How You Can Protect Your Home From Insects

Whether you find insects and bugs fascinating or frightening, you probably agree with everyone else that they do not belong in your home. Some species are annoying and buzzing, whereas others are unsanitary, might sting your pets and family, or just carry diseases. Bug-proofing your home might seem like a seriously uphill battle, given how there are over 10 quintillion bugs around the world. Many of them live in Suffolk County and Nassau County, but extermination is possible. Use the ideas listed here to try extermination on your own. Always remember that professional exterminating on Long Island is possible for what you don't get done yourself.

Reduce Your Mulch and Plants

You don't have to level your whole yard to do effective exterminating. Just trim back shrubs or tree branches that are in physical contact with your home. Bugs and pests typically use these as bridges that connect to your house so they can find a way in. Mulch can be great for keeping moisture in your soil that plants needs, but it's also a haven for pests. You can still use mulch in your landscaping, but many places that come into physical contact with your home's foundation should use a ground cover that pests find less attractive. Rocks are a good choice.

Rinse Out Your Recyclables

Before you throw in the towel and call an exterminator in Suffolk, you should make it a family habit to rinse out your recyclables. Ideally, you'd store them in something with a lid that fits tight. However, some municipalities around here issue open bins for residents to use. Just make sure you rinse out your recyclables thoroughly before putting them in there. If possible, take the extra step of keeping your bin outside instead of in your kitchen or in a garage.

Change Your Light Bulbs

Conventional mercury vapor lights might be attractive to flying insects around windows and doors. Replace these with halogen lights or high-pressure bulbs using sodium vapor. Insects and pests are least drawn to bulbs with orange, yellow, or pink tints. If you can, keep your lights away from doors. Even though that placement is common, if you can put your lights on a pole away from the home, it puts more distance between pests and your house. Just be sure there is still sufficient light at the door for your own safety reasons. Install Screens Summers in Suffolk County can be hot, and winters are sometimes frigid. However, there are many stretches of time where the weather is anywhere from nice to downright perfect. These are great times to open windows and doors for fresh air and natural ventilation. What if that's not all that you're letting in though? Put screens in your doors and windows. Use something 20-mesh or even finer to prevent most household pests from getting in. If you already have screens, then check them for tears and holes. You can seal these with household cement or even clear nail polish. Fix Cracks Some bugs are so small you can't really see them with the naked eye. It doesn't take much for them to get into your home. This is why you need to seal any and all cracks along the exterior of your home. If a pencil can fit into a gap or crack, then young mice can too. Insects can get in through openings even smaller. Rotted wood, crumbling or lose brick, foundation cracks, and siding that is missing or damaged are all spots that need to be addressed. Caulk is cheap and easy and works wonders in keeping out pests from your Nassau County home.

Get Help From Natural Predators

If you need an exterminator in Suffolk, humans don't have to be your only option. Small insects are the primary food source for many bats and birds. Swallows and warblers are great at killing mosquitos, and bats regularly dine on those, plus spiders, flies, and wasps. Bushes and trees where birds can make nests help draw them in. A supply of freshwater that you change frequently to prevent stagnation is also very likely to be attractive to birds. A nectar feeder or birdseed feeder can help supplement a diet of insects.

Protect Your Chimney and Plumbing

Your chimney needs a cap and screen if it's going to keep out birds and rodents. They can cause serious damage on their own and bring smaller bugs in along the way. For that matter, you need to check out your pipe penetrations for all of your plumbing. You might want to do this for any HVAC access points, too. These are common places for an exterminator to look for cracks and openings that pests might use to get in or just around your home.

Clean Your Home Regularly Any exterminator you call will never judge you by how clean your home is. They do know though that dirty homes are more attractive for pests. Mopping, sweeping, vacuuming, and other routine cleaning tasks disturb places pests call home. They might not want to come back. Also, picking up debris and crumbs they rely on for food will also disrupt their safe haven. As you dive into the nooks and crannies of your home, you'll also find the possible entry points they've been using to get in. Clean Your Drains

The drains in your home can be places where debris and gunk accumulate over time. This isn't just sinking drains. Any flood drains you have in tubs, showers, or wet rooms are also potential breeding sites for pests. Small flies love them in particular. It only takes a little mixture of vinegar and baking soda to form the foaming action that gets your clogs flushed out. Seal Your Food Certain pests, particularly rodents, have a great sense of smell. If there is even one open food container in your home, they will find it. Pantry foods, including crackers and cereal, should be stores in resealable bags and reusable containers if you can't totally seal the original packaging. Clean out your home's pantry regularly to free your home of spoiled food or things you'll never eat. This should keep pantry pests from calling your home a holiday feast. Fresh Herbs Keep Mosquitoes Away If you're tired of having mosquitoes showing up for your backyard cookouts, then put some fresh sage or rosemary on your coals. These fragrances will deter mosquitoes and a number of other pests from crashing your party. Ladybugs Don't Love Some Things If you have ladybugs calling some of your home their own, then sprinkle clove oil in the areas that are heavily infested. You can also just put a few bags of cloves around. Ladybugs aren't big fans of strong scents, so they'll move on pretty fast. Once they do, sweep or vacuum up the cloves. Deter Ants With White Vinegar Ants leave trails so other ants in the same colony can get to the food. Wash away ant trails with a natural solution. Eliminate these common house pets with one-quarter cup white vinegar, a few cups of water, and some drops of other eucalyptus or peppermint oil. Deal With Dust Mites Many of the same things that deal with ladybugs or ants also works on dust mites. Make a repellent spray using essential oils. Peppermint, clove, eucalyptus, and lavender all work well as furniture or linen mist. Let it air dry to do its job. Freedom From Fruit Flies If you have fruit flies in your kitchen, then pour some apple cider vinegar into a small bowl. Cover it with some plastic wrap before punching some holes in it the size of pencil lead. Vinegar will draw them in, but they won't be able to fly out. Cornmeal Works Against Ants Another way of dealing with ants is putting small amounts of cornmeal any place that you see ants. They love eating it, and they'll carry as much as they can back home to their colony. The big problem for them is that they can't actually digest it. This will take several days to deal with the ants, but it's wonderful as a nontoxic solution if you have pets you want to keep safe. Coffee Grounds in the Ground Coffee grounds are a necessity for many people looking to get started in the morning. However, putting leftover coffee grounds around your home's exterior can also keep your home started against pests coming in. Do it near any place where you think critters might be entering. Many of them find the smell of coffee revolting, and they'll avoid it and your home. This also works in your garden. Don't Lose This Fight A great offense is your home's best defense against bugs and other unwanted critters. You can use these various techniques before, during, and after infestations to protect your home and family. If they're not enough, or you just want the peace of mind that only comes with professional help, then visit General Exterminating or contact them for exterminating on Long Island.