Pest control may not be a glamourous subject to think about when you’re taking care of the home, but it’s definitely an important one. No matter how house proud you are and how clean you keep your house, pests can still be a problem.
A common time to find pests is if you’ve just moved into a new place. Sometimes if there’s a strike on taking rubbish away pests can invade your living space too. It’s important to remember it’s often no reflection on your housekeeping, and can be resolved if you take the right steps.
If you ever have any concerns about pests in your home and you’re not sure what to do, then seek professional help from a pest control company.
How to spot some common pests
Luckily, pests are easy to spot, and easy enough to get rid of with the help of a professional. Once they’ve gone, there are measures to reduce the chance of them returning. However, to deal with more serious or persistent infestations, many people choose to seek professional help from NYC Extermination Company and other such firms that can assess the situation thoroughly and treat the property effectively.
Below are some common home pests and info how to help prevent them returning.
Bed Bugs
Bed bugs make me itchy just to think about them, but luckily I haven’t had any in my home. That doesn’t stop me from trying to prevent them though.
Signs of bed bugs include lots of itchy bites on your arms and legs, and an itching and burning sensation at night. Bed bugs are more active at night, which makes sense since that’s the time you’re likely to be in bed for them to feast on.
Bed bugs can travel in on furniture, boxes, or anything that enters your house, then they like to bury themselves in your soft furnishings.
One way to keep on top of things and prevent bed bugs is to vacuum regularly, keep your living space clear and isolate any second hand furniture to give it a good clean before you start using it.
Fleas
I was once moving into a rental property that was infested with fleas. Luckily it was empty and there was no rush to move in, so the estate agent had it fumigated before I moved all my stuff over. Had I found out on moving day, I’d have had to live amongst the fleas while it was sorted.
Fleas can come in on pets, even if you give those pets a flea treatment. It’s a really common pest to have and an itchy nightmare to live through. In my case the previous tenants had kept lots of cats and we think that’s how the fleas infested the house.
One way to help prevent fleas entering your home is to groom your pets frequently and top up their flea medication on a regular basis.
Rats and mice
When you have a pest control problem with rodents, it tends to be because they’ve followed the food. While you might keep your outdoor areas meticulously clean and tidy, a neighbour or big bags in an adjoining alleyway can attract these furry pests.
The best way to keep rats and mice out of your home is to ensure there are no bin bags containing food that these rodents can have access to. The food will attract them, then they’re likely to stick around in the hope of another feast.
To keep them from getting in your home, inspect the interior and exterior for holes. Don’t be fooled – mice especially can get through even the tiniest of gaps (and rats are pretty sneaky too). Block up any possible methods of entry and keep the area around your home void of anything they could possibly eat.