Pest control is best handled by professionals, but there are still some measures you can take. This article has several methods you can do alone, even if you eventually need help. Hopefully, some of these tips will prove helpful.
Steel wool is a great way to deter mice and other critters. While rats and mice can easily chew lots of materials, steel wool is too tough. You need to stuff all openings that are bigger than one half of an inch. Rodents can slip through very small openings.
You should vacuum your rugs and carpets at least once a week. Vacuuming will allow you to suck up the bugs as well as the crumbs that are attracting them. When you are finished, throw the bag in the garbage.
Start from the beginning. Seek to eliminate the things that attract pests. It is likely that pests are coming into your home due to food, water, or enough shelter. Seek out sources of food, water and entry points to your home.
Plant bushes several feet from your home’s exterior. Insects and other pests are naturally attracted to bushes. Placing bushes too close to the house is an open invitation for pests to invade.
Mint can keep mice away from your home. Mint around your foundation of the house will help, and it’s a perennial. This will make the environment inhospitable to mice. Sprinkle mint leaves around affected areas if you have a mouse problem. Fresh mint leaves work the best to deter mice since their smell is the strongest.
Be sure to examine your plumbing carefully if you are having pest problems. Be sure all drains and sinks are unclogged around your home and inside your home. Cockroaches and flies love the stuff that builds up in the sinks and drains. Check your drains every month.
If you have cats and dogs, never use rat poison. Your dog could get sick from catching a poisoned rodent. This is not good if you have kids, either. Kids might think the pellets are candy.
Research the type of pests that may be in or around your house. In particular, look for things that they don’t like and things that they do like. Adjusting your approach to each pest is the better way.
If you have mouse holes, put a piece of steel wool into the hole. The mice or rats will eat it and they’ll end up dying. Adding shredded steel wool to wood putty and using this mixture to fill any suspicious holes is effective against rodents.
Cracks in your home’s basement or structure are entrances for pests. As your house settles over the years, cracks will develop. Pest can enter your home through these cracks. In addition, you should check out your ceiling. This is a common place that they come in.
Now that you’ve read this article, you should have a better understanding of what types of pest problems you can deal with on your own and which ones require a professional. Take the information to heart, and you will see a reduction in the number of pests in your home. Once you conquer the pests, you’ll be amazed that you put up with them for so long!
