ACHIEVE A PEST FREE HOME IN THE NEW YEAR

As the New Year gets underway, it is a great time for homeowners to adopt some healthy habits for a pest free home. There are many prevention tips that will leave you with a sense of relief that you are not going to be hosting any unwanted winter guests. It can be challenging to maintain order in your home over the busy holiday season, but the New Year is the perfect time for that fresh start. Stay ahead of the pests and avoid any unwanted infestations this winter by adopting the following healthy habits.

Why Is a Clean Kitchen Important For Keeping Pests Out?

With holiday parties wrapped up and the family visits over, your kitchen may be left in a state of chaos. This is the first room to focus on cleaning thoroughly because the left over crumbs and the piling dishes are a welcome party to mice and other pests.  It is important to clean up any spills or crumbs, which will attract hungry insects and rodents.  Also, check that your food is stored in containers with tightly sealed lids and that you do not bring home food in damaged packaging from the grocery store to avoid pantry pests such as Indian meal moths, sawtoothed grain beetles and flour beetles.  Along with flour, pantry pests are attracted to most all dry, stored food items even birdseed and dog food.

The Importance of Cleaning Out Attics, Basements, Garages and Crawl Spaces

Your attic, basement, garage, and crawl spaces are great accommodations to pests such as mice and rats since they are not commonly visited rooms and provide plenty of harborages. During the cold winter months, rodents and other pests are happy to find their way into your warm home on a search for shelter, food, and water.  As the holiday decorations go back to their off season home, a thorough cleaning and inspection of these rooms is a good idea to make sure you are free of rodents scurrying around. Mice and rats can cause damage to your home by chewing through wood and walls or contaminating areas with droppings and urine so it is important to be on the lookout. Also moving stored items around will disrupt nesting spots.

Why You Should Inspect the Exterior of Your House From Pest Entry Points

A great way to prevent pests from infesting your home is to check the exterior of your house for small cracks or openings. Spiders, rodents and other pests require only the tiniest of spaces to walk right into your home. Do a thorough inspection of the exterior and ensure that any cracks or holes are properly sealed. If you enjoy time with your family by the fire, another prevention tip from your local pest control professionals at Viking Pest Control is to keep your firewood stacked away from your home and also off the ground to keep spiders and other pests away. Inspect the firewood before you bring it into your home and always keep it stacked outside, bringing in only what you need for each fire.

A pest free home is a healthy home so make a habit of following these prevention tips and you will be on your way to a happy, healthy New Year!