Revealed: Simple Steps to Keep Your Home Pest Free
Frustrated by the constant menace of spiders and roaches? Look here for tips to keep them at bay
You clean your home regularly, yet those pesky ants and termites never really go away. How frustrating! Nobody enjoys an uninvited house guest. The key to winning this fight is to be proactive. Some preventive methods and some DIYs … and you will have a pest-free home. Read on.
There is nothing more alluring to pests than an untidy place. De-clutter the boxes and cabinets around your home; keep them accessible so they are easy to clean on a regular basis. Use air-tight containers and jars to avoid creating hideouts for insects and spiders.
Extra care in the kitchen
The kitchen is the pests’ favourite place to live and grow. At night, clear all food items from the table or keep them tightly covered. Do not leave used dishes in the sink overnight. Make sure the dustbin is not left open at any time. Use organic cleaners and detergents to clean the kitchen countertops, floor and cabinetry.
The kitchen is the pests’ favourite place to live and grow. At night, clear all food items from the table or keep them tightly covered. Do not leave used dishes in the sink overnight. Make sure the dustbin is not left open at any time. Use organic cleaners and detergents to clean the kitchen countertops, floor and cabinetry.
Don’t neglect the bathrooms
A quick, daily cleaning of the bathroom will go a long way in eliminating the entry of pests. Check for leaking pipes or faucets to deter moisture-loving pests. It is very important that your drain openings and traps are properly fixed – these are gateways for rodents to enter the home.
A quick, daily cleaning of the bathroom will go a long way in eliminating the entry of pests. Check for leaking pipes or faucets to deter moisture-loving pests. It is very important that your drain openings and traps are properly fixed – these are gateways for rodents to enter the home.
DIY
Make a solution of one part vinegar and one part water. Wipe kitchen countertops, dining table surfaces and washroom shelves with this solution to remove odours and keep flies and ants away. You may also use pest-repelling essential oil sprays around the house. This will naturally reduce the existence of flies, mosquitoes, mites and ants.
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Make a solution of one part vinegar and one part water. Wipe kitchen countertops, dining table surfaces and washroom shelves with this solution to remove odours and keep flies and ants away. You may also use pest-repelling essential oil sprays around the house. This will naturally reduce the existence of flies, mosquitoes, mites and ants.
7 Tricks to Keep Your Home Smelling Fresh
Do you keep filling your laundry bag till the weekend and wait to wash everything at one time? Washing a little daily is a better plan because pests soon get attracted to dirty areas and odours that go unattended for a long time.
Certified pest control
Look for a licensed professional to treat your home for rodents, bed bugs and pests even if you do not have an infestation yet. There are organic, odourless and pet-friendly options available with the Pest Control (India) Pvt. Ltd. (PCI) that you may choose from. Special treatments are available for the foundations and perimeter of the house to kill the critters as they arrive.
Tip: It is recommended that the pesticide application should be done in winter because most pests lie dormant in this season. They usually erupt in summer when moisture and warmth are high. In warm and humid climate zones, the pest control service suggests a treatment every two months.
Look for a licensed professional to treat your home for rodents, bed bugs and pests even if you do not have an infestation yet. There are organic, odourless and pet-friendly options available with the Pest Control (India) Pvt. Ltd. (PCI) that you may choose from. Special treatments are available for the foundations and perimeter of the house to kill the critters as they arrive.
Tip: It is recommended that the pesticide application should be done in winter because most pests lie dormant in this season. They usually erupt in summer when moisture and warmth are high. In warm and humid climate zones, the pest control service suggests a treatment every two months.
Turning the mattress
To reduce common house invaders like bed bugs, cockroaches and spiders by yourself, make the extra effort of vacuuming the undersides of furniture and other hard-to-reach corners. Take out and clean the sofa- and bed-covers and dust the mattresses every few months. You may also leave them out in the sun for an afternoon to let the stored moisture evaporate. Dry conditions starve many dust mites and bugs.
Store-rooms and pantries too need periodic cleaning. Pests start breeding in places that go unused for many days. Go for plastic or metal boxes for storing items – silverfish, roaches and termites crawl easily into cardboard boxes.
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To reduce common house invaders like bed bugs, cockroaches and spiders by yourself, make the extra effort of vacuuming the undersides of furniture and other hard-to-reach corners. Take out and clean the sofa- and bed-covers and dust the mattresses every few months. You may also leave them out in the sun for an afternoon to let the stored moisture evaporate. Dry conditions starve many dust mites and bugs.
Store-rooms and pantries too need periodic cleaning. Pests start breeding in places that go unused for many days. Go for plastic or metal boxes for storing items – silverfish, roaches and termites crawl easily into cardboard boxes.
10 Bad Habits That Are Making Your Home Messier
Go organic
If you want to try out natural home remedies, you will find many ingredients in your kitchen store to make home-made pest repellents. Garlic is believed to repel mosquitoes; just crush a few pods and boil in water. This solution can be sprayed around in the house. Put out small pieces of dough made of wheat flour and boric acid powder to keep cockroaches at bay. Lighting a piece of camphor is often trusted to get rid of flies and mosquitoes.
If you want to try out natural home remedies, you will find many ingredients in your kitchen store to make home-made pest repellents. Garlic is believed to repel mosquitoes; just crush a few pods and boil in water. This solution can be sprayed around in the house. Put out small pieces of dough made of wheat flour and boric acid powder to keep cockroaches at bay. Lighting a piece of camphor is often trusted to get rid of flies and mosquitoes.
Some plants have pest-repelling properties. Basil, mint, lavender, thyme, tobacco and rosemary are a few that you may safely use indoors.
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Proper waste disposal
Make it a habit to put the trash outside the home (or in a sealed container) before you sleep. Also, check that the area around the trashcan is clean and tidy. Mark a day of the week to clean the insides of the cans too.
Keep the garage free of dirt and cobwebs. Plan weekly cleaning sessions to avoid pest build-up.
Make it a habit to put the trash outside the home (or in a sealed container) before you sleep. Also, check that the area around the trashcan is clean and tidy. Mark a day of the week to clean the insides of the cans too.
Keep the garage free of dirt and cobwebs. Plan weekly cleaning sessions to avoid pest build-up.
Keep the outdoors clean
Stagnant water and moisture-laden soil are perfect spots for pests like mosquitoes to breed. A proper grading of the landscape prevents standing water from accumulating and becoming a hotspot for insects and flies. Keep the gutters and manholes on the site unclogged. Trim infected and overgrown plants in your garden or balcony, keep the grass mowed and ensure a hygienic landscape.
Read more:
10 Things Every Cleanliness Freak Can Relate to
Soft Furnishing Maintenance 101
Tell us:
How helpful were these tips? Share your stories with us in Comments below.
Stagnant water and moisture-laden soil are perfect spots for pests like mosquitoes to breed. A proper grading of the landscape prevents standing water from accumulating and becoming a hotspot for insects and flies. Keep the gutters and manholes on the site unclogged. Trim infected and overgrown plants in your garden or balcony, keep the grass mowed and ensure a hygienic landscape.
Read more:
10 Things Every Cleanliness Freak Can Relate to
Soft Furnishing Maintenance 101
Tell us:
How helpful were these tips? Share your stories with us in Comments below.
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As with most problems, prevention is key. Inspect your home every season for potential damage due to pests. Walk around your home and check for cracks and holes in windows, doors and walls. Termites and worms tend to crawl into the house through these routes. Seal or grout the gaps to block their entrance.
Having a consistent and thorough cleaning routine will avoid the build-up of dirt. Wipe dusty countertops, tabletops and shelves on a daily basis. Make sure you remove hanging cobwebs and pest droppings, if you see any.