How Do I Get Started Solving Or Preventing Pest Problems

If you have a pest problem, it’s difficult to know where to begin to eliminate it. Prevention is always best, as it’s the key to keeping pests out of your home. Unfortunately, pests sometimes still find their way in and when that happens, it’s important to solve the problem as quickly as possible. Below are a few tips that will help prevent pests from ever entering your home, and some tips on what to do if they still find a way in.

Preventing Pest Problems

It’s much easier to prevent pest problems than it is to deal with the critters once they’ve found a way into your home. Some of the best prevention tips include:

• Block entry points. All pests will enter your home using entry points such as holes or cracks in the exterior walls. For larger pests such as mice and rats, use steel wool to block any holes in the exterior of the home. Caulk the areas around the holes so the rodents can’t push their way through or go around the steel wool. For smaller pests such as slugs and cockroaches, block all cracks and gaps found near windows, doors, and areas where utility lines enter the home. 
• Keep it clean. Pests love dirty areas because they are typically a food source for them. As such, cleaning is an important pest prevention tip. Wipe down surfaces in the kitchen regularly, particularly after preparing food, and clean up spilled food and drink promptly. Lastly, throw away uneaten pet food immediately, as pests are also attracted to this food source.
• Spray, don’t stomp. It’s a natural instinct to want to stomp on pests as soon as they are found. However, this can actually create a bigger problem. Stomping on cockroaches for example, can release their eggs and there are over a dozen nymphs inside each egg. Instead, use a pesticide intended for home use to spray and kill the pests, rather than stomp on them.
• Use air-tight containers. Again, pests are looking for food in the home. If they can’t find it, they will either leave or die. It’s important to keep all your food in airtight containers so pests are not attracted to it. If air cannot get into the food, there is a good chance pests can’t either.

Solving Pest Problems

Without a professional pest control service, it’s difficult to solve pest problems on your own. Before speaking to a professional, or while waiting for your free consultation, there are some steps you can take.

• Identify the pest. You can’t solve a pest problem without first knowing what you’re dealing with. Identify the pest, whether it’s termites, cockroaches, mice, or another nuisance and begin researching them online. Learn what the pest needs to survive, how it lives and reproduces, and if it causes any harm to humans. Then you can set about getting rid of them.
• Determine how to control it. This may include setting up mouse traps, using a household pesticide, or simply looking for a pest such as bedbugs and using a vacuum cleaner to get rid of them. With pests, there is often more than one solution, so research to determine which method is right for you.
• Watch for the pests. Just as there is often more than one method to use for getting rid of pests, not all of them will work, either. Remain on the lookout for the pest in the future. If they come back, you’ll need to adjust your pest control methods. 

Call A Missouri Pest Control Specialist

If you’re dealing with pests in the home, contact the St. Charles pest control specialists at Amco Ranger today. We are eager to assist you immediately.