Date Posted: 2012-07-25 11:07:41
Site Posted: Myproperty.ph
No one likes having to deal with roaches, mice, ants, flies and other kinds of vermin. Aside from being unsightly, these pests carry disease that can put your health at risk. This is why you need to take steps to discourage them from entering your home and getting comfortable.
Quite frankly, there’s no way you can seal your home enough to keep vermin out; they’re so small that one way or another, they can enter your home and make your living conditions less than ideal. Still, you wouldn’t just throw your doors open and invite them in; there are some ways you can keep your home as bug-free as possible.
Always keep food sealed and refrigerated
Imagine wasting a perfectly good leftover pasta dish that would’ve served as breakfast the next day because the little critters contaminated it before you had a chance to put it away. If you have plenty of food left in the pot, transfer it in a sealable container and store it in the fridge. Also, mice are very good at chewing their way through bags and boxes, so make sure that you transfer cereal, rice and other food in your cupboard in plastic containers.
Scrub the kitchen spotless
If pests can’t get to your leftovers, they’re perfectly content feasting on crumbs and spills on the table and on the floor. Wipe the counters and tables, and take a sponge and clean the stove of spills and splatters as well. Sweep or vacuum the floors, remembering to reach underneath shelves and tables for outlaw nibbles. Avoid letting dishes ‘sit overnight’; get to them as soon as they hit the sink.
Empty your trash cans regularly
A garbage can full of leftovers and food trimmings is a goldmine to all sorts of vermin, so don’t wait until trash is spilling out of the can before you take it out of your house. Also, make sure that your garbage can has a lid to keep it closed at all times. If you keep a mesh basket in the sink to throw food and trimmings in, empty it regularly and give it a good scrubbing once in a while, too.
Seal off all entryways
Mosquitos are notorious for bites that are not just itchy but possibly disease-riddled. Keep them from entering the house by installing screen doors and putting up mesh screening on your windows. Look for any cracks in the walls and caulk them to prevent ants and cockroaches from squeezing in.
Cover water basins and buckets
Open pools of standing water are the perfect breeding ground for mosquitos, so make sure that you always cover pails and buckets that you use to store water. If you have a pool, keep it covered when no one’s using it, and treat it with chemicals regularly to prevent pests from thriving in it. Even a small amount of water can be a great place for mosquitos to lay eggs, so remember to replace water in flower vases regularly, too.
Once pests start coming it, it’ll be hard to get rid of them, so don’t give them easy access to your home.
Jillian Cariola, Writer
(cover image by foxiq)
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