Instead of waiting until your home is invaded by pests such as rodents, cockroaches, ants or termites you can take defensive action to keep your home well away from pests. It starts with eliminating things at will attract them both outside and inside your home. And having a pest inspection on the Gold Coast to make sure your pest free.
These are some of the things you can do to keep your home safe from pests:
Minimise plants and mulch
The fewer pests you allow to live around the outside of your home the fewer will enter the inside.
Tree and shrubs in the garden are very attractive around the home, but be sure they are kept well away from the buildings and the make an excellent shortcut for all types of pests to enter.
Mulch should be kept far enough away from foundations and wall that pests will not move from it to your home. Use rocks or materials that pests don’t like in garden beds close to your home
- Seal windows and doors
Check that your doors and windows close properly and there are no small gaps the pests can wiggle through. Screens should be fine enough that insects can’t get through 200 holes per square inch or smaller is ideal are easy to purchase
- Check around the home for cracks and gaps
Check the whole outside of your home for cracks and splits in the exterior cladding and roof line as well as for missing tiles. Utility lines such electrical wire, cable and phone lines often have gaps where they enter your home. Waste and water pipe entry points also need to be checked and checked as necessary. Use something that pests can’t chew through, such as stainless steel wool or mortar
- Store trash properly
Household garbage and waste will attract pests and so will garden waste. If you’re composting make sure you’re doing it properly and well away from buildings. Place all rubbish in sealable bins and make sure it’s collected regularly
- Rinse your recyclables
It’s great to recycle, but make sure you have rinsed all food scraps away as the smell will attract a hoard of pests and keep it away from the buildings
- Use the correct light bulbs
Standard mercury light bulbs attract insects so use halogen or sodium vapour bulbs with tints such as orange, yellow or pink as these are not so attractive to pests. It’s also better to have outside lights away from windows and entrance ways on a post so pests go there rather than try and enter your home
- Seal interior gaps
If any pests make it into the wall lining of your home, they will be looking for any gap that allows them through to the inside so seal these regularly
- Keep drains clean
The regular cleaning of the drains in and around your home will eliminate the breeding grounds of pests such as small flies
- Store food in sealed containers
Food smell’s attract pests so storing all food in sealed containers minimizes the attractiveness of your pantry
Clean homes are much less attractive to pests, by keeping it clean, well maintained and having a regular pest inspection on the Gold Coast you will we able to keep your home pest free.