As a homeowner, it’s your job to make sure the house is clean, that everything is working properly, and there are no threats to it.
When you see a pest scurrying across your floors, it’s time to take action. Here are a few DIY methods all homeowners should be practicing:
Up Your Raccoon Defense
- Inspect your crawl space for any possible openings that raccoons could squeeze into. Cover these openings with a sheet of quarter-inch mesh.
- Purchase garbage cans with lids that fit tightly onto the base of the can.
- Cut down any tree branches that come too close to your home, as raccoons can use these to climb onto your roof.
- Make sure your chimney has the proper cap in case a raccoon does somehow make it up to your roof.
Know How to Catch Mice
Snap traps are the most effective, humane, and Green way of removing mice from your home.
- Since mice tend to walk along the walls when they’re exploring, place all snap traps here. If you’ve been noticing small droplets throughout your home, place them in these areas first.
- Place two snap traps back to back along the wall. Some mice have the ability to jump over traps, but they’re no Michael Jordan — they can’t jump over two.
- When placing bait on the snap traps, opt for foods such as peanut butter or chocolate syrup. Don’t listen to the cartoons — cheese isn’t their favorite food choice.
Controlling the Humidity
All homes should maintain a humidity level that is higher than 30 percent, but lower than 50 percent. However, the basement is an area where humidity can easily surpass the 50 percent mark.
Place a dehumidifier in this room, as the high humidity level will create the perfect environment for most pests. This can help in homes that suffer from cockroach, spider, and camel cricket infestations.
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You might not be able to fight full blown pest infestations on your own, but there are things you can do to prevent them — and get rid of a few here and there.
When you need professional to help you manage an infestation, contact Knockout Pest Control. To learn more or to schedule an inspection, give us a call at (800) 244-7378.
