Home maintenance is not an easy task, especially since cleaning, gardening and mending the roof aren’t the only issues you need to keep in mind. There are countless other chores that need doing, and out of these, getting rid of pests, bugs, rats and different other critters that invite themselves into your homes is the most difficult job you are confronted with. Pests come in different shapes, sizes and levels of grossness, even though you need to treat each of them with the same level of conviction if you want to have a pest-free home.
- Spiders
The classic scene: a Thursday evening, your special lady starts suddenly screaming and jumping up and down, runs on the bed and calls your name, then gets stuck on the phrase “Kill it! Kill it! Kill it!”. You know then and there that’s a spider. Avoiding such situations is quite easy if you use some neat tricks. Use sticky traps placed in strategic places such as corners, behind the bed or wardrobe, and even in-between shelves- this will reduce the number of spiders significantly. Also consider taking out the trash on a daily basis and keep fruit stored in bags or in your fridge since fruit flies are a delicacy for spiders.
- Bedbugs
These nasty critters hide practically everywhere and this is the reason why they are so hard to completely get rid of. Bug bombing is a viable solution if you have the time and if children can be kept at a safe distance, but be sure to seal any holes during the process so that you are efficient and bugs can’t escape.
- Fleas
Any pet owner knows that fleas are notoriously stubborn and keep coming back for seconds, thirds and so on. The problem is that they jump from your cat to your dog, from him to your couch, from there to the carpet, curtain, clothes and practically anywhere they find warmth and seclusion. Flea sprays are a viable option if your home is carpet-free, vacuuming often is also recommended, although in extensive cases, the only solution is bug-bombing the home while simultaneously treating all animals in your house so that you have a sterile environment and clean pets to start over.
- Silverfish
Although these creatures are harmless, they surely are no pleasant sight especially if you like entertaining. These disgusting little grayish critters crawl around feeding on books, dead skin cells and hide practically anywhere that is dark and wet. The first thing to do if you have to start a silverfish extermination mission, is to find where they like to crawl (to look for excrement and damp, dark places). Using homemade traps can be an option although it is certainly not for the faint hearted.
Repellants and insecticides are a valid choice (diatomaceous earth sprayed in dark areas is an excellent choice and does the trick). Boric acid is another substance that kills both silverfish and silverfish eggs, and chemical sprays with pyrethrin are also extremely effective and easy to use.
The battle is, however, not won after you have gotten rid of an existing infestation, since preventive measures also need to be taken in order to ensure that such insects do not return in your home. Caulking cracks, DE-humidification, removing food sources and vacuuming often are only some of the things you can do in order to prevent future infestations.