Who has never felt the anguish of seeing an insect in their kitchen or in their backyard, without even knowing what attracted that animal there? Well, this type of situation is much more common than we can imagine and, because of that, we have some tips to prevent pests at home.
The pests that visit us, basically, are the same, but this will depend on where the house is located since different lands end up accommodating different species of animals.
Some of the most common visitors are flies, cockroaches, moths, rats, larks, spiders, ants, and even scorpions. Generally, they are attracted by some type of element that the house has, such as leftover food that remains in the surroundings.
There are cases that some of these pests are just passing through your home, while others end up setting up your home in some corner that you do not yet know.
But we must always be alert to possible nesting spots, as some of these animals can end up causing serious problems for the people who live in the place since besides being dirty, they also transmit diseases.
Although these animals are unwanted, some species can end up being good friends with people, since they feed on other types of insects, doing a brief "cleaning" in your home.
For example, the Lizards can be disgusting to some people, however, they feed on ants, mosquitoes, and even cockroaches. In addition, they are harmless, which means that they do not bite or sting, offering no risk to people living in that location.
However, our text is not about maintaining a friendship with these animals but preventing them from appearing at some point. For that, we have some tips that can help.
How To Prevent Pests At Home?
As mentioned before, pests visit our home due to some reason or element existing in that room, even in different terrain locations.
Therefore, this means that some customs that we have in our home may be responsible for attracting this type of visit, almost never, welcome.
Keep the house always clean: cleaning is always one of the best solutions for everything related to our home.
Because of this, places that are difficult to access end up being cleaned much less frequently than others, which makes them good environments to accommodate nests and homes for the most diverse types of species.
This type of environment becomes a great attraction for cockroaches, ants, and spiders, which use it to breed and cause a great infestation in the home.
To avoid this type of situation, keep a regular cleaning of all the corners of the house, always washing with water and cleaning products, preferably those that have a strong smell, which will prevent the pests from being around.
Household appliances are items that should be given special attention, as they come into constant contact with foods while they are being prepared.
- Eliminate all food sources: food is the most attractive item for any type of pest, as they use it to feed themselves. Leaving food scraps around the house can end up becoming a very attractive invitation for the insects that invade the places.
To avoid this, always get rid of food scraps, especially those that you accidentally drop on the floor.
Foods that are not leftovers, but end up being exposed, with their packaging open, for example, can also become a type of focus for insects than smell them.
- Purchase protection screens: there are screens called "mosquito nets" that have holes of minimum sizes that prevent insects from entering the environment.
Mosquito screens are installed on the windows and doors of the houses, however, as they have leaks, they do not prevent wind and sunlight from entering the house, keeping the environment always bright and ventilated.
It is very common for screens to be used over the windows and as a type of extra door, outside the residence. They can be made to measure, which allows them to be fitted in any type of location that the person desires.
Currently, there are several models of these screens and they can be fixed or with openings (which is more common in the case of doors).
- Beware of standing water: all of you have heard a lot about dengue, the causes of the disease, and all the precautions we must take to avoid this type of problem.
However, when it comes to pests, we cannot fail to comment on all the care with standing water in our house or apartment.
Therefore, always remember to check possible outbreaks of standing water, especially if you have plants at home, because of the dishes that retain the liquid whenever the flowers are watered.
- Pay attention to plants: it is very common for people to have a certain attachment to plants, whether they are fruitful or those that have flowers.
However, some of them must receive differentiated care, which is often made with some products that can be responsible for causing pest infestations that can become something uncontrolled and, in addition to killing the plants, still spread throughout the house and garden.
Therefore, if you have or intend to have plants, be sure to take all the precautions and always opt for species of good origin, to avoid any type of problem with insects.
- Find the right products: knowing which products can be used against pests is the best way to control any type of infestation.
There are several types of pests and, because of that, we must use different products to eliminate them.
In addition to industrialized poisons, which are sold in markets, there are options for homemade mixtures that are very effective and do not present any type of risk to the health of people living in the house or to domestic animals. However, it is important to always pay attention to those that can bring side effects, to be avoided.
To avoid any kind of problem, especially for children and pets, it is very important that we pay attention to the manufacturers' instructions.
Some recipes of homemade products can help when fighting pests:
Flies
- Use white vinegar and black pepper to decrease the visit of flies at home.
- Cut lemons in half and stick cloves in them. Spread through the windows and door sills of the house.
- Bleach in the drains fights mosquitoes in the bathroom.
- Citronella, when placed on windows and air vents, are also great ways to fight flies.
Ants
- Apply detergent water to the holes the ants use to get out and cover them with toothpaste.
- To prevent ants from attacking food, use camphor or lavender leaves in the cabinets and drawers where food is kept.
- Mix mashed cloves with water and place them in the holes that ants use to hide.
Bugs
- The aroma of citronella and mint repels mosquitoes. Place pots with these plants in ventilated places, so that the smell is spread.
- Make a mixture of liquid paraffin, milk, and water to be applied to window openings, walls, and lighted spots in the house.
Cockroaches
- Mix baking soda with refined sugar and place in bottle caps in strategic places in the house, where cockroaches usually appear.
- Place dry chopped bay leaves inside the drawers and cabinet.
- Mix 20 drops of lavender essential oil in 500ml of water to use as a repellent. Spray on the doorsteps and windows, preferably twice a day.
All these mixtures can be made at home, without presenting any risk to the health of the people and animals that live in the place. However, if any family member is allergic to any type of ingredient, avoid using them.
If you want your sweet home to be pest-free, the ideal is to opt for these products brought to you by Serendipity House Limited.