Am I Attracting Pests To My Home?
The best way to control pests in your house? Don’t make it enticing for them to live there. Use this list to help you reduce the odds on pests taking up residence.
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Why do pests like me and my home so much?!
Pests may have a multitude of reasons for liking your home, some of which may be out of your control entirely. For instance, the location of your house plays a big factor on what pest species you may encounter. If you live in the countryside surrounded by water ways and lakes you will obviously be greeted with a lot more blood suckers like mosquito’s and midges as well as a whole host of other insects. If you’re an urban dweller then you will be more likely to encounter rodents such as mice and rats. It’s simple to understand really, If your home is in a populated city or big town, with far more people living on top of each other producing large amounts of food waste, this will in turn allow more pests to thrive and their numbers grow.
What control measures can you put in place?
There are number of things you and your family might be doing to attract these little flying and scuttling night scarers. Putting in place your own control measures to prevent enticing pests can save a lot of time, money and worry. Below are our top 11 tips to reduce attracting pest!
Lighting
Damp and moisture
Excessive moisture will attract common insect pests such as cockroaches and ants. Slugs can also invade a home if enough damp is present. Fixing leaking pipes and not allowing water to stagnate in basements or below floors is essential.
Warmth
When the weather turns cold outside, many pests look for a cozy winter home—and your place may just be the perfect spot. One little miss conception people do have is that they believe mice live outside in gardens and come in over winter. That’s not entirely the case. House mice are called house mice for one simple reason, they generally live in houses . During the warmer months they may take up residence in your shed or garage but over winter will seek a cosy hot boiler pipe in your home to snuggle up too. Rats and squirrels may also do the same along with certain insects.
Food
Spills happen—but if even a little bit of the mess is left behind, the mice and insects simply can’t resist. “Spilled food crumbs in your kitchen contain a veritable feast for rodents and insects such as cockroaches, ants, mice and rats. Regular cleanups—including moving and vacuuming behind the fridge and if possible oven is advised.
Rubbish bins
The smell of food waste may be completely unpleasant to your nose, but for insects like flies and cockroaches, it’s like a siren call. You probably already know the secret to stopping this—contain your waste. If not contained then this will also attract mice and rats which will try almost everything to get at the food goodness. Make sure when you take out the rubbish it is bagged and the bin is tightly closed, or in the morning your trash will be everywhere with foxes having a go.
Clutter
Here’s another incentive to get rid of your extra stuff—all that clutter can make wonderful homes for critters you definitely don’t want hanging around your house. “If clutter is kept to a minimum, and a home is kept relatively clean, there will be few places for insects to hide
Pet Food
If you have pet and are leaving food out over night or during the day when the home is quiet then you may be inadvertently be feeding other furried guests. Mice and rats will happily feed on almost all pet foods and on occasion squeeze through hamster or bunny cages to steal an easy meal. Just because you have a cat or a rodent hunting dog does not mean these pests will stay away.
Bird Seeds
We all like to do our bit for the natural wildlife and make our gardens more welcoming by given away a free meal. However, seeds that fall on to the floor will attract rats so having an overflow catchment tray is advised. Storage of the seeds should be in a toughened container and not left open in basements or loft spaces. An infestation can grow rapidly if this abundance of food if available to a pest.
Dirty Dishes
If you are someone who leaves your dirty plates till the morning then pests such as cockroaches, flies, ant, rats and mice will be lured in for a free meal. Cleaning dirty items immediately after each meal with washing up detergent will prevent pests being attracted to your kitchen.
Paper
Piles of papers that are rarely touched can be a big draw for silverfish and even cockroaches. To avoid having an insect infestation damage important papers, you should place them in tightly sealed plastic bins. Shredded paper will also be a draw for rodents such as mice and rats who will use this material to create a nice cosy comfy bed.
Gaps and Cracks
Rodents are always looking for tiny areas where they can sneak into your home, so gaps under external doors, around service pipework for gas and water, or damaged air bricks can be like a welcome mat for some unwelcome guests. Make sure you do a thorough walk around the outside of your home looking for entry points. We would advise also looking at your neighbours property if attached as pests on occasion can move between either the loft space and/or the footings of the building.
