How to Keep Your House Pest Free

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If you’ve ever had to deal with significant pet problems, you will know how awkward it is. You will need to work with professionals in order to get your home cleared of whichever pest has made its way into your home. There are a lot of pest risks out there and if you do end up with an infestation then there is a significant risk to your health. They’re not just an inconvenience, pets are a real threat. If you can avoid ever getting them in the first place then you should make sure you do so! What are the best steps to keep your house pest-free?

Keep it clean

Cleaning isn’t a fun job, but it has many benefits. One of these benefits is keeping pests away. Cleaning ensures that leftover morsels of food are removed and can get rid of the waste that can attract pests. A lot of pests are constantly scavenging for food, so don’t give them the chance to find it within your home.

Make sure there are no damp areas

Some pests are attracted to damp. If you left a wet towel out in your home, the chances are that eventually, some form of pest is going to work its way there. Creatures like centipedes, millipedes, lice, and silverfish are all attracted to the damp and will look to make a home there once they have found an area with enough moisture. If you struggle with damp areas in your home, get them treated or do all you can to avoid moisture building up.

Seal your food

Most pests really couldn’t care less where they get the food, and many of them are able to get into your cupboards. You’d be amazed at the ability of rats, mice, and insects to find food that hasn’t been sealed up and hidden away from them. Keep everything in tightly sealed containers so you aren’t giving pests a hint that there is a free meal.

Fix any cracks or holes around the house

If you’ve noticed any little cracks or holes developing around the home, such as in the woodwork or somewhere within the basement, it is all too easy to ignore them. They don’t necessarily have too much of an impact on any other area of your life, and filling in cracks is just another job to add to your long to-do list. However, if you are trying to avoid pests then you should try and make your house as tightly sealed as possible. Pests come in all different shapes and sizes and have a way of creeping into even the tiniest cracks. Regularly check for holes and fill them in as soon as you get the chance.

Take good care of your pets

One of the most common ways that pests can enter the home is on your pets. If you have cats or dogs which roam around outside and then regularly come in the home then there are all sorts of creatures which can come in on their fur or their feet. As well as regularly treating for fleas, be aware if you are in an area where there are tics or other small pests which could potentially come in on your dog or cat’s coat. Practicing good hygiene for your pet is always helpful, especially for dogs who don’t tend to do much grooming for themselves. Regular baths in pet shampoo can help to repel and kill off any pests before they become a problem.

Contact pros

As well as being able to get rid of pests that have worked their way into your home, pest professionals such as KIPC can help you to ensure you don’t get pests in the first place. The best pest companies are as good at preventing infestations as they are at treating them.

Professionals use state-of-the-art methods to make sure that pests are repelled and that your home is not left vulnerable. You can take the very simple step of getting in touch to see what packages are offered, as many companies will offer a monthly service to keep returning to your home and ensuring pests don’t become a problem in your life.

Pests or Not? Which Bugs are Actually Good for Your Garden

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In this article, we’re exploring a variety of different bugs and looking into which might actually be a positive thing to have in your garden. It is easy to assume that insects and bugs can be a bad thing, we spend our time trying to get rid of them when they infest our homes, but actually, some of them (in moderate numbers) can be good for your garden.

There are over a million different types of insects in the world and some of them will be pretty useless or even have a negative impact on your yard, but we’ve listed some of the best and explained why they can be so helpful here.

How bugs can be beneficial?

There are three types of ways bugs can help, and categories in which we can put these insects: pollinators, de-composers or predators.

Pollinators are able to spread pollen and help the reproduction of crops and flowers. There has been a lot made of how important bees are to humanity in recent years, and these are an example of a pollinator. We rely on these and they can help your garden stay healthy.

Decomposers are another category. These help by feeding on pretty much anything they find! Things like dead plants and anything which is rotting. They aren’t fussy about what they consume and this makes them perfect for getting rid of old unwanted waste in the garden. and spiders are examples of these types of bugs.

The other category is the predator insect. These include ladybugs and lacewings, they are insects which can consume  and kill the bugs which we don’t need and want in our garden. Those which kill our crops and plants are not wanted. In turn, these can feed birds and hedgehogs and help to build the ecosystem which we need in order for our backyard to function properly.

Which bugs are good to have in your garden/house and why?

Ladybugs

Ladybugs are good to have around as they can eat aphids and even the eggs of pests, they also eat nymphs of whiteflies before they develop. You can encourage ladybugs by planting marigolds and cabbages.

Damselflies and Dragonflies

Dragonflies and damselflies are really important when it comes to ensuring the mosquito population doesn’t rise and they feed on the larvae of many pests when they are in their developed stage. Often, they will only be found near water.

Mantis

Some people think that the Mantis is endangered, but this is a myth. They’re going strong and can nest in your backyard. They do eat bees, but also aphids and other creatures which may be out to feast on your plants and crops.

Syrphid Fly

These are easy to confuse with bees and wasps. They actually eat a lot of aphids and the mothers even lay eggs among the colonies to ensure that their young constantly have food.

Green Lacewing

Lacewings don’t look like they could do much harm, but they absolutely can when it comes to feasting on garden pests to benefit such as mites and aphids. Planting Coriander and Fennell can help to attract these into your garden to patrol the unwanted mites.

Parasitic Wasp

Parasitic Wasp is one of the strangest looking bugs on our list and also one which has a lot of benefit to the garden. They don’t tend to sting humans and are known for parasitizing a lot of different pests including grubs, caterpillars and earworms. Their unique appearance means you may not recognize one if you see it.

Assassin Bug

Intimidating by name, and sometimes even intimidating by nature. Don’t worry, they won’t hurt humans unless they are backed into a proverbial corner, but they can certainly rule the roost in your backyard.

They feast on a huge amount of the pests to benefit that can pose a threat to your plants in the garden, and for this reason, they are one of the most helpful creatures to have inhabit your backyard. Because of this, they are even one of the few types of bugs you can buy from a garden center in order to aid your pest control and avoid having to use other pest controls.