Sometimes the pests from outside, like to spend a little time lounging around and snacking inside. It is far better to stop them from coming in, than to try to control them if they do. Here are a few ideas on keeping them outdoors.
1. Don't plant climbing vines around your windows providing a freeway for a pest convoy into your home. Climbing vines can slowly invade your tiny window openings, spreading them wider, and inviting insects to travel through the openings.
2. Seal around all doors, windows, air conditioning, and plumbing coming into the house. Do this on the inside as well as the outside. Pay close attention to cable inlets, and all inside plumbing inlets.
3. Be certain that your door sweeps are all the way to the edges of the door opening, and reach all the way to the floor.
4. Check all weather stripping to make sure bugs can't crawl through any gaps.
5. Keep brush and weeds as far away from the house as possible, so that the pests don't have a base of operation nearby.
5. Rotting wood is the roach's natural food, make sure that your immediate outside area is free of it, and anything else that might hide pests.
7. Check houseplants before you bring them inside when first purchased or brought in from your greenhouse, or after watering outdoors.
8. Check all shopping bags, fruits and vegetables carefully for insects.
9. It goes without saying, that your home should be clean, with no food sources for pests.
10. keep your trash can lids on, and the can away from the house as far as possible to keep flies away.
11. When you do see a trail of ants or bugs coming into the house, try to trace it back to it's source, and plug that hole. A simple mixture of water, dish soap and vinegar will take care of the ones already inside.
12. If you have indoor pets, check them when they return from trips outdoors, for hitch hikers.
Of course there are always the things your mother told you. Things like: "Close the door when you go in or out." You should have paid more attention, you probably wouldn't have to be reading this list!
James Burns is the owner of Texas Lake Solutions, the aquatic management service of Burns Environmental, a vegetation management company in the "Piney woods" of East Texas, working to preserve biodiversity and infrastructure.
» left by April Lorier(0) April Lorier (1 year 93 days ago.)
Good article, James! Now I know I have some adjustments to make. Even though it's autumn in most of the US, it's our "summer" here in So Calfornia: Santa Ana Winds blowing without mercy. I've noticed spiders, flies, and other creepy crawlies coming into the house. Got work to do! Gotta go. Respond to this comment
» left by James Burns(596) (1 year 93 days ago.)
Thanks April. Good luck with the critters! We have them all year long here in the vortex of insectdom. During the summer, they come inside looking for water. In the winter they come in looking for a dry warm spot, and in the spring and fall, they like to see what new shows the networks are presenting.
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