Summertime is one of the most difficult times for homes in dealing with pests. Although pests are annoying for anyone, pests in family homes can be even more frustrating because they can wreak quite a bit of havoc in homes with children. If you want to keep your family safe from pests, follow these steps to reduce pest infestations this summer.
1. Understand the Most Common Pests in Summer
There are a few pests that tend to enter homes more commonly in the summertime. These are some of the most common summertime pests.
- Ants
- Crickets
- Mice
- Snakes
- Bees
- Wasps
Of course, there are other pests that might try to enter your home during the summer, but these are some of the most prominent ones. Preventing these types of pests from entering your home is a crucial component of pest-proofing.
2. Make Sure Pests Can’t Get Inside
The next step is to make sure pests can’t get inside your home in general. This may mean covering cracks, adding rubber trim to doors and windows, and making sure that you keep doors and windows closed. Whether you’re in the summer or not, ensuring pests can’t get into your home is a crucial requirement.
3. Conduct Regular Home Inspections
Regular home inspections can be a great way to identify pests before they become a nuisance in your home. This is true for all kinds of pests, but it can be especially helpful for insects, which can be extremely difficult to notice without a severe infestation. If you schedule regular home inspections, the inspector is more likely to tell you about pest issues.
4. Remove Pests From Your Home
Next, you need to remove any pests that have already entered your home. There are many ways to remove pests from the home, including bait and pesticides, and the correct solution for your needs may vary depending on what pests you have and how many there are. It’s a good idea to talk to an expert if you’re expecting a relatively significant pest removal, as there are many places where this can go wrong, especially with children in the house.
5. Repair Your Home Foundation If Necessary
Home foundations can be a major part of pest infestations and of other problems within your home. If you have issues with your home foundation, including cracks, sinking, and waterlogging, you’re inevitably going to have other problems, which can negatively impact your whole family. Repairing your home foundation may be the best way to reduce pest infestations and help your home last longer.
Conclusion
In general, the best way to keep your family safe from pests will be to reduce the ability for pests to enter the home in the first place. That may require you to fix certain elements of the home, including your home foundation, and to have regular home inspections. If you do these things, you’ll be much less likely to experience any kind of pest infestation this summer.
