Common household pests have threatened man since the dawn of time due to their ability to carry diseases.

Fortunately, modern medicines mean we can treat and control many of these afflictions. Although, that doesn’t mean we want to share our homes with dirty, destructive, and sometimes dangerous species.

Avoid the embarrassment of trying to explain the presence of pests in your home to guests or prospective buyers, try some of these pest control tactics instead. 

Know Your Enemy

Step one in pest control is identifying whether you do have a problem in the first place, and what’s causing it. Things that go bump in the night aren’t always a sign that you’re subject to an invasion. 

You need to plan your attack according to the enemy you’re up against. That’s why many homeowners save themselves hours of frustration and wasted resources by hiring an expert to get rid of a pest problem. 

Keep Pests Out

Oen of the best ways to avoid a pest infestation is by blocking their access to your home. If they can’t get in, they can’t make themselves at home. 

These are the basics:

• Seal up gaps in your window frames and doors
• Fill cracks in the walls
• Install fly screens on doors and windows
• Keeping a clean home free of pest-preferred snacks
• Keep the walls of your house free of shrubs and debris

Barrier methods and fastidious cleanliness are your first line of defense against most types of pests. 

Biological Control

Everything has an enemy in nature, that’s how the environment stays balanced. Unfortunately, mankind has disrupted many of these interactions by cultivating and creating environments where certain species thrive.

One of the best ways to restore the balance is by inviting natural predators back into your yard. That doesn’t mean you need a pet owl to control mice and rats, but you could get a cat.

Other types of biological control include using pheromones to lure pests into a trap or disrupt their reproductive lifestyle. In rural areas, chickens can reduce fly populations dramatically.

Another simple form of pest control is to remove pest food sources. Seal your garbage bins, store food in pest-proof containers and keep your home spotlessly clean.

Insecticides and Traps

Over the counter pesticides and poisons rarely work effectively. They can pose a danger to pets, children, and allergy sufferers unless you store and use them with utmost care.

Traps are effective but they take a long time to bring pests under control. One rate produces dozens of offspring in a single litter, so, while rat traps might reduce rodent populations, but they don’t get rid of them completely.

Besides, when you use these methods, you’ve got to deal with the corpses of your fallen enemy and that’s not pleasant or hygienic. If a rat dies somewhere out of sight, you’ll have to deal with the smell of its decaying body for weeks. 

Make Your Home Better 

Pests can become a real problem in your daily life, but their presence is disastrous when you’re trying to sell your home. There are many aspects that can boost your home’s appeal, and these icky extras aren’t one of them.

If you’d like to find out more about the things that do improve your home’s saleability, keep reading our blog.