Many people love summer. It’s warm, it’s bright, and there are loads of opportunities to spend time outside. If you’ve got a backyard, you can host barbecue parties or even pool parties if you have a swimming pool, and you can generally get the most out of the sun and the summer itself.
But this comes with a couple of downsides. One major downside is that humans aren’t the only animals that thrive in summer. You might find bugs and small animals waking up and becoming a lot more active, especially if you have open windows and doors and eat food outside. Here are some ways to prevent pests and keep your home and family safe and comfortable this summer.
Clean Up Food Scraps
Preventing pests is considerably easier than getting rid of them once they’re established. Most pests are interested in food and shelter, so you can make your property less tempting by getting rid of any food scraps that are lying around. Crumbs are practically a buffet for ants, and rats and other pests might be interested in larger scraps of food.
This can be difficult if you also like to feed birds in your garden. In this case, make sure your bird feeder is off the ground and use food that they prefer, rather than generic scraps. Seeds, nuts, fruit, and fatballs are much better for birds than breadcrumbs anyway.
Secure Your Compost
If you enjoy growing your own food, you might consider composting your food waste. This is a great way to reduce your landfill contributions, and you get free compost out of the deal as well. Unfortunately, composting can also attract more pests, like rats.
One way to keep rats out of your compost is to be careful what you put in it. Raw vegetable scraps and garden waste are best, because cooked food and other food waste can attract rats more readily. You should also secure your compost and use a sealed bin. If you have a larger heap, keep it away from your home and in a relatively empty area.
Door and Window Screens
Unfortunately, there’s no way to completely get rid of bugs in your life, even if you hate how they fly around in summer and potentially even bite or sting. But you can keep them out of the comfort of your home.
Generally, using air conditioning instead of opening your doors and windows is a more effective way to keep cool, but if you don’t have air con or just prefer to have open windows or doors, screens can be a lifesaver. They let air circulate in and out of your home, but don’t let bugs inside.
If There’s an Infestation
But what if you have a pest problem? In this case, you should consider calling pest control to safely and thoroughly get rid of any pests. Depending on how bad the problem is and how big your property is, the cost of pest control can vary. But it’s always worth it to protect your home from potential damage or other issues caused by pests.
