Spring Cleaning Tips to Prevent Pest Infestations

 

 

The arrival of spring season brings warmer weather, blooming flowers, and unfortunate unwanted guests: Invading Pests! As temperatures start rising, critters like ants, cockroaches, mice, and more other pests come out of hibernation or gain access to your home looking for food, water, and place to shelter. Stop pests in their tracks with these spring cleaning tips to deter infestations all year long.

Do A Deep Clean of The Kitchen

The kitchen offers lots of tempting morsels for pests, making it one of the most vulnerable rooms for infestations. Give this space a thorough scrub down by:

• • Clearing out clutter from counter-tops, corners, and cabinets. Pests can hide in mess.
  • Vacuuming crumbs and wiping down surfaces. Don’t give insects and rodents an easy meal.

• Cleaning the oven and behind it and under the fridge. Crumbs and spills attract cockroaches.
• Checking pipes and seals for leaks. Dripping water tempts an attraction for pests.
• Giving the cupboard a fresh start by clearing it out completely. Ensuring that every shelf is spotless and free from dust or grime. Discarding any outdated food items, as well as taking care of all waste materials for an absolute cleanse.
• Scrubbing garbage bins and recycling. Wipe and disinfect the inside and out of the house garbage bins.

Tackle Bathroom Breeding Grounds

Bathrooms offer water sources that pests love for breeding. Stop infestations with these tips:

• Drain any standing water in sinks and tubs. Mosquitoes only need a small puddle.
• Repair leaky faucets and pipes. Listen for drips to detect issues.
• Make sure bathroom vents are unclogged. Blockages allow moisture that attracts silverfish.
• Clean tiles, floors, and walls thoroughly. Treat mould that ants or cockroaches may feed on.
• Freshen up the garbage can. Damp conditions appeal to fruit flies.
• Ensure bathroom doors shut fully and seals are intact. Gaps allow pests to sneak in.

Show the Laundry Room Some Love

Laundry rooms with leftover lint and moisture can harbour pests. Give this space attention by:

• Remember to clear out your dryer’s lint trap after every use. Surprisingly, mice can take advantage of the fluff left behind for their nesting needs.
• Wiping down the washer and dryer. Get rid of any grime, soap, and dampness.
• Ensuring hoses and pipes don’t leak. Running water and moisture lure pests.
• Patching holes in walls or ducts. Cockroaches crawl through cracks.
• Folding or putting away clean clothes promptly. Stacks of untidy laundry invite trouble.

Vacuum and Eliminate Clutter

A thorough vacuuming and de-cluttering throughout the home will help deter pests by:

• Removing food crumbs and debris mice and roaches feed on. Get under furniture and appliances, especially behind the kitchen stove.
• Eliminating clutter piles where pests hide and nest. Toss what you don’t need.
• Cleaning floors of pet’s food and human hair. It offers eating material for pest.
• Vacuuming spider webs in corners and walls. They indicate places spiders live and breed.

Checking attics, basements, and crawl spaces for rodent droppings or nesting materials. Signs of activity mean it’s time for preventative action by calling a pest control company near you.

Seal Cracks and Crevices

Any small openings allow sneaky pests inside your home. Inspect and seal areas like:

• Around windows and door frames
• where the structure connects to pipes and wiring
• Baseboards and moulding
• Foundations and exterior walls
• Attic vents and soffits

Use strong caulk, expandable foam, weather stripping, or other sealants to close gaps and crevices so pests can’t squeeze through it.

Clear Firewood and Debris from the Yard and Around the House Structure

Your landscape likely filled with twigs, leaves, and other debris over the winter. Go outside and:

• Move firewood piles off the ground and away from the house walls. Termites and other pests live in old wood.
• Remove stacks of materials like bricks or stones. Rodents find shelter under them.
• Clear gutters and downspouts. Clogs allow moisture infestations with ants.
• Prune shrubs and branches touching the home’s exterior. Squirrels can gain access.
• Rake debris from the lawn. Clover mites and ticks thrive in high grass and leaves.
• Pull weeds out. Tall growth gives pests hiding cover.

The less clutter in your yard, the fewer places for pests to and live. A clean perimeter deters infestations.

Inspect for Damaged Screens

Rows of storm windows get removed once spring hits. Take the opportunity to:

• Inspect window and door screens for rips or holes. Any gaps allow pests inside.
• Repair or replace damaged screens. Use metal mesh for best results.
• Install weather-stripping around movable joints. It blocks access routes.
• Ensure screens fit snugly in their frames. Gaps invite trouble.

Solid screens keep mosquitoes, flies, spiders, and other unwelcome bugs outside where they belong. It’s a simple pest prevention measure.

Address Exterior Issues

The outside of your home requires attention to prevent pest problems. Walk the perimeter and look for:

• Cracks or holes in siding, bricks, or stucco. Seal openings pests exploit.
• Peeling paint or damaged eaves. Exposed wood attracts termites and carpenter ants.
• Dripping outdoor faucets or downspouts. Standing water allows mosquito breeding.
• Leaf buildup in gutters. Clogs let moisture fester.
• Wood piles or mulch touching the foundation. Draws termites and carpenter ants.
• Tree branches touching the roof. Squirrels will get easy access the attic.
• Weak seals around exterior pipes or wires. Allows roaches and mice to enter inside.
• Gaps under doors. Install weather-stripping to close space.

Address issues outside to keep pests from getting cozy where you don’t want them.

Adjust Landscaping

Certain plants and gardening materials can attract or shelter pesky bugs. Make landscape adjustments like:

• Removing any wood mulch or bark touching the home. Keeps termites away.
• Raking mulch beds to disrupt pest habitats. Turns up hidden pests.
• Pruning shrubs to eliminate places pests hide and nest. Open space deters them.
• Choosing native plants. They resist local pests better.
• Adding insect-repelling plants like lavender, mint, garlic, and chives. Natural pest control through botanicals!
• Fixing leaky outdoor faucets and irrigation. Eliminates mosquito breeding habitats.
• Filling in any low spots that hold standing water. Mosquitoes only need small wet areas.
• Your gardening practices directly impact pest presence. Tending the landscape deters infestations.

Inspect House Plants

Your indoor greenery may host critters like fungus gnats, spider mites, or mealybugs. Stop pests on your plants by:

• Isolating new plants to check for signs of bugs before displaying around your home. Start clean.
• Pruning damaged leaves or stems where pests can hide. Removes their cover.
• Allowing potting soil to dry out slightly between watering. Too much moisture fosters gnats.
• Applying horticultural oil or insecticidal soap to kill soft-bodied pests. Smothers invaders.
• Using sticky traps to monitor for flying pests. Catches them before populations explode.
• Adding sand or stones atop potting soil. Creates droughty barrier to disrupt gnats.
• Removing heavily infested plants to control spread. Toss overly infested ones.

Vigilance is required to keep houseplants pest free. Monitor and treat them before bugs spread through your home.

Call The Reinforcements – Maximum Pest Control Services

For serious pest problems, don’t hesitate to call extermination professional companies can:

• Inspect your home and pinpoint potential entryways missed. A second set of eyes.
• Use professional-grade pesticides safely and effectively. More powerful options to eradicate pests than buying these at your hardware store.
• Dust wall voids and remote spaces you can’t reach. Gets at hidden nests.
• Employ preventative measures like outdoor barriers and indoor bait stations. Ongoing protection.
• Monitor and quickly treat any recurring issues. Specialist knowledge helps correct root causes.
• Pest control exterminators have tools and training an average homeowner lacks. Let them tackle tough pest challenges for you.

Keep Up with Regular Cleaning

Consistency is key when trying to deter pests. Don’t let your hard spring cleaning go to waste by reverting to poor old habits.

• Take out garbage regularly. Don’t allow it to stay long, refuse to accumulate.
• Keep surfaces free of crumbs and spills that attract pests. A quick daily wipe down really helps.
• Wash dishes promptly. Dirty plates piled in the sink invite roaches and flies.

Final Thoughts by Maximum Pest Control Services

Get comprehensive pest control and prevention with Maximum Pest Control Services. Our licensed technicians serve both residential and commercial clients across; Oakville, Burlington, Mississauga, Milton and Hamilton Ontario. We use the latest techniques and approved products to eliminate current infestations and keep pests from returning. Maximum Pest Control Services offers a comprehensive inspection to identify pest related issues in your home or commercial business.

We customize treatment plans that fit your situation and budget, using both non-toxic and traditional pesticide options. Our prevention pest control services, like outdoor barriers and indoor bait stations, provide ongoing protection all year-round. We also offer tick control yard treatments. Don’t let pests ruin your spring season. Contact Maximum Pest Control Service professional team to schedule an inspection for your residential! Our insured and bonded pest control certified  exterminator’s are trained experts and will evaluate your property and show you how we can help exterminate pests and prevent ongoing pest problems.