Pests are destructive as they lead to spoilage of food, clothes, and wood. Therefore, it is vital to learn about how they enter the house if you want to keep them away. Here are the 5 common ways that pests enter your home.
Doors and Windows
As obvious as it sounds, pests usually get into your home through doors and windows. Any slight access to the house gives pests an entrance. This is especially common with garage doors. Garage doors are usually left open most of the time, and this allows pests entry into the house.
Also, windows are normally left open during the day, and in turn, pests will get into the house. It is vital to open windows for fresh air, but if you have pests around your compound, you need to be careful.
This is common during the rainy season. The stagnant water points in the compound act as habitats for pests. Therefore, leaving your windows open during this season gives pests access to the house.
Also, doors being left open give a wide entrance for pests. The door should only be opened when you are leaving or entering the house and closed once you are out or in. Sliding doors have a tendency of not sliding to the end, and as a result, pests will enter the house.
When you lock the door, make sure that it has been locked fully, and it is not slightly opened. This is crucial if you or your neighbor has a backyard garden. Gardens have plants that are infested by pests when no control is applied.
These pests enter the house through the windows and doors and end up destroying your property. Therefore, it is crucial to control how you open your doors and windows. However, if you already have pests such as cockroaches in your house, use the best roach killers to get rid of them completely.
Exterior Walls and Foundation
Cracks in exterior walls usually give pests another form of entrance to the house. During construction, exterior walls are always cemented. However, as time goes by, the cement often cracks, leaving holes. These holes are then used by pests to easily access the rooms in your house.
Sidewalls that meet the foundation are among the favorite hiding spots for pests. This is because the points where the siding comes into contact with foundation cracks easily. Therefore, pests take advantage of this by using the holes as their habitat and their passage into the house. Inspect your siding and cover any existing gaps.
Moreover, the foundation is one of the top places that pests use to enter a home. When soil rises above the foundation, underground pests create holes through the cement. You should conduct regular checkups on your foundation to make use that you can see a few inches of foundation above the soil.
The whole foundation should not be buried in soil as this encourages pests to start digging through the cement. The pests will then get into the house through the basement and then to the rest of the house. Once they are in the basement, they will feed on your floors, clothes, and food.
Therefore, other than maintaining a few inches of foundation above the soil, you should also have the best flooring option for your basement, as a contingency plan.
Chimney
The chimney works effectively in removing smoke from the house but is also a potential entrance for pests. Birds and squirrels usually perch over top of the chimney, leaving some of their body pests at the chimney’s entrance. These pests will, in turn, crawl down the chimney into your house.
Birds, squirrels, and raccoons are also considered as pests as they attack crops, food, and livestock. Therefore, other than dispersing their body pests into the house, they can also enter the house through the chimney and feed on your food.
Avoid this by using a chimney cap. A chimney cap covers the top of your chimney, but is typically made of mesh and will still let the smoke out. However, some pests are so small that they can penetrate the holes in the mesh. As mentioned earlier, it is essential to have pesticides such as roach killers handy.
However, you must read the instructions on how to use the pesticide to avoid causing damage to you and your family. If you are still in the construction process of your home, ensure that the chimney is high enough to prevent birds, squirrels, and raccoons from entering the house.
Things You Carry in the House
As sad as it is, you also play a part in allowing pests into the house through the things that you carry. Putting plants around the house for decoration is an excellent way to spruce up your living spaces but these plants also bring pests into the house.
The plants are always infested by insects when they are not taken care of properly. Control this by cutting any part of the plant that is spoiled and spraying them with a pesticide occasionally.
However, if you are too busy to spray the plant, use insect-resistant strains of plants. These are plants whose genetics have been modified in a way that pests cannot survive feeding on them. The plants will still make the air in the house fresh, but will not attract even a single pest.
Other things that bring insects into the house include firewood, decorations such as a Christmas tree, and moving boxes. Hence, you should be careful about what you bring to the house to prevent pests from destroying your property.
Dryer Vents and Exhaust Pipes
Dryer vents and exhaust pipes are important features in the kitchen, bathroom, and roof. However, when vent dampers are stuck and not moving freely, the entrances allow bugs to enter the house.
Since dryer vents and exhaust pipes are directly linked to the house, the bugs will quickly access the rest of the house. Therefore, you should repair any dryer vent and exhaust pipe breakage to prevent insects from entering your home.
Pests use different ways to enter a home, many of which have been mentioned above. After reading this, we hope you will be able to identify the many ways that pests can enter your home. Be sure to take the necessary measures to prevent them from entering in the first place.
