Spring Cleaning – Pest Prevention Tips

As the weather warms up, you may find yourselves re-energized as scarves and wooly coats are tucked away in the back of your closets. Give yourself a burst of life and energy by embarking on a new round of spring cleaning!

Discovered pests during your spring clean?

As you begin to tidy up, don’t be surprised if you find some unwanted and unexpected visitors hiding in and around your home. The warmer season brings many pests back out into the sunshine and unfortunately back into your homes.

Common pests such as cockroaches, ants, spiders, silverfish and carpet beetles are likely to be seen in and around your homes this Spring. Not only are they a nuisance but they also cause damage and pose a risk to the health of those around them, including your pets.

Don’t let these visitors become a part of the family! Use these tips in your spring cleaning to prevent pest infestations:

Reduce moisture sources

Water attracts a wide variety of pests from mosquitoes and termites, to cockroaches and rodents. Ensure you check the pipes under your bathroom and kitchen sinks to find possible drips or leaks and help prevent pests from entering your home and taking up residence in these areas. Don’t forget to check outside your home and be sure to remove any standing water.  This includes buckets, tins, tyres, and pots that may contain rainwater or anything else that can easily collect water.

Remove any clutter

Basements and garages are great for storage but are also a great area for pests to conceal themselves as these sometimes forgotten areas provide pests with shelter. Removing any unused equipment and minimizing any clutter can help prevent an infestation of pests by taking away their hideout.

Seal up entry points

While getting into your cleaning, check for any holes in fly screens, gaps under doors or other openings or holes where pests can enter inside, from the outside. Sealing these entry points will prevent help pests from easy access to your home. This will also keep your house better insulated in preparation for the coming heat waves.

Dig deeper

Doing a more in-depth inspection during your spring cleaning can be great for finding insect eggs that may have been laid in hidden areas or for finding critters tucked away in your home.

Remove food temptations

Leaving food out and storing food in the open is a common habit but did you know that you are inviting hungry pests into your home? Storing food in sealed containers is a great way to keep pests from snacking on your food. Thoroughly cleaning up any drink spills or food scraps can also help prevent luring pests into your home.

Keep a lid on garbage

Ensure garbage lids are tight fitting and well sealed, both indoors and outdoors and if possible, don’t leave plastic bags of rubbish laying around the outside of your home. Garbage bins are a potential smorgasbord for foraging pests and vermin.

Garden maintenance

Where possible, try and reduce potential pest harbourages around the home by keeping the lawns mown regularly and minimizing weeds, leaves and unnecessary vegetation. Even lawn clippings provide an ideal breeding medium for flies.  Try to avoid making piles of lawn clippings.

Even lawn clippings provide an ideal breeding medium for flies., so also try to avoid making piles of lawn clippings.

Finally, always clean up pest droppings as soon as possible. Flies, cockroaches, and ants love these little ready made parcels of food.