Bed bugs, just like other nuisances pests such as termites and cockroaches, bring nothing but damage and disturbance. For instance, bed bugs are found to be a source of anxiety by making people become restless and lose sleep due to discomfort brought by bed bug bites. Termites, on the other hand, are notorious for their ability to destroy a house or building structure by consuming the cellulose found in plants’ walls and wood. If your house is built with wooden materials, its structural integrity may be greatly threatened once termites attack. Cockroaches as well cause property damage as they gnaw at your food packaging, book pages, and leather-made possessions. Moreover, these filthy pests may transmit deadly diseases since they carry a variety of bacteria and viruses.

Home Pest Control and Prevention

Because of the troubles and harm they bring not only to our property but also to our well-being, these homes have to be exterminated and be prevented from ever settling inside our beloved home. Pest control measures have to be applied the moment you have confirmed an infestation. Bed bug removal, cockroach control, and termite control are among your best alternatives and are something you have to work on together with a pest control expert.

Being the homeowner, however, you can perform your share of responsibilities to discourage pests from thriving in your household. Here is a list of the things you should do in order to keep home pests like bed bugs, roaches, and termites at bay:

1. Inspect Potential Pest-Infested Areas (i.e. Bedroom, Food Storage Area, plumbing, Trash Bins, Etc.)

The first to solving your pest problem is to locate potential hiding places and breeding sites for pests. If you are suspecting a possible bed bug activity, then you should thoroughly examine your bedroom particularly the spaces surrounding your bed (i.e. beddings, mattresses, headboard, drawer, wardrobe, box spring, etc.). You may even check your luggage as bed bugs as well as roaches may also hide in there. Moreover, look out for signs of infestation. In the case of bed bugs, find out if there are blood stains, black or dark brown excrement, moldy stench, and molted skins on your mattresses, upholstered furniture, bookshelves, walls/wallpapers, and wardrobe area. In terms of cockroach infestation, you must inspect underneath or at the back of the fridge, cabinet tops, under the sink, beneath the stove, inside drawers, and along floor corners and watch out for black grainy droppings (almost similar to black pepper), smear marks, shed skins, musky smell, and egg casings. Termite activity, however, requires you to check the woodworks in your household and look for indicators of a termite problem (i.e. wood damage, mud tubes, bubbling paint, termite droppings, and weird tapping sounds).

2. Observe Cleanliness and Sanitation.

One sure way to keep pests, especially the filthy ones like cockroaches, away to maintain a clean, dry, and clutter-free home environment. This includes keeping your floors and kitchen area free from any food debris or leftovers as pests are always on the lookout for food source and are easily attracted to areas where food and humidity are abundant. This is especially true for cockroaches. You must therefore remove everything that catches the pests’ attention and maintain a good hygiene. In addition, you have to do away with clutter and properly organize and sanitize your home items to prevent pests from having a perfect hideout or shelter.

3. Properly Dispose of Garbage.

Relative to #2, you must throw away your garbage on a daily basis and store it in well-sealed trash bins. Overflowing and smelly garbage always entices disease-carrying pests like roaches, rodents, and flies. Proper garbage disposal definitely prevents pests from lingering in your home.

4. Set Up Baits.

This strategy can be applied to termites and cockroaches. For example, termite baits contain toxins that deter termite growth and kill termites in a delayed manner. As the termites carry the toxins in their bodies, they inadvertently transmit the poison to the other termites in the colony.

5. Use Pest Control Products.

Spraying insecticides somehow helps ease down your pest problems although it is not necessarily a long-term solution. Termiticide, for instance, is used as a termite barrier. You can apply it to woodworks and other exterior parts of your home. By the time the termites unknowingly consume materials treated with termiticide, they will ultimately die and will unwittingly spread the content of the chemical, thereby infecting and killing the other termites.

6. Apply Treatment Methods.

You can choose a variety of treatment methods for getting rid of destructive pests like termites, bed bugs, and roaches. The treatment methods for a specific type of pests must be verified by a professional. Bed bugs may be eliminated through heat treatment and chemical treatment. Cockroaches and termites, on the other hand, may be exterminated through application of insecticides and DIY pest control methods.

The bottom line is to make your home as unenticing or unattractive to pests as possible. You have to make sure to clean and vacuum regularly in order to remove food debris, dust, and clutter in the household. You also need to maintain a dry environment as pests like cockroaches and mosquitoes prefer to stay in moist areas. Lastly, you must seal all possible entry points for pests (i.e. cracks, tears on screen) and never afford them a single opportunity to gain access to your household.