The Best Ways to Prevent Pests on Your Property

Contributed post.

One of the worst things about owning a property is that, if something goes wrong, it’s on you to fix it. Of course, if you rent, you might have the issue that your landlord doesn’t act as quickly as you want them to, so there are pros and cons either way.
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When it comes to pests, the best time to act is before you get an infestation to begin with. If you already have a pest issue, don’t worry. You can deal with pests yourself and save some money or, if you need them gone immediately and it’s too much to deal with, a pest extermination service will get rid of them for you.

So, here are some tips to keep your home and backyard safe from creepy crawlies and critters.

Get Rid of Cracks and Gaps

The first thing to do is to make sure that pests can’t easily get into your home. While it’s tricky to keep small pests out of your garden, a fence will at least keep your plants safe from bigger animals like deer that might wander in and snack on your prized vegetable patch.

When it comes to your home, however, you want to keep everything outside where it’s meant to be. This is especially important in the winter, when animals and insects are looking for warm places to shelter from the cold. Your home suddenly becomes very attractive.

So, make sure that you don’t have any easy places of entry for bugs and small animals. Holes in the roof can be an issue, as can cracks in the seals of your doors and windows. Even small gaps are enough for insects to make it inside.

Besides, during the winter, these cracks and gaps will also allow drafts and cold air in, which makes your home even colder. You want as much insulation as possible.

Compost With Care

If you have a compost bin, congratulations! Compost bins are a great way to cut down on how much trash your household produces and throws away, because you’re putting your scraps to good use.

However, if you don’t compost properly, you might be feeding a lot more than your plants. 
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You should only compost things like plant scraps and paper or cardboard. The latter provides structure for the compost and allows it to be properly aerated, while the plant scraps will break down into compost for your plants. But other scraps like meat or cooked food shouldn’t be composted, because they will start to smell and attract pests.

When composting, you’re only trying to attract specific decomposers like worms that will break down your scraps. You don’t want to attract rats and other animals to your property. It’s also a good idea to keep your compost bin away from your home.

Protecting Your Garden

​As mentioned above, some pests are most annoying for gardeners. There’s nothing worse than growing some beautiful veggies or fruit, only to find that something else has beaten you to it.

While pesticides and herbicides are very effective, a lot of people don’t like to use chemical solutions. Thankfully, you have some other options available. 

If you’re worried about weeds, the best thing to do is to put a weed membrane or another medium down that restricts the growth of anything but your plants. You can poke holes in it for your plants to let them grow, but you will slow down the growth of weeds. Of course, you still need to check for weeds and get rid of them, but it will be a lot easier.

As for slugs and other bugs, you have a few options to get rid of them. By introducing natural predators like ladybugs, you can massively reduce the amount of insect pests that bother your plants. Slugs can be dealt with by putting down hard, sharp material like sharp grit near your plants, as they don’t like to travel over this.

Larger pests like birds and other animals might be deterred by netting around your plants that make them harder to access. 

Rats and Mice

Rats are one of the most common pests in the world. They’re about as versatile as humans and can live pretty much anywhere. You might also have pests local to your area, like raccoons to contend with.

If we’re being honest, you can’t actually escape from rats. They’re everywhere and as long as they’re out of sight and not too close to your home, they tend not to cause major issues. However, if you have a rat infestation or they’re invading your property, it’s best to get rid of them. Rats can cause property damage, steal food, and in rare cases, might even bite humans or pets. They’re also unhygienic.

Depending on your situation, you have a few options to get rid of rats. Some people prefer humane options that allow you to capture rats alive, some pest exterminators might also try to move pests rather than kill them. However, this could mean that the rats simply return.

You can also use more permanent methods of getting rid of rats. Rat poison works, but it’s also dangerous to pets and small children that might eat it. Mouse glue boards can trap mice and rats very effectively, without these risks.

It’s always best to explore different options so you can find a solution that works for you.

Calling an Exterminator

There are a few reasons why it might be best to call an extermination company rather than trying to handle pest control yourself. 

For starters, if the infestation is too large or stubborn, an exterminator might be your only option. You also might have to deal with a potentially dangerous pest, like a large wasp nest. In this case, an exterminator can deal with it safely.

As well as getting rid of pests, an exterminator will also show you where the pests are getting in and give you tips on how to prevent a future infestation.