4 places pests may be lurking in your home

Abell Pest Control

There's a long list of pests that can infest your home, creating a disgusting or dangerous situation. Not only do some of the most common animal invaders carry harmful bacteria or germs, but they can also physically damage your home.

Knowing where pests tend to reside is the first step in addressing a potential problem. Here are they most important places to look and some of the creatures you might find there:

1. The kitchen
It should come as no surprise that pests will try and colonize your kitchen if possible. There's often free food in the form of crumbs, pantry goods and uncleaned messes, and there is usually an easy source of water as well. Appliances, cupboards and other nooks and crannies also provide sufficient cover. For that reason, ants, roaches and similar insects may quickly invade your kitchen when given an opportunity. Mice or rats can also comfortably survive in this space.

Proper pest prevention starts with keeping a kitchen that is clean and tidy. Don't give pests an added incentive to explore your home by ringing the dinner bell. U.S. News and World Report stated that this means storing all food items securely and minimizing entry into your home by being proactive about any repairs and sealing possible openings.

2. The attic and basement
Some pests see your home as a place to escape the cold and even safely raise their young. For example, it's not uncommon for a family of raccoons to cozy up in an attic or basement when given the chance.

Some insects, meanwhile, are hardy enough to subsist on items that would otherwise seem inedible. Roaches, moths and other species can feed on everything from stored clothes and cardboard to packaging glue or insulation. As such, your attic or basement can be quite inviting to hungry bugs. Keep your best clothes in plastic wrapping or containers and keep an eye out for any signs of a possible pest problem.

3. Inside of walls
Pests can access your home through small openings where the siding meets the roof, along cracks or holes or even through gaps created by electrical wires or plumbing. You should do what you can to minimize entry points, because otherwise pests may not just get inside but can also find their way into the framework of your house.

Having rodents scamper about in the walls is an unpleasant and dangerous situation for homeowners. Mice, squirrels and other creatures may inadvertently gnaw through wood fixtures or wiring and cause serious damage. And if they get comfortable enough, they may breed, greatly exacerbating the problem. The same is true of insects looking for shelter and safe haven.

4. The yard
Pests that enter your home usually started in the yard, and other animals can use the same entry points to come inside. That creates added incentive to plug or block any openings and to also make sure your property isn't too attractive to would-be pests.

Some homeowners do enjoy wildlife in their yard, but there are ways to reduce the population of less charismatic animals. For example, Greatist reported that mosquitos look for standing water in the summer and can plague a property that caters to this need. Elsewhere, an unkempt lawn or piles of leaves and brush give ticks, fleas and other insects the necessary cover to thrive and from there can possibly infest your home. An orderly, well looked-after lawn can still allure visiting songbirds and rabbits while simultaneously dissuading pests.

Across your property, be mindful and active when it comes to reducing run-ins with animal invaders. For more help, reach out to a pest control specialist to learn more about your options.


About the author:

Abell Pest Control is a family owned Canadian company dedicated to providing effective, professional and courteous service in pest management.Started in 1924 with one office, Abell now employs several hundred people with branch offices across Canada and the United States.

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