SPRING CLEANING PEST CONTROL TIPS

Now that spring is making a strong debut in Ontario, the warmer weather has many homeowners tackling their spring cleaning to-do lists. Spring cleaning can dramatically reduce the chances of an infestation of insects or rodents in your home. Our spring pest control tips start with targeting hot spots where we usually tend to find common pests are where you can get started.

The Kitchen

Your kitchen can be a great spot for rodents or pests to infest because it can be a constant source of food and water. We deal with so many pest control in the kitchen cases with ants and mice that we recommend a thorough spring cleaning routine.

Ants and Mice - An easy way to maintain kitchen pest control of rodents or insects infesting your kitchen is cleaning up any crumbs and sticky residue from liquid spills regularly. Mice and ants love to snack on any small bits of food that we might leave behind without a second thought. We also recommend pulling out all of your appliances to vacuum and clean around and under them. There are tons of crumbs and other interesting residue that can build up over the winter that can really attract mice, ants and other pests.

Pantry Pests - For many food pests, kitchen pantries are the ideal hiding space. Bugs such as the Indian meal moths, cigarette beetles, confused flour beetles or rice weevils are some of the most common pests you’ll find when cleaning your pantry. Go through your cupboard and throw out any spices, flour, grains or lentils that are stale. Having these items easily accessible can attract certain types of pantry pests. If you don’t plan on throwing these items away, make sure that they’re properly contained in glass jars with tightly sealed lids. Paper bags (like the ones used to keep flour and sugar) are easily ripped or chewed through, which makes it easier for pantry pests to find their favourite foods.

The Basement

Basements are a perfect place for rodents, spiders and more. Why? Basements are full of dark corners and usually filled with a lot of clutter, the perfect place for any insect or rodent looking to hide. While cleaning with our spring pest control tips, try and eliminate some of the clutter in your basement. Any old magazines, newspapers, or files that haven’t been removed should either be recycled or stored in an air-tight container. When storing items, try not to use cardboard boxes, instead pack items in a plastic bin with a secure lid.

Look around for any cracks or crevices in the foundation and seal them to keep rodents and insects outside. Remember, mice can squeeze through a hole the size of a dime and insects and slip through a hole the size of a piece of paper.

The Bathrooms

There are also many pests that are attracted to moisture. Areas like your bathroom can be the perfect place for cockroaches or silverfish to live. Between washing your shower curtain and cleaning out the medicine cabinet, look around your shower, bathtub and sink for moisture issues. If you notice any, make sure you get them looked after immediately, no one wants to shower with a cockroach!

Outside

After spending the beautiful day cleaning to prevent pests inside, take those spring pest control tips outside and conduct an audit of your home's perimeter. Since some pests are drawn to deteriorating wood, we recommend repairing the roof fascia and any rotted shingles. Next, go around and fix all those ripped window and door screens, weather stripping and any loose mortar around the foundation or windows. Looking at your gardens, you need to make sure any trees or shrubs are pruned away from the house, as most pests can enter. Also remove any rotted tree stumps as they can be full a plethora of insects.

When spring cleaning your home, it is important to keep in mind the little things you can do to help prevent pests invading your home this season. Keep spring pest control tips in mind and you will be sure to have a great summer. If you do find any ants, spiders, mice or other pests in your homes, be sure to call a trusted, local pest control company like Environmental Pest Control.