3 Reasons pest come inside your house.
Are you suffering from chronic pest problems? Has your home been treated only for the pests to ultimately return?
While a resurgence of an infestation is not all that unusual, chronic pest problems are almost always the result of some sort of underlying issue. In these cases, something about the environment in and around your home is probably attracting unusual levels of pest activity.
To diagnose the root of your pest problem, your first step should be to identify the “conducive conditions” that allow pests to thrive. These are essentially environmental factors that are optimal for the growth of pest infestations.
There are thousands of conducive conditions, which makes it hard to narrow things down. However, you can save yourself a lot of investigative effort by focusing on the three necessary factors for ANY pest infestation to survive. Like any other living creature, bugs need food, water, and shelter to survive, and this is where you should start your investigation.
Food:
Your home can be a treasure trove of food for pests, especially scavengers who aren’t particularly picky. Cockroaches, for example, can live off even the smallest scraps of food.
Here are a few areas you should check out:
Stored food in pantries and cabinets: Make sure any dry food is sealed. Look for any spills, stains, or holes in packaging that might indicate feeding. It also helps to regularly clean out and declutter these areas to make spotting issues easier.
Food preparatory areas: Another common problem is in kitchens and other prep areas. Spills or leftovers from prep may go unnoticed by you, but they are a powerful signal to scavenging pests looking for their next meal.
Trashcans: Pests don’t make a distinction between 5-star dinner and garbage. They are just as happy to feed on your trash to sustain themselves. Frequently taking out the trash and keeping the receptacles clean will help to deal with this issue.
Pet food: Leaving a treat out for Fido might attract more guests than you expect. Pests (especially wildlife) are often drawn to pet food storage because it is easier to access compared to your kitchen. Make sure to keep any storage containers well sealed, and be sure to pick up any food left behind by your pets.
Water:
Moisture is another primary driver for pest infestation. This can manifest in two different ways. Some pests are drawn into your home to reach moisture, while others are drawn in to get away from moisture.
Pests such as mosquitoes, cockroaches, and wood-destroying fungi require high moisture environments to grow. This leads them to seek out areas with water damage, leaky faucets, and bathrooms.
On the other hand, many ground-dwelling pests avoid moisture whenever possible. A big rainstorm could drive these pests into your home as a safe haven from moisture.
Moisture control and exclusion are critical for both of these cases. You want to ensure that your home has no cracks or gaps that pests could exploit to get inside. Any water damage you have should be dealt with as quickly as possible.
Shelter:
Another reason pests may be invading your home in droves is that it serves as a convenient shelter. Your home is essentially heaven for pests. Stable temperature, protection from the elements, everything that they need to grow and thrive.
Pests may use your home as a shelter against cold weather, storms, or even construction. Once inside, they tend to stick around, having found their proverbial heaven.
The key to preventing this is proper exclusion techniques. Your home needs to be locked down tight against pests, with no easily exploitable entryways.
-Check the lining around doors, garage, and windows
-Make sure your vents are screened
-Repair cracks or gaps around the exterior
-Keep your roof in good condition
Conclusion:
We’ve covered some of the most common reasons that pests repeatedly invade home. The truth is, keeping pests out of your home takes more than just applying pesticides. Effective pest management is a multifaceted strategy, where keeping your home clean and in good repair is equally important to keeping your treatment up to date.
If you are dealing with pest problems, start your journey to a pest-free life TODAY by calling Canton Termite and Pest Control. We start with an inspection of your home to identify conducive conditions. From there, we recommend a multistep treatment plan to take care of existing pest populations and the conditions that allow for future infestations!
Don’t let pests have another day free in your home, call us at 770-479-1598!
By: Tim
