10 Simple Ways to Keep Your Home Insect Free

It may seem like an uphill battle to keep these nettlesome pests out of your home given that there are more than 91,000 bug species in the United States and more than 20,000 species in Oregon alone. After all, when summer approaches and we start to open the windows and doors to let the warm, fresh air in, our homes will be even more exposed to pest invasions.

You might be having dreams about spooky things in your cabinets or insects digging burrows in your cake mix or flour. Perhaps you see your cellar being overrun by rodents or your little child playing in the living room on a hot summer day while threatening mosquitoes flutter around him.

Did you know that termite or insect infestations can seriously harm your Salem house, causing dry rot that could need to be repaired by experts?

What can you do, then, to keep insects out of your house?

Here, we'll look at 10 easy techniques to avoid pest damage and keep your home free of insects, particularly during the hot summer months when the doors and windows will be constantly open, so you can coexist with nature without having to worry about obnoxious pests.

1.) Seal the Doors

Consider your door to be a security barrier or barricade for all types of intruders. Unwanted pests can be kept out with a properly sealed door. You might find unsealed spaces at your entranceways if you examine closely; each one provides a simple path for bugs to enter your home.

Install a strong steel or aluminum threshold under the door to prevent insects from crawling underneath. Put a door sweep in front of this for greater defense. The inexpensive sweep fills in the space between a threshold and the bottom of the door. You can get sweeps at numerous hardware stores. Nylon brush sweeps are an alternative to vinyl or neoprene that offer superior pest protection.

2) Store Firewood Away From Your Home

Despite being outdoors, a stack of firewood is a haven for many types of insects. If you need evidence, try lifting a piece of wood that has been on the ground for a while, and you’re guaranteed to see plenty of insect life living underground.

The worst place for these pests is to be living up against your home and siding, eating away at the lining of your home, and crawling through the foundation while you’re unaware of what is happening. You want to prevent any chance of termite damage in your home.

Moving the firewood pile is the quickest fix for this. On the other side of the yard, stack it up against the fence. Even better, purchase a sack to totally contain the firewood while it is sitting in your yard instead of spending money on a firewood holder that you place elsewhere.

Keep the firewood off the ground, if at all feasible, and at least five feet away from your residence as a general rule.

3) Clean Your Home

Make sure to vacuum your floors at least once a week to get rid of the insects that have infiltrated your home without your knowledge. You should already be doing this as part of your regular cleaning practice.

The cobwebs in the corners, bug droppings, and food crumbs that draw bugs into your home can all be removed by vacuuming. It will keep your home tidy and aid to keep it free of insects.

4) Insert Screens

You'll be opening windows and doors to let fresh air into your house as soon as summer arrives. Natural ventilation is calming and, in many circumstances, a welcome reprieve, particularly when it's hot and muggy outside. The worst time of the year for fleas, mosquitoes, and other pests to penetrate your home, though, is during the summer.

Installing screens on your windows and doors will fix this problem. For instance, to keep out the most typical household pests, use a screen with a mesh size of 20 or more.

Remember that even the smallest cracks or breaks in screens can allow insects access. To seal a hole and keep insects out, use a layer of transparent nail paint or home cement.

5. Fix Leaking Faucets

Almost every kind of bug is drawn to water. Therefore, it is very possible that you may see these pesky animals gathering in your bathroom, kitchen, or wherever the problematic sink is located, if you have a leaky faucet in your home.

Go to your neighborhood hardware shop and get a wrench and some vinegar before originally hiring a plumber.

Then carry out the following actions:

Shut off the water supply to the pipe directly.
The faucet line must be unscrewed.
Take off every component, including the washer, seal, movable components, etc.
Put them in a vinegar bath for a few hours.
Dry each one thoroughly.
Reposition them on the pipe.
Turn on the water.
That means there will be one less issue to address.

6) Keep Your Home Dry

As you may already be aware, dealing with water damage can be expensive and irritating. It can do significant harm, not the least of which is dry rot. If your property has excess water or water damage, you can find yourself dealing with a serious insect infestation problem very soon.

You should completely inspect your home, paying special attention to any areas where pipes are put, to make sure none of them are leaking. Age can also be an issue, in addition to the significant temperature variations that can cause a pipe to shatter. Therefore, if you reside in an older property, you must exercise extra caution.

Check the caulk around your shower and bathtub to make sure the drains are working properly. Be mindful that even in the absence of standing water, wet conditions are ideal for bugs and insects. This is why it makes sense to keep your home as dry as you can.

7) Maintain A Clean Kitchen

A line of ants crawling across your countertop in your kitchen is the last thing you want to see. The greatest technique to assist ensure your home is insect-free is to thoroughly clean the kitchen. Sealing the hole they entered through can be a quick repair.

Be careful not to leave out food that attracts insects. Avoid having water puddles on the counter. Cover all of your food items with tight-fitting containers, then wash your dishes in the sink.

Check for perishable items like fruit and vegetables that have been left out. These simple precautions might help a lot in avoiding an insect infestation in your kitchen.

8. Conduct spot checks

Make sure to take preventative measures to keep bugs out of your home. Consider keeping an eye out for indications of an infestation in specific important parts of the house. Check your home frequently, concentrating on trouble spots.

Look in the areas where insects tend to hang out, like the following places:

• Attics
• Basements
• Laundry rooms
• Behind big appliances
• The garage
• Decks & patios

Take note of these problem areas and stay vigilant. It’s easier to prevent major bug problems than to have to react to an infestation that has gotten out of control and will likely require professional help and be costly to resolve.

9) Clean Up Your Yard

Cleaning up your yard on a regular basis is one of the best ways to make sure your home is free of insects. Making your property as hostile to pests as you can is the objective; you won't completely eradicate bugs from your yard.

You can take steps to keep insects away from your yard by clearing it of tree limbs, grass cuttings, plants, and other clutter.

Consider it this way: you want to get rid of everything that could serve as a shelter for bugs that could find their way into your house.

10) Consider What You Bring Into Your Home.

We may not be aware of the things we bring into our houses, particularly when it comes to bugs, because we are so preoccupied with where we are going and where we are going. You might unintentionally be harboring ticks or other animals that attach onto you or your pets when you enter your home in addition to food or shipments.

Be careful who you invite into your home, especially if they are undesirable. Pests can occasionally be found unnoticedly hiding on anything. Ticks, for instance, can easily latch onto pets or clothing, and bed bugs can hide in your luggage. Everything you bring into your home should be thoroughly inspected to ensure that no bugs are present.