A Checklist for Keeping Your Home Pest-Free this Winter

Winter is upon us, and that means more cuddly nights at home, cradled by the warmth of a heater, fire or blanket. Because you’ll be spending more time at home during the colder months, it’s important to ensure you have a clean, hygienic and safe space around you. Unfortunately, Winter is the time where pests also try to get out of the cold, often inhabiting the small holes inside homes. To help you avoid any unwanted visitors, we’ve put together an essential checklist for keeping your home pest-free this winter.

Keep It Clean

Although it may seem obvious, regularly doing a thorough clean of your home is actually one of the best ways to ward off pests. Idle clutter, food scraps and trash are very attractive traits in a home for pests, so ensure you rid your home of these.

Check Indoor Plants

Indoor plants that are over-watered or not cleaned out regularly can encourage insects and mosquitoes, which in turn attract other types of pests. Water your plants responsibly, and regularly clean out the water basin that holds the plants.

Check the Outdoors

Pests have got to come from somewhere, right? Ensure you inspect the outside of your home often, looking for any entries or pathways that may seem attractive to pests. As well as this, it’s just as important to keep the outside of your home as clean as the inside.

Clear out Storage and Clutter

Clutter and storage provides the perfect, warm and undetected home for pests and rodents in the winter. Avoid this by going through any storage or clutter, and throwing out what you don’t need. It’s also a good idea to store your items in sealed containers, consisting of metal or plastic, rather than cardboard.

Remove Food Sources​

Like any creature, pests need food to stay alive. It’s extremely important that you store all food in sealed containers, and clean up after each use of the kitchen and dining area. It’s also a good idea to disinfect any areas where food or drinks have been consumed at least once a week.

Dispose Responsibly

​Make sure that all trash disposed of is sealed in bags. That way, you won’t have any pests attracted to spilled out or accessible garbage. Always make sure you take your bins out on garbage collection day, and dispose of rubbish regularly.

Check Trees and Foliage

​Trees and foliage provide a pathway and home for pests of all kinds. Make sure you trim your shrubs, bushes, and foliage so they are not on any walls. As well as this, ensure overhanging tree branches are cut, so this doesn’t provide an entry for pests into your home.

Rodents and pests can carry all sorts of nasty diseases, like Salmonella and Hantavirus. As well as this, they can chew straight through wallboards and electrical wiring, causing irreparable damage to your home. Not to mention the smell and the mess they leave around! Avoid any of these nasty effects of pests by adhering to this simple checklist and consulting a  reputable pest control company  for any pest control services you may require.