Some 14 million of the around 124 million occupied housing units in the U.S. reported incidents of roaches in their residences over the past year. According to a previous report based on U.S. Census Bureau data, close to 14.8 billion reported seeing rats or mice during the same period.
If you’re like most homeowners, you’d much rather see pests stay outside rather than find their way indoors. Few things can be as nerve-racking as having mice, ants, spiders, bats, squirrels, or other pests invade your space.
Keep reading to see five things you can do to keep pests from entering your home and wreaking havoc.
Keep Your Grass Low
If you live in an area with a thriving mouse population, one of the best things you can do is maintain a well-manicured lawn. Mice live in fear. If the grass on your lawn is cut low, mice won’t feel as comfortable approaching your home since they’ll be out in the open.
But if you let the grass grow too high, the mice will have a cover and feel more at ease moving about freely.
So, if you want to give them second thoughts about making the trek to your home and finding a way inside, discourage their infiltration efforts by keeping your grass as low. They won’t have anywhere to hide, and you can lower the odds of their getting into your home.
Be Mindful of Where You Store Your Garbage
If you live in a neighborhood offering curbside garbage pick up, be careful about when you put your garage outside.
Leaving garbage at the curb too soon can attract pests and make your property attractive to pests. So, if garbage is picked up on Tuesday mornings, put it out early on Tuesdays rather than the evening before. Keeping garbage at the curb for too long is a mistake.
It would help if you also were mindful of how you store garbage in your garage. If you have a bin and keep it in the garage, ensure the receptacle is securely shut to avoid offering a buffet to pests.
Store Firewood Away From Your Residence
If you burn wood in a wood furnace or outdoor firepit, be careful where you store your wood.
Piles of wood will attract pests such as ants, termites, spiders, snakes, and more. Not only should you not store wood close to your house, but you should also avoid storing it inside your residence. Doing either of those things is asking for trouble in the form of a pest infestation.
Monitor Pet Food
Another way you can unwittingly make your home a haven for pests is by leaving pet food out all the time.
If you like to leave food and water out at all times, that could cost you. Pests will happily help themselves to the provisions you intend for your pet to access. It’s better to secure the pet food and water containers before bed so that pests don’t have access to them.
Vegetation Removal
While cutting grass and pruning shrubs can help keep pests away from your home, sometimes you must go further.
Professional vegetation removal can eliminate dead or overgrown trees, plants, or debris — the sort of things that can encourage a thriving pest population. Consider this option if your property needs more work than a lawn mower and weed eater can accomplish.
These are some things to consider if you want to prevent pest infestation problems. No one wants to deal with pests or the cost of getting rid of them. Infestations can be stressful and endanger your health, so it makes sense to do what you can to prevent them.