One of the major problems that accompany moving to a new home in the GTA is checking and making sure that the house is free of any pests – rodents, cockroaches, ants, termite, flies, mosquitoes, ticks, fleas, mites and other unwanted home invaders. But often, homeowners don’t discover these pests until they have all settled in and living in the house. If you are in a situation like this, what would you do? Often, people reach out to a pest control service provider in Toronto for help.
To some people, pests are “normal” household invaders, no matter how they keep their homes tidy, clean, hygienic and unfriendly to pests. These pests just seem to know the best way to hide in the unreachable corners or areas of the house and come into surface just when no one expects them. And most often than not, homeowners have no clue as to how these pests gained entry into their homes having done a good job at keeping their house pest proof. Or so they thought.
The fact is, there are pests wherever you may be. Living in a posh condominium building or in a high-end gated village, or in a suburban community where you probably thought pests could be the least of your concerns, does not guarantee you a home free of pests. And to make things worse, these pests, if undiscovered early can wreck your home in no time at all. And since some of these are disease-carrying pests, they pose a threat to you and your family’s health.
So, before you panic and decide to move out of your home, let’s try and figure out how you can pest proof your home given that some of them have already gained unauthorized entry into your homes.
On top of the list is keeping your home clean and well-maintained. And it’s not just on the outside but on the inside as well. Entry of pest invaders to your home can be prevented in many different ways, including:
- Removing of food and water sources, and potential shelter for the unwanted invaders
- Using sealed glass containers or sealed plastic bags to store leftover food
- Keeping trash cans / garbage bins with food scraps tightly covered
- Regularly removing garbage from your home
- Preventing accumulation of water from leaky pipes and plumbing
- Not leaving food and water for your pets out overnight as this would attract pests
- Not letting water to collect in trays under the refrigerator or under house plants
- Keeping your home clutter-free so that pests don’t breed and hide
- Not keeping stacks of old magazines, cardboards or newspapers
- Keeping all places that could potentially provide shelter for pests, tightly closed such as crevices, caulk cracks around cabinets or baseboards
- Covering holes with wire mesh and filling spaces around pipes using steel wool
- If carrying boxes or packages into your home, check to make sure there are no pests in them
But keeping your home clean and spick and span does not guarantee that no pests are going to try to enter your abode. So what does?
For one thing, it would help if you know what types of pests are likely to appear in your home. Each season brings a different kind of unwanted guests.
Winter is always usually welcomed by rodents as they find their way inside your home to scrounge for food – in the kitchen, pantry or even in storage areas.
When the season changes to Fall, you should shift your attention to rodents, fall bugs, stinging insects, flies, cockroaches and ants.
During Summer, blood-thirsty mosquitoes and ticks make their unwanted entry into your home.
And in Spring, your home can become an attractive abode for pests such as roaches, ants, store product beetles and Indian meal moths.
It is also important for you to know if the pests in your home, they are best handled by professional pest control services in Toronto. There are more than enough for you to choose from. It’s just a matter of making an informed decision when choosing the best pest control company. Check their track record. What do their customers say about their pest control system, pest management and monitoring process? How many years have they been operating their business? Get feedback from people who have called them in to provide their services – your friends, relatives, co-workers, or neighbors.
When you’re satisfied with your due diligence, it’s time to set an appointment for them to inspect your home. This is an important first step they need to do in order to identify and assess your home’s pest infestation problem, if your DIY pest proofing techniques did not stop entry of these unwanted guests into your home.
