Spring Cleaning With a Purpose!

May 1, 2015 Kristin Dodd

Here’s some good reading, a DIY article by Missy Henriksen on Pestworld.org about spring cleaning to keep the pests away. I highly recommend it. I touch on some of the common sense points below. It’s all pretty standard, but sometimes we wonder WHY we must do these things, besides our spouse telling us to. Knowing that there is an excellent reason to do these tasks, maybe this year they will get done more quickly and with less arguing!

One key to the article is in the title: “cleaning”. The thing we all tend to do- I’m as guilty as anyone with my crumbs on/in the couch- is accidentally make the home a more inviting place for pests. When I leave crumbs somewhere, I’m saying, “Come on in, guys! Eat up! Make yourselves at home!” When I think about it, I’d rather not be such a gracious host! So, this spring I have vowed to make my home as inhospitable to pest-guests as possible.

It’s all pretty basic. In the kitchen, clean out your cabinets and replace shelf paper as necessary- I know stuff spills in my cabinets and if left there it will become bug food! Also, clean off the countertops well, removing the small appliances and getting up all the crumbs and sticky spots that have accumulated. Again, it’s bug food. Clean your floor and under/behind your major appliances. Long story short, give your kitchen  a thorough cleaning and it will help your home be more pest free!

Bathroom pest prevention is often water related- you don’t want water sitting and creating an inviting environment for pests, so make sure there aren’t any leaky pipes. That said, general cleanliness also helps, so clean your bathroom as well, shower curtain and liner included. It all makes a difference.

For your ‘home’s lower level/basement, make sure all cracks and crevices are closed using caulk and some sort of backing if necessary- don’t let pests in and out so easily! Also, store things in plastic containers, not cardboard. The moral of this story is “Make them work for it! Don’t make it easy for the pests! They wouldn’t make it easy for you!”

And then theres the outdoor stuff. Trim shrubs and trees back from the house. Keep mulch back a little from your foundation. Do the repairs that will keep water at bay, such as fixing roof problems and replacing any damaged wood (also, don’t let wood siding touch the ground- it makes it too easy for termites to invade). Repair cracked mortar and bricks. Remove tree stumps close to the house (again, termites). And yes, clean out your gutters!

All of these things are fairly obvious tasks, but we tend to put them off. If you actually do them, your home will be be more pest resistant by nature. You can do many of these things yourself (DIY is good!). But as with all things in life, sometimes you need expert help. If you do need that help, don’t hesitate to call the pros at Carolina Pest– keeping homes pest free is what we do, after all! Remember- it’s your home, you are the one paying for it, so don’t accept unwanted visitors! Like they say, “Do your best, if needed call Carolina Pest!”