There are a million species of pests worldwide, including home and garden pests. Pests such as cockroaches, ants, bedbugs, spiders, rodents, scorpions, wasps, etc. can be a nuisance when they invade your home, not to mention that most of them are a risk to human health. Pests not only ravage for your food in stores or kitchen but also cause stings, bites, or skin irritations when your skin comes into contact with some of them. Fortunately, before you call in the professionals like this pest control vandenberg air force base ca company, you can practice several control measures to try and get rid of pests both at home and in your home garden.

Maintain your garden

One thing that will always attract pests in your home is your kitchen garden, backyard, or front yard. Most of these places attract pests, especially a kitchen garden because there is plenty of food to feast on. From the kitchen garden, pests such as rodents and ants quickly find their way into your house, searching for water and shade.

To prevent that, maintain your garden, lawn, or backyard by keeping it neat and clean. Mow the grass in your yard and fill up any holes that can hold stagnant water. If you have a kitchen garden, take care of the plants by pruning them and clearing off weeds to prevent wild bushy growths that attract pests. Use organic pesticides against any pests but most of all, keep your plants healthy to repel any pests.

While gardening, you may encounter pests such as wasps, bees, spiders, or scorpions that sting and bite. Wear protective clothing and have an insect bite cream as an essential medication in case of an allergic reaction, pain, irritation, or inflammation due to an insect bite or sting. Keeping your garden neat will ward off pests like rats, mosquitoes, ants, and other plant insects.

Maintain a clean kitchen

The kitchen is usually the number one inhabitant for pests such as ants, cockroaches, and rodents. It is because there is always a limitless supply of food and water. They leave contamination on food surfaces and kitchen tops. Pest contamination could easily find its way into your stomach due to all the infections you collect from the surfaces, especially kids who do not practice handwashing habits. That can cause stomach infections such as amoeba and diarrhea.

To mitigate that, keep your kitchen clean by wiping and cleaning all the surfaces regularly with disinfectant or vinegar and immediately washing dirty utensils. Wipe away any food crumbs or drink spills since pests are attracted to sugary surfaces. Keep the cabinets, appliances, and stovetops clean to deny the pests of food. If you are storing food, ensure it is in a tightly closed container or inside the refrigerator. Clean sinks and drains using baking soda and vinegar to clog off any dirt. Although cleaning may not killing the pests, it prevents your home from infestation, especially after successful pest control.

Drain stagnant water immediately

Any stagnant water is a breeding spot for mosquitoes, which can cause malaria. Stagnant water also causes water-borne diseases such as bilharzia. To prevent that, ensure you drain any stagnant water as soon as possible. If there are some parts in your compound that hold water, try filling them up with soil with good drainage to simplify your work. Ensure your gutters are working in draining off excess water and keep them covered or dry.

Do not leave open water buckets lying around. If you have an air conditioner for eliminating water, avoid keeping a container beneath it to collect water or ensure it is always empty. Generally, ensure there is no stagnant water around your house to keep the pests away.

Store food appropriately

When storing food, ensure you do so in lockable containers that you can tightly close to keep the pests from accessing the food. Crucial of all, always store food in the refrigerator where the pests cannot gain access. Store your cereals in tightly closed containers and still keep the pantry clean.

If you have a store, invest in pallets for placing the food sacks so that it will be easy to trap or control the rodents. If you have pets, clean their food bowls and do not leave them outside with food remains.

Seal up any cracks, crevices, or gaps

Any cracks, crevices, or gaps are the entry point of pest inside your house. Seal up any cracks with wire meshes to keep them away and also keep the ventilation on. Pests, such as rodents, chew out wire meshes, so you can use caulk or coarse wire mesh to keep them off. Inspect the doors and windows for tiny openings that could be letting in pests, not to forget the roof.

Proper disposal of waste

Waste is where pests find most of their food, which keeps them going in many households. But, proper waste disposal can help keep them away. Use plastic bags in the trash cans to prevent waste leakages. Utilize lockable trash cans and keep them tightly closed every time and not leave waste for too long. When you dispose of, clean it of any spillages, let it dry and keep it closed.

If you have a compost bin, ensure it remains closed and squeeze lemon juices to absorb any odors. Remember that yard waste also attracts pests and ensure your yard stays clean.

Avoid keeping fruits and vegetables out for long.

Whenever you keep fruits and vegetables out of the refrigerator, they start rotting, mostly overripe fruits which attract flies, ants, and cockroaches. Such pests cause contamination and could lead to stomach infections or diarrhea. So, avoid keeping fruits and vegetables out of the refrigerator for long, especially the cut ones.

Regular cleaning of your home

Cleanliness is an excellent deterrent to pests. When you regularly mop, vacuum, or scrub your floors, you will most likely find the hiding places and entryways for pests and get rid of them. Cleanliness is the key to keeping pests away since you deny them their source of food. That way, you also mitigate the risks of infections due to contamination.

the final words

The above are control measures you can use to keep pests at bay. However, if your efforts do not eliminate pests, seek professional pest control and follow up with the control measures to avoid re-infestation.