According to the experts, the most common house pests are rodents, cockroaches, and ants. Each kind of pest comes with its own set of problems to deal with, and none of them are a homeowner’s idea of a friendly visitor. When you’re dealing with these pests, the first step is to find out how they’re getting in and close off the points of entry to prevent more unwelcomed house guests. Next you need to figure out how to get rid of the pests that already found a way in.
Let’s take a look at specific ways to deal with these three pests.
Rodents
Rats and mice are pretty smart and nimble creatures when it comes to getting into your home. Some rodents can come through a hole as small as an eraser. To find these points of entry, look for any holes along the baseboard or cracks under exterior doors. These holes need to be sealed with wire mesh or steel wool depending on the size of the hole. Next, traps should be laid to get rid of existing rodents. The type of trap you get is up to you, but know it’s best to use peanut butter instead of cheese.
Cockroaches
These little (or sometimes not so little) guys love dark, warm, and moist places. Cockroaches will leave a distinct musty smell behind, so it’s pretty easy to know if they’re in your home. Apart from killing them with bug spray as you find them, calling a professional exterminator will be your best bet to kill them. Food crumbs can be a big attraction for roaches, so tidying up after meals will help keep them at bay.
Ants
Like roaches, messy kitchens are a favorite spot among ants. The availability of food scraps and crumbs can make your kitchen a buffet for a colony of ants. Given their small size, it doesn’t take much for ants to make their way inside. An old and weathered seal around a window can be a wide-open gateway for ants. Mounting a physical defense against ants may be futile, so chemical warfare might be the better option.