Spring Cleaning and Unwelcome Guests
The weather is warming, and the pollen is covering every surface in bright yellow…welcome to spring in Georgia! If you live in the Canton, Woodstock, Cartersville, or surrounding areas, you know exactly what I’m talking about.
Along with the expected signs of spring, many homeowners find themselves setting aside a weekend to spring clean. We all like the idea of clean and neat and organized, but there is another reason to spring clean. Someone else has been waiting and watching for the warmth of spring, and that is your friendly, neighborhood insect world. That is to say, it’s all friendly until they decide your home is the summer vacation destination. Spring cleaning can help eliminate that unwelcome visit.
The Entomological Society of America states there are more than ten quintillion insects on earth! That’s a lot of bugs. With the coming of spring, the insect world wakes ready to eat and drink and repopulate their buggy world. But your house does NOT have to be the destination of choice. Here are some ideas to keep the insects where they belong: outside your home and
away from your family.
The first step is to simply take a walk-about. Look around your home and property for potential problem areas that would be a welcome sign to pesky invaders. For example, wood products should be kept at least 20 feet away from your home so as not to invite termites and ants. Standing water is a definite draw for mosquitos to repopulate your favorite barbecue area.
Some tricky areas are places such as fire pits and tire swings where water accumulates and no one thinks to dump it out. Stay vigilant and take away the temptation for bugs to hang around. Landscaping must be considered as well. Make sure your downed branches and plants are not too close to the sides of your home, encouraging the outside world to come on in.
Remember, any natural access points from outside to inside can create problems if regular maintenance isn’t done. Watch for weather stripping and window screens that may be torn or damaged. Check for gaps in exterior surfaces or around chimneys and roof areas. The solution can be as simple as caulk or may need a repair company to help seal the gaps and cracks.
Always, prevention is a much better solution than waiting to cure the problem. We are all busy. It’s easy to let little cleaning projects go, thinking we will get back to them soon. But bugs are waiting for you to leave the buffet open! Clean the crumbs from food. Take the trash regularly and be sure to keep it covered. Vacuum and sweep to keep unseen food products from issuing a “come and get it” meal call. And remember, roaches love the dark and the smell of paper. Weird right? So that means keeping clutter to a minimum. Don’t give them a place to call home.
So now let’s talk water. The insect world loves water for two reasons: it is necessary to drink, and it’s a great place to breed. We talked about outside water collection and mosquitoes, but how about inside? Yep, it’s a problem there too. Basements and leaky bathrooms need to be watched for moisture collection. Of course, it’s not just about attracting bugs, the water is
obviously harmful in many ways to the home’s structure. Roaches in particular love water and
are sometimes called “waterbugs”. So watch for any leaks inside your home as they can cause
problems.
An easy insect prevention tip is to clean with vinegar. The smell repels the insect, and even
though you may think it repels humans as well…not to worry, the smell dissipates rapidly and
cleans very well. There are many hidden areas we hardly think to clean such as cupboards and
spice racks and the bottoms of the trash cans. Spring cleaning is a good reason to get busy
cleaning and be one step closer to preventing future problems with insect infestations.
Of course, here at Canton Termite and Pest Control, we believe adding regular pest control
service to your routine will be the final deterrent against the neighborhood bugs making your
home their home. Call us today at 770-479- 1598, and let us help you protect your family and
your home. After all, don’t you want to live bug-free?
