Texas enjoys beautiful weather all year round, but it does start to warm up in spring. As it does, pests will start to look for shelter they can use in the coming months as the weather turns extremely hot and dry. Now is a great time to inspect your entire home and look for places that might attract pests. By cleaning up and making small repairs now, you can save yourself from the headache of a pest infestation in the future. Below, our Austin pest control expert outlines the most important spring cleaning tips.
Get Rid of Clutter
All of the things we store in our home such as cardboard, old furniture, and papers, all provide great hiding spots and nesting materials for pests. Not only will pests use clutter to hide, but it will also make an infestation harder to detect.
Getting rid of this clutter and discarding the things you no longer need will remove the things pests find useful so they are not attracted to your home. Likewise, keep your belongings in pest-proof containers, such as glass and plastic jars that pests cannot chew or claw through. Not only will this help keep your home free of clutter, but it will also make it harder for a pest control professional to apply treatments effectively if an infestation does develop.
Closets
As you are cleaning your basements and attics getting rid of clutter, also remember to do the closets in your home. Take out all of the items in your closet so you can inspect each item carefully. Look for signs of damage from cockroaches, moths, and bed bugs. Discard any items that are damaged and look for the presence of any pests in the other items. Disinfect the closet and sweep and mop before placing the items back inside.
Inspect the Garage
Garages are unique spaces in a home because they are both an indoor and outdoor space. This makes them very susceptible to pest infestations. To deter pests, keep all items in the garage on shelves and off of the floor. Also make sure the bottom of the exterior garage door has weatherstripping to keep pests out. Try to keep the exterior door closed as much as possible but if you have to open it, make sure the interior garage door is tightly closed.
Inspect Your Wires
Pests love electrical boxes and wiring because they provide a warm spot to live during the cooler winter months. As you are spring cleaning, check these areas looking for dead or living insects. To ensure you stay safe, make sure you check any wire for damage before you touch it, even if you do not believe it is a live wire. When wires are damaged, they could short out or overload, and they may even damage appliances that are attached to the wire. In the worst of cases, damaged wires can begin to spark, resulting in a very dangerous electrical fire.
Rodents particularly love chewing on electrical cords because they help to sharpen their teeth. This damage often goes unnoticed because rodents usually prefer the hard plastic coating and may not chew through the wire itself. Inspecting them as you move through your spring cleaning checklist will help you detect problems that may have otherwise gone unnoticed.
Seal Cracks and Gaps
Pests are often very small and so, they can make their way into your home using the smallest of spaces. Even larger pests such as mice only need a space no larger than a dime to get inside. To ensure pests do not use these areas to access your home, inspect the interior and exterior of your home looking for gaps and cracks. Pay attention especially to areas around doors and windows, vents, utility hook-ups, and around electrical wiring. Seal off these areas to barricade your home and keep pests outside where they belong.
Keep Pet Food Stored Properly
Your pet may love the food you feed them but so too, do pests. Just as you should make sure your own food is secured and stored properly, you must do the same thing with your pet food. Empty and wash your pet’s bowl when they are finished eating, and keep areas around food and water bowls swept and mopped regularly. This will ensure that pet food is not left lying around, which will attract pests into your home, as it will provide a food source for them, too.
Eliminate Standing Water
It is no secret that mosquitoes need water to breed. However, many people do not realize that a female mosquito can lay hundreds of eggs at one time, and they only need a tablespoon of water or so to do it. Standing water is also attractive to other pests such as termites and rodents because it provides them with something to drink. To deter pests from your home and yard, empty out any containers that hold standing water such as kiddie pools, buckets, children’s toys, and anything else that collects water. Also make sure you inspect for leaks around water taps and repair them so this does not provide a water source for pests.
Clean the Yard
Tree stumps, leaves, and other plant debris provides a safe place for pests to live and hide. When conditions become unpleasant or unsafe, they may eventually enter your home. Pests in the yard can also make your outdoor space uninhabitable and unenjoyable. Rake the yard regularly, keep the grass short, and clean up any plant waste, paying particular attention to the areas under your deck and porch. Also trim trees so there is a three-foot gap between them and your home. This will keep pests from using them as a bridge into the house.
Call Our Pest Control Experts in Texas
If during spring cleaning you find signs of pests, you should contact our Texas pest control experts at Stride Pest Control right away. Even if you do not see signs of pests, our technicians can provide year-round service that keeps pests outside of your home and yard. Call us today at (512) 777-1339 or contact us online to schedule a free consultation.
