Protect your home against pest invasion
BY World Special Publications
Monday, January 07, 2013
It’s a new year, and homeowners should be on high alert for unwelcome guests. Pest control provider Terminex identifies the most common pests and provides tips for protecting your home:
• Carpet beetles — They pose no health risk to humans but can damage furniture, carpet and clothing.
• House mice — The most common pest infesting homes, this rodent will seek shelter indoors throughout the cold winter months. Mice can transmit disease and contaminate food products.
• Norway rats — Heading indoors for warmth, these rodents can carry human pathogens that can transmit a variety of diseases.
As the weather starts to warm in March, homeowners will need to be on the lookout for the following pests:
• Ants — Most types of ants are merely nuisance pests, but fire ant stings can result in a raised welt or more serious reactions in those with specific insect allergies.
• Roaches — One of the most common nuisance pests, roaches carry allergens that have been linked to asthma in children.
•Termites — These pests can cause catastrophic damage, and early spring is when swarms begin.
The best way to protect your home is to schedule regular home inspections with a pest control professional.
Additionally, here are tips for do-it-yourself pest maintenance:
• Seal all cracks on your home’s exterior. This includes placing weather stripping on the bottom of all exterior doors.
• Clean up food and liquid spills immediately. Ants, roaches and rodents love the complimentary free meal while they take up vacancy in your home.
• Store trash in containers with tight fitting lids.
• Eliminate piles of lumber, bricks and other building materials, as these could be a harbor for pests.
• Keep tree and shrub limbs trimmed away from the roof and walls of your home. Rodents are great climbers, enabling them to access your home’s roof and exterior vents.
Associated Images:
Mice are the most common pest to infest homes. They can contaminate food and transmit diseases.
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