With Summer upon us, you may be wondering what kind of upgrades you can make to your home to keep the bugs out. If you are not fond of those pesky little critters, there are several ways to prevent the pests or eliminate them from your home completely. Simply doing an internet search on Tips on How to Get Rid of Houseflies, for example, pulls up a wealth of information and how to naturally get rid of them and also prevent the viruses and germs they transmit.
Security Doors and Screens
If you just have a door on your home to prevent the weather elements from entering your home, you may want to consider adding a security door with an accompanying screen door. Screen doors and adding screens to your windows can help create a barrier between your home and the bugs. It’s also a good idea to inspect all windows and screens during the springtime to identify any rips in the screen openings the bugs could potentially get into. Ensuring the barrier is strong is important to preventing these pesky bugs from entering your home. You can also make your doors more secure with weathering strips, blocking up that gap under the door that so many homes have.
Seal Gaps
Unbeknownst to you, there may be gaps around the windows or under doors. This is the perfect way to allow bugs to get into your home. Gaps and cracks are natural occurrences as your home settles and it’s important to seal them annually to keep bugs and other critters out of the home. Not only can these critters crawl under the door, but they can also get inside your walls and cause some damage. Getting some exterior grade caulk or sealant to enclose the cracks and gaps will keep the bugs out. Further, purchasing some weather stripping or door sweeps for larger openings under the door will help keep those bugs out of the entryway.
Foundation Repair
Basement foundations tend to settle over time and over the course of the years, basement foundations can crack resulting in pests coming into the home. Checking the basement foundation for cracks and sealing them, the basement windows should also be checked and properly sealed to prevent pests from entering the home. These are the more common spaces where pests are able to enter the home, especially for older homes where the house has settled around the windows and left the aforementioned gaps.
Foliage Trimming
If you’ve got plants growing up around the sides of your home, you’re likely going to be seeing a lot of pests inside the house. This is because you’re providing a comfy home for those pests right up against your house. If there is any way to get inside, and every house has a way, they are in the perfect position to come and go in large numbers through that fault in your defenses. Keep the area around your foundation clear of foliage and weeds. The exception of course is if you were to plant pest-repelling plants, such as lavender or lemongrass, though that may attract mice instead.
Summertime brings out the pests no matter where you live and taking the necessary precautions and being proactive to properly protect your home will help reduce or even prevent the number of unwanted pests coming into your home.