Spring Pest Control Tips

We all love the spring. The warmth and sunshine are very welcome after the dark, cold days of winter. Guess what? Some other creatures also love springtime just as much as you do.

So, let’s meet some of the creatures that want to enjoy the beautiful spring weather with you. They include cockroaches, flies, ants, earwigs, rats, rodents, mosquitoes, silverfish, bees, and wasps. Yes, they would all like to spend this lovely time of year with us. Since they usually aren’t very nice guests, we generally call them pests.

If you and your family want to enjoy the spring, you must take certain steps to keep these unwanted visitors away. Failure to do this will see you hating the springtime almost as much as you once loved it.

Tips for Keeping Pests Out in Spring

There are a few preventive measures you can take against pest infestations this spring. These include things you can do inside, outside, and to your house itself.

The House

The first set of tips involves your house as a whole, which we’ll break down into parts.

The Roof

The roof should provide protection from a lot of things, including the elements and unwanted visitors. If your roof is damaged, pests like termites, wasps, bees, and hornets may have easy access to your home.

To avoid this, look for damaged roofing tiles and fix them. Check for cracks and fill them using roofing cement. Inspect your roof for any nests and get rid of them. While doing that, you should also ensure that your drain pipes are clear and that there’s no standing water anywhere.

The Air Vents

Your air vents are very important. Yet, they can also become the passageway pests use to creep uninvited into your home. To prevent this from happening, cover any vent openings with the appropriate mesh.

The Attic

A lot of people just dump stuff in their attics and forget about it. Well, if you want to keep your home free of pests, then you’ll need to take a closer look at this space. Termites and other pests will find the exposed beams very inviting, both as a home and as a source of food.

Prevent this by ensuring everything stored there is properly packaged in plastic storage boxes. You should also check the beams regularly for pests. If you find any, deal with them immediately.

The Windows

Leaving your windows open is a wonderful way to enjoy the full essence of spring. Just remember that spring also includes the flying and creeping pests that form part of the season.

To ensure your windows don’t become the entry point for these unwanted pests, either keep them shut or cover them with screens.

Inside the House

Now that we’ve finished looking at the house itself, we can look inside the house to see what we can do to keep pests away.

The Bedroom

The bedroom should be your personal space. But pests, like bed bugs, mosquitoes, and others, also love this space. They love to bite you while you sleep because you’re less likely to take a swipe at them while sleeping.

Here are a few things you can do. Move your bed away from the walls, inspect wooden furniture closely for any signs of infestation, and check bedding and bed frames for signs of bed bugs. Treat any pests you find immediately. Finally, wash your bedding at 140°F (60°C) and vacuum as often as you can.

The Kitchen

This is where a lot of pests love to visit since they can find a free buffet spread before them. One of the rules for pest control is, “Take away the food and the pests will leave.” No one wants to stay in a place where they don’t have access to food.

To keep your kitchen from becoming pest central, ensure your work surfaces are always clean. There should be no spills or crumbs left lying around. Store any food in airtight containers. You don’t want to leave garbage bins lying around, so you’ll need to empty these as often as you can.

Try to wash dirty dishes immediately. Don’t leave them overnight. If you do have to leave them, soak them in soapy water so pests can’t access the bits and crumbs.

Whatever you do, don’t leave standing water anywhere in your kitchen. Check for leakages in your plumbing system and fix them quickly. If you have pets, don’t leave pet food out, especially when it’s warm out. Along the same lines, you should empty their litter boxes and trays often.

Outside the House

You probably don’t intend to stay cooped up indoors all spring. You’ll want to relax outside the house without worrying about pests. So, here are a few things you can do to keep the pests from invading your yard.

Standing Water

Any standing water in your surrounding is a breeding ground for pests. So, get rid of any standing water.

Gardens and Lawns

Take good care of your garden. If you use compost, keep it in containers with tight lids. Try to get rid of any tree stumps since they can become a home to pests. If you have wood stored anywhere, make sure it’s raised off the ground and some distance away from the foundation of your home.

It’s a good idea to trim your lawn regularly because an overgrown lawn is an invitation to pests.

Trash Containers

Cover all garbage cans and don’t overfill them to the point of spilling over. You don’t want to have a pest party in your trash.

Bug Sprays

If all these preventive measures have not succeeded in keeping the pests away, you can still enjoy the outdoors with the right bug spray. Look for one that’s effective and also safe because it will allow you to sit out in your yard untouched by pests.

Conclusion

Springtime is meant to be enjoyed. If you take the steps we’ve shared above, you’ll be able to enjoy your springtime fully. 

These steps mainly deal with preventing the pests from coming in. If they’re already in, you may have to get professionals to handle the situation or handle it yourself.

Prevention is always better than treatment, so do everything you can to keep pests out of your home in the first place.