How To Prevent Bugs From Entering Your Home

While it’s normal to find a few insects in your home, bugs can become a nuisance or even a health risk if their numbers swell. Discover how to prevent bugs from entering your home with practical housekeeping. Clean Up Crumbs and Put Away Food Food crumbs, spills, and garbage entice bugs into your home for a feast. Eliminate these food sources to reduce the chance of an infestation. Regularly sweep, mop, and vacuum floors to remove food particles and debris. Most homes require weekly sweeping and mopping, but if you have kids or pets, you may need to clean the floors more often. Store food in airtight containers in the pantry and fridge to prevent bugs from gaining access. Use trash cans with tight-fitting lids and remove the garbage as needed to avoid overflow that can attract pests. Seal Cracks and Openings Sealing cracks and other openings throughout the house is another way to prevent bugs from entering your home. Inspect doors and windows for gaps and replace weatherstripping if needed to create a tight seal. You can install mesh screens on doors and windows to prevent flying insects from entering when you’re letting in fresh air. If your home’s exterior has cracks, gaps, and holes, seal them with silicone or silicone-latex exterior caulk. Homeowners commonly find openings where pipes and wires enter the home and near exhaust vents. Note: Cracks May Indicate Foundation Problems Cracks form naturally on homes over time. But what seems like a normal crack may instead be one of the many different types of foundation cracks that can appear. If you don’t seal these openings, pests may enter your home. And to prevent the gaps from getting worse or to stop new ones from forming, call a professional if you suspect foundation problems. Clean the Yard While your yard is a natural insect habitat, maintaining your property can minimize indoor bugs. Periodically trim trees, shrubs, and bushes away from walls and windows so these plants don’t become highways to your home. Standing water in your yard can become a breeding ground for mosquitos. The insects only need .25 inches of water to lay their eggs in, and eggs can become adults in approximately 8 to 10 days. Fixing poor draining soil and low spots in your lawn minimizes mosquitos indoors and outdoors. Putting away food, sealing cracks and gaps, and maintaining your lawn and landscaping can prevent flying or crawling bugs from ambushing your home. Use these helpful tips to prevent small insects from becoming a big problem.