Over time, you might find that your home has become overrun with pests, whether mice, cockroaches, or something else entirely. Whether the culprits are your pets or not, the results are the same—you have an infestation to deal with!
Fortunately, you can take plenty of steps to keep your pet pest-free at all times without harming your furry friends in any way. Sometimes buying pet supplies can be a hassle, especially if you don’t know where to buy them. Good thing, these days you can buy them online. For more information, visit https://www.petstock.com.au/.
Here are ten proven ways to keep pests out of your home and away from your pets.
Table of Contents
Treat the Whole House
Rodents and other bugs are attracted to food, so removing all crumbs and spills can minimize these creatures’ chances of invading your home. Placing wet or moist items into containers will also help eliminate pests that might want a drink. Set traps for pests that are already inside your home; this includes, for instance, rats, cockroaches, and fleas.
Bait the traps with anything from peanut butter or fresh fruit to canned cat food to attract them close enough for capture. Once the rodent has been caught, either release it somewhere far away from your property or kill it humanely (depending on how much you loathe it).
Seal up All Points of Entry
Pests can enter your home in a variety of ways, so it’s important to be on the lookout for holes or other gaps where pests may be able to get in. These include cracks and crevices, gaps around windows and doors, and any other small spaces around the house that may have been left unguarded.
Using caulk and sealant (or expanding foam) can work wonders at preventing critters from entering your home through small cracks or gaps. Remember: a little bit of extra protection goes a long way to make your home pest-free!
Remove Any Nesting Materials
Use sticky traps near the ground or up in the higher branches of trees. These traps will capture any wasps or other flying pests that get caught on them and die. Be sure not to set these too close together as they can catch native pollinators, but keeping them too far apart won’t be effective.
Other options for a pest-free home include:
- Filling a soda bottle with soapy water.
- Filling a dish with apple cider vinegar.
- Using beer to spray near the areas where pests like to dwell.
Removing any nesting materials from your garden is important so that these pests have no reason to stay there. It’s also a good idea to keep up with replacing mulch so that rodents can’t find a place where they can burrow and live undetected.
Discourage Roaming Outside
Keeping your pets from roaming outside can be difficult. If you live in an area with wildlife, you may find that your pet has become acquainted with a local critter. To avoid this, ensure they cannot roam outside when you are not home and keep them inside when nighttime falls. Coyotes are nocturnal and will take advantage of an opportunity, including attacking domestic animals like your cat or dog.
Try Certain Plants as Natural Repellents
One way to keep your pet pest-free is by planting certain plants in your garden. Plants with strong fragrances and tastes often deter animals from trying them, so it’s a good idea to plant strong-smelling plants in different parts of your yard. Cedar oil, citronella grass, peppermint, catnip, spearmint, and parsley are all great for this type of gardening.
You can also place bowls or large pots around the perimeter of your home with these types of plants around them; this will help to create a natural barrier that will stop pesky pests before they enter your house!
Clean Up Clutter Around the House
Insecticides and repellents are popular methods for keeping your home pest-free, but they should not be relied on as the only solution. Ideally, insecticides should be used in conjunction with other pest control methods.
For example, one could use a baited trap in addition to a spray treatment. While insecticides will have some immediate effect on the targeted pests, relying on them exclusively can lead to an infestation as soon as the spray dissipates and the targeted pests come out of hiding again.
Use Insecticides and Repellents
Insecticides and repellents are two of the best methods for keeping pests away from your pet. If you’re worried about what chemicals could be dangerous, it’s important to consider the active ingredients and compare them with similar products that offer a safer solution.
You’ll also want to use pesticides and repellents only where necessary to avoid any unnecessary exposure risks. Finally, if your pest problem persists, don’t hesitate to call the professionals!
Invest in Exterior Screens, Doors, and Windows
Screening all windows, doors, and skylights will not only reduce the chance of your pets getting out, but it can also prevent other pests from entering. Mosquitoes, cockroaches, spiders, and flies can threaten your pet’s health if they find their way inside. Consider exterior screening as an effective way of keeping these pests outside.
Talk To Your Neighbors
Conversation is a very important form of communication, and many rely on it to keep up with the latest events. However, it is not always that easy for everyone. Some people are so busy with their everyday lives that they have very little time left over for socializing with others. But talking with neighbors doesn’t have to take time. One great way to do this without ever leaving your house is by a phone conversation with them!
Do NOT Bring Pets Into Infested Areas
The first step in combating pest infestation is preventing your pet from bringing them into your home. Pets are very adept at finding new scents and creatures. When a rodent or another animal dies, it will draw predators, which can lead those pests into your house. Make sure you don’t bring your pets into areas that have been infected by pests and never let them run loose outside unless they are secured on a leash or contained by an enclosure.
Conclusion
The way to keep your pet pest-free is pretty simple; just use these ten techniques, and your house will be cleaner, fresher, and much healthier for you and your pet. If you find that any of these techniques are ineffective for you, be sure to consult a professional exterminator.
Featured Photo by Tranmautritam: https://www.pexels.com
