Stop Paying for Pests
Pests and people are attracted to the same things: an easy meal, a convenient water source, and a cozy place to raise a family. All too often they find these things inside our homes. Delayed repairs and poor maintenance quickly become an open invitation for bugs and rodents to enter. Once inside, it only takes a little food and water to convince them to stay.Insects alone cause more than $5 billion in damages annually in the United States. Avoid the expense and hassle of dealing with pest damage by preventing it in the first place.
Wet Basement
A leaky basement is more than an inconvenience. Pooling water attracts all kinds of pests, including insects, rodents, snakes and other unwanted creatures. It also increases humidity that can lead to dangerous structural damage by termites and fungus. Check the grading and downspouts around your house to make sure that rainwater drains away from the foundation, and address other potential sources of leaks like windows, walls, and sump pumps as problems arise.
Clogged Rain Gutters
Clogged rain gutters allow moisture to build up close to the roof line. In addition to structural problems, clogged gutters provide a water source for insects and snakes to breed. Clean gutters in the spring, and after leaf drop in the fall, or consider installing gutter guards to eliminate the cause of clogged gutters.
Related:These 13 Pests Do the Most Damage to the Home
High Humidity
Pesky insects like cockroaches and silverfish love humid places. Leaky pipes, slow drains and even poorly vented bathrooms create conditions that lure these little creatures. Address repairs to these problems quickly, or you may have to contend with creepy crawlies.
垃圾和可回收
It's no secret that the food scraps in trash cans attract bugs and rodents. Avoid infestations by properly bagging and sealing garbage and storing it in closed containers. Be sure to rinse out recyclables, and consider upgrading from the open-top curbside recycling container to a closed container.
景观不佳维护
Tall grass and overgrown shrubs give cover to rodents, insects, and other creatures that would not be welcome inside the house. While these animals are free to roam in their own domain, you can keep them out of the house by practicing regular lawn maintenance, and not planting shrubs and trees right up against the siding.
Dirty Grill
Outdoor cooking and dining attracts ants, flies, and wasps, but the grease and residual food left on the grill after a cookout can bring even more pests, including mice and rats. When the picnic is over, don’t forget to clean the outdoor cooking area.
Dirty Dishes
Any little food scrap is an invitation for bugs and rodents, and dirty dishes are a veritable buffet bar for all kinds of pests. Keep your kitchen clear of insects and rodents by washing dishes after every meal. Wipe down counters, stovetops, and sinks while you're at it.
Composting
堆肥是一种梦幻般的方式，可以将食物废物融入优秀的花园土壤修正案 - 但堆肥桩吸引了饥饿的昆虫和啮齿动物。使用封闭的堆肥系统避免出现问题，并从房子中定位至少50英尺的室外堆肥桩。平衡花园废物的食物废料如秋天的叶子和草地剪切，以防止臭味，并且不要试图堆肥肉，乳制品和脂肪食品。
台面产品
当没有冷藏时，一些产生的东西保持更好，但在侧面，在柜台上储存成熟的水果可以吸收果蝇。为了降低苍蝇的风险，不要让水果在吃它之前太长，每餐后都会处置废料。如果您无法在达到成熟之前可以设法吃新鲜的产品，请考虑冻结它用于冰沙或烘焙食品。
Related:10 Places You Never Knew Pests Were Hiding
Gaps In Siding
A mouse only needs a quarter-inch opening to get inside your home. Holes in your siding or gaps under the door are easy entry points. Inspect the siding on your house at least twice a year, paying close attention to seams, trim, and transitions from siding to masonry. Plug gaps with silicone caulk, steel wool, or expandable foam sealant.
Roof Damage
Your attic is a great place to raise a family. Just ask a squirrel, bat, or mouse. Animals are attracted to the warmth and shelter of human houses. Possible entry points include holes or missing boards on the fascia or soffit, gaps between the fascia and eaves, gable or ridge vents without screen, or missing shingle. Inspect these areas annually, and keep them in good repair.
Door Sweeps
Door sweeps do more than simply save on utility bills. These little strips, which any DIYer can attach to the bottom of their front, side, and rear entry doors, also keep out bugs and other pests. Replace missing or worn door sweeps to eliminate a pest entry point.
窗口屏幕
窗口屏幕被发明以保持房子的突然，但如果他们有洞，他们就不能做到这一点。每年检查所有家庭窗口屏幕，并根据需要修理或更换它们。不确定如何修复破碎的内容？Read this tutorial.
Indoor-Outdoor Pets
Dogs and cats may be protected against fleas and ticks with preventative medication or collars, but that doesn’t mean they won’t bring bugs into the house. Whether a stink bug hitches a ride on their fur, or they bring in live rodents on purpose, pets can be adorable instigators to a pest problem. Monitor your pets’ coming and going, and inspect them when they come inside to stop unwelcome guests at the door.
门廊和景观灯
A traditional porch light left on for an hour after dusk attracts thousands of insects of all kinds—and if a door is opened beside the light, those bugs will invite themselves into the house. The same holds true for landscape lighting. Even bug zappers attract far more insects than they kill. A better solution is to install motion sensitive security lighting away from the home. The light comes on when needed, and stays off the rest of the time, potentially keeping trouble and insects away.
Related:These Nocturnal Pests Only Come Out at Night
Foundation Cracks
Concrete slabs, poured or block foundations, and even masonry veneers are subject to cracking. Even the smallest crack can quickly become an entry point for insects, and larger cracks may even allow rodents inside. Inspect masonry annually, and address repairs as the need arises.
Open Garage or Basement Doors
We use them as storage spaces, workshops, studios, and potting sheds, but pests use them as a warm and welcoming home. These unwelcome guests often find their way inside when homeowners leave garage doors open for hours at a time. Garages and basements make outstanding entry points for all sorts of creatures. Always close garage and basement doors when they don’t need to be open.
Openings for Pipes and Cables
There are lots of small openings in the foundation, walls, and roof of every home to allow various utilities lines—telephone, cable, fiber, air conditioning, and gas—to pass through. Inspect and seal these holes with silicone caulk to eliminate entry points for pests.
Chimney Cover
Mice, squirrels, raccoons, birds and other critters can easily enter the home through a chimney, so close the damper when it's not in use. Install a mesh covered chimney cap, and inspect it each spring and fall to make sure it’s in place and intact.
General Clutter
Disorganized messes are difficult to keep dust free and clean—and they create hiding places for little creatures. Books and papers piled on an office desk are an invitation for silverfish and dust mites. Random boxes of stuff in an attic or basement invite squirrels, rats, and other small mammals to nest. Keep organized, clean and dust regularly, and purge unused stuff.
Water Damage
即使修复泄漏时,水的影响damage is just beginning. Wet wood and drywall attract mold and mildew, weakening the construction materials. The weakened materials become a food source for termites, silverfish, and other insects who feast on, and create, decay. Repair water damaged areas immediately after detection to ward off these little destroyers.
Firewood
堆积的木柴吸引了生活在有机物上并喂食的各种昆虫，甚至可以吸引啮齿动物。让林下居民离开家中，切勿在室内储存木柴，即使是几个小时。将木柴户外储存，脱离地，距离房子至少50英尺。
鸟种子和宠物食品
宠物和野生鸟类食物会导致食物储存点的啮齿动物感染，喂养。老鼠和大鼠将很容易地嗅出储存不良的食物，溢出的食物，并在食物碗中留下了未吃的食物。防止侵染，将宠物食品和鸟类存放在紧密封闭的容器中。在常规时代喂养宠物 - 不要让食物整天坐出去。当宠物停止吃饭时删除未成熟的食物，并及时清洁溢出。饲养鸟至少50英尺远离房屋，并扫过溢出的种子。
Pest Problem
Determining where the critters are entering from is the first step in getting rid of them.
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