants marching across the kitchen counter or mice running through your basement, these uninvited guests can turn your cozy retreat into an uncomfortable battleground. But before you reach for the air freshener, there are some things that you can do to get rid of pests yourself and prevent them from returning.
One of the most important things you can do when trying to control pests is checking for entry points. These can include cracks, crevices, and gaps in the walls, foundation, and attic space. Check these areas regularly and use caulking to fill any cracks.
Another key area to check is around your house’s vents, utility lines, and plumbing. These can serve as an open invitation for rodents, cockroaches, and other pests. Seal these areas with caulk and steel wool.
Wet spaces can also attract pests, so if you have any leaky faucets or pipes, be sure to fix them. Finally, don’t ignore any unusual odors. Foul odors like those from feces and rotting food are a clear sign that something is amiss.
Cleaning your house can also help deter pests. Keep countertops clean and free of crumbs, and store food in sealed containers. Regularly sweep and vacuum your floors and wipe down surfaces, including behind appliances, to make it harder for pests to hide. Finally, regularly empty and replace your trash to keep it from attracting pests.
While these methods may be effective in keeping pests at bay, they are not foolproof. For serious infestations, you should call a professional.
Some DIY pest control products can be dangerous to humans and pets, so you should always read labels carefully before using them. In addition, mixing chemicals can create toxic reactions, so only mix them if the label indicates it is safe. Also, you should never skip treatments or fail to follow a schedule, as this can lead to re-infestations. Lastly, be sure to wear protective gloves when handling any pest control products.
Seal Up Any Gaps
Keeping pests out of your home requires more than just spraying the inside with a bug bomb. It’s important to find and seal up any cracks, crevices, or holes where they might enter. Look at your foundation, door frames, windows, utility pipes and cables, and the roof. Fix any holes and gaps as soon as you spot them, and repair any broken windows or doors. You should also consider using a plant-based DIY pest control spray, made from essential oils like peppermint or eucalyptus, to repel ants and other household pests.
Rodents, cockroaches, and other pests seek out food, water, shelter, and entry points to enter your home. They don’t need much to gain access: According to the College of Agriculture, common mice can fit through openings as small as a pencil’s width. Ants, spiders, and other pests can crawl through holes the size of a dime.
To prevent these unwelcome guests, you should regularly sweep the exterior of your house and look for potential entry points. Then, close up these entrance points, such as by caulking or sealing with steel wool. You should also trim vegetation, eliminate bridges by removing debris, and keep garbage cans tightly shut. You should also store firewood at least 20 feet from your house, and maintain the yard by removing piles of leaves and other debris.
A well-maintained yard can be a deterrent to pests, as it is less appealing to take up residence there. Make sure that you cut the lawn, pull weeds, and clean outdoor faucets, buckets, and other containers that might hold standing water after rainstorms. Finally, you should remove rotting logs or other woodpiles that could provide hiding spots for rodents and insects.
You can further deter pests by placing snap traps or homemade fruit fly traps around the house and in dark corners where they’re most likely to travel. You can use a combination of vinegar and water to create a natural plant-based DIY pest control spray, which you can spray on counters, walls, and other areas to kill or repel them.
Get Rid Of Weeds
There are many products available for getting rid of pests once they’ve invaded your home. Hardware stores and garden centers have a wide variety to choose from, and online retailers can even deliver a package of pest control chemicals to your door in less than a week. Whether spraying an insect directly or using a deterrent around the house, most of these products work in similar ways by disrupting an insect’s nervous system. However, figuring out which DIY methods will work can be difficult and time-consuming, especially when it comes to weeds and other unwanted vegetation.
One of the most important aspects of basic pest prevention is to eliminate sources of food and water that can attract pests. This means making sure all food is put away after eating, and that garbage cans are closed tight. It also means keeping piles of wood and brush away from the house, as these can provide hiding spots for rodents.
Another way to prevent pests is to remove any weeds that have grown close to the house and cut back overgrown plants, bushes, and vines. This will help keep ants, bees, and other insects from trailing straight to the home. It is also a good idea to plant herbs and flowers that have a natural repellent quality, as this will help keep pests away from your house.
It is also helpful to maintain a well-groomed lawn that is mowed regularly, and free of weeds, sticks, leaves, and debris. These areas can easily harbor pests and provide access to the house, so they should be trimmed as needed. In addition, be sure to check your yard for any standing water after a rain shower, and make sure gutters are not clogged. Water that is not drained quickly can be a breeding ground for mosquitoes and other pests, so it’s best to keep these areas as dry as possible.
Check Your Yard
There are several ways pests can get into your house. Insects can squeeze through the tiniest cracks, and mice and rats can fit into impossibly small holes. To keep pests out, you need to do a home inspection and seal up all the entry points they use. You’ll need to look for any gaps around foundations, door frames, windows, utility pipes and wires, and the roof. You can fill any gaps you find with caulk, expanding foam, or copper mesh (a rust-proof, fine-mesh material that rodents can’t chew through). You should also install weather stripping along the bottom of your doors to prevent them from squeezing in when they’re open.
In addition to sealing up any potential entry points, you’ll need to remove the food sources that attract pests. Store all foods in containers with tight lids, and make sure you’re putting any garbage away regularly. Don’t leave out pet food or water, either, since this is a big draw for many different types of pests.
Your yard is the gateway into your home, so you’ll need to make it as unwelcoming as possible to pests. Cut your grass regularly and remove weeds. Store firewood 20 to 30 feet from your home. Keep shrubs and trees trimmed back. Check your gutters and outdoor faucets after storms to be sure they aren’t clogged and eliminate standing water around your house.
If you notice signs of an infestation, call in professional help to do a more in-depth pest control treatment. They’ll not only treat your house but also provide ongoing prevention techniques you can follow at home.
If you’re doing DIY pest control, be careful to read and understand all of the instructions and warnings on the product you’re using. Mixing different chemicals or pesticides can cause dangerous reactions, and ignoring label directions can lead to ineffective treatments or even poisoning. Don’t treat all pests the same, either; a one-size-fits-all approach is bound to fail. And remember that professional pest control gets results much faster than any DIY solution. You’ll see a difference within six hours, and full results in about a week.