=====[srform] The fall season is quickly approaching meaning cool weather, warm colors, and cozy sweaters, but it can also mean new pests. As th...
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The fall season is quickly approaching meaning cool weather, warm colors, and cozy sweaters, but it can also mean new pests. As the crisp breeze hits your face, pests may make your home their home in preparation for the cooler weather.
To keep your pumpkins intact, prevention is key and ImproveNet is here to help with tips for DIY home pest control and connections to local pest control services. But first, what pests should you be looking out for?
Need a little help controlling fall pests? Contact a pest control pro today and get quotes from contractors in your area, for free.
Five Common Fall Pests
- Cockroaches
- Flies
- Stinging insects
- Ants
- Rodents
1. Cockroaches
Moisture attracts cockroaches, making them frequent visitors of kitchens and bathrooms. With them, can come 33 different types of bacteria. Continual maintenance is your best weapon against them, repairing cracks or gaps that may allow them in and keeping places with pipes and drains sanitized.
2. Flies
If you have a fruit and vegetable garden, it is likely that more flies will start to make an appearance in your backyard at the end of the growing season. Fruit flies may lay eggs in your produce and get into your home.
3. Stinging Insects
The peak time for yellow jackets, wasps, and hornets is in fall. Their food sources become more scarce during this time, leaving them on the hunt through your garbage and groceries.
4. Ants
The slight chill in the fall air can bring these little guys indoors. Pavement ants, carpenter ants, and odorous house ants will often move their colonies into the walls of your house or underneath slabs to escape the chill. These small pests can cause ample damage from food contaminating to structural harm.
5. Rodents
Bugs and insects aren’t the only fall pest on the prowl. Rodents like the deer mouse, house mouse, Norway rat, and roof rat, make their homes in attics, pantries, closets, and walls. Being able to fit in a hole no bigger than a coin, rodents can easily bring diseases and illnesses, like salmonella and hantavirus, into your home. They can also cause serious structural damage with their gnawing and should, therefore, be your first priority in home pest control.
DIY Pest Prevention
The best DIY home pest control is prevention. Lucky for you, ImproveNet is here to help with preventative tips to keep pests out of your home and money in your bank account.
1. Get to Cleaning
At the first sign and sight of a pest, mainly ants or fruit flies, grab some soapy water and get to scrubbing. Sugary spills and dry pet food can attract these two. If this is a recurring issue, it may be time for a deeper clean.
2. Herbs & Oils
Cinnamon, mint leaves, and essential oils aren’t just for cooking and calming. They are also sources of healthy home pest control. Cinnamon near entryways will deter ants while mint leaves in cabinets will keep dried foods safe. Eucalyptus and peppermint oils can be mixed with water and alcohol in a spray bottle to treat a current infestation and prevent future outbreaks of fruit flies, spiders, or ants.
3. Mattress Covers
At the cost of $80 to $120, you can sleep soundly and pest free with a zippered mattress cover.
4. Screen Windows
With the crisp fall breeze coming in, it may be tempting to open up your windows. Doing so without a screen cover could mean unwanted, pesty visitors entering your home. Screening a window can cost anywhere from $13 to $200.
5. Dehumidify
Like it was mentioned, cockroaches and other creatures are attracted to moisture. Keeping the air in your home as dry as possible is the best way to make your home less appealing to these insects. The basement is the most attractive, damp place in the house, so invest in a dehumidifier for this area first.
6. Keep the Cracks Sealed
Even the smallest crack can prove a solid entryway for a pest. Look for these in your home’s foundation, brickwork, or entryway gaps. If breaks are substantial, especially in the foundation, call a professional.
DIY Pest-Control Treatment
Professional pest control services can put a dent in your bank account, so before calling in the big guns, try out some safe and natural home remedies.
1. Bye Bye Fruit Flies
You can construct a simple DIY fly trap for cheap. You just need dry yeast, sugar, and water.
2. Sayonara Cockroaches
Garlic and catnip sachets will deter roaches from the inside. If the problem is outside, try a beer and bread recipe.
3. Later Rodents
Decluttering your garage and humane mouse traps are sure ways to rid your home of rodents.
As fall makes its yearly appearance, so may certain pests. Before these pesky buggers decide to make a home in your house or garage, ImproveNet can help get you the pest control you need.
A quick survey is your first step to receiving up to 4 free quotes from pest control companies and getting your home pest-free in time for Thanksgiving.
