When it comes to insects, assume they'd love to come into your home. Food, water, and warmth are things many insects crave. The following list provides some simple tips to help prevent these pests from ever becoming a problem in your home.
Start Outdoors
Indoor pest problems often begin outside. Ants, Roaches and other pests wander indoors looking for food, water or a better environment. Here are tips to keep them out.
- Seal cracks around molding surrounding exteriors doors, windows and openings in areas where utilities enter the house or basement.
- Spray around baseboards, exit door thresholds, cracks and crevices.
- Stack firewood away from the house, off the ground on an elevated base made from pressure-treated lumber, brick, metal or stone.
- Do not pile mulch next to your house foundation.
- Do not allow standing water to collect in bird baths, children’s toys, pots, gutters, old tires, etc.
- Do no place pet bowls with food or water near the house, or remove them at night.
Create a protective barrier
- Many insects that enter your house live just outside your door. You can treat areas adjacent to the house with BioAdvanced™ Science-Based Solutions products to help prevent pests from entering. Always read and follow label instructions.
- Treat exterior surfaces where pest might hide, such as:
-Cracks and joints along siding and foundations
-Walls covered with vines
-Behind gutters
-Openings where utilities enter the house
-Under porches and decks
- Make sure to spray around door and window frames.
- Outdoors, granules offer longer residual protection than sprays. Use granules around your home, garage and outbuildings.
- Treat around woodpiles, storage sheds and outdoor trash bins.
- Apply to Anthills and along any Ant trails leading to the house.
- Check for Carpenter Bee entrance holes or Termite damage in wood. Apply Carpenter Bee & Termite Killer Plus Foam to fill tunnels and kill unseen insects.
Then take preventative steps indoors
Indoors, limiting insects’ water and food can help keep them away.
- Do a moisture check. Wet and damp areas or items are certain to attract pests. Be sure to look for:
-Leaks in basement floors and walls, under sinks, around faucets, showers or bathtubs
-Exposed wood, especially boards in basements or close to the ground
-Wet mops, rags or buckets in utility areas or laundry rooms
- Clean kitchen and bathrooms daily. Wipe counters, wash dishes and sweep floors.
- In the kitchen:
-Keep cupboards, storage areas, and areas around trash containers clean
-Store trash in a sealed container
-Seal food tightly, and make sure insects can't get into packages of cereal, sugar, cookies, etc.
-Keep bread, crackers and other items in sealed containers when possible
-Inspect your pantry and spice cabinet regularly for Meal Moths and Flour Beetles that can enter the house in boxed grain products from the store
- Store pet food in sealed containers and clean up after pets have eaten.
- Regularly discard old newspapers and other items saved for recycling.
- Vacuum carpets and furniture regularly, especially if you have pets that can pick up Fleas outdoors.
- Spray basements, crawl spaces, around window and door frames, and in areas where utilities enter the home to prevent insects from entering and gaining a foothold indoors.
Don’t forget to spray inside, too
BioAdvanced products provide long-lasting protection from Spiders, Ants, Roaches, Fleas and many other annoying insects. Be sure to always read and follow label instructions for the product you are using.
- In the kitchen, spray under sinks, cabinets and large appliances.
- In the bathroom, spray under sink cabinets and around baseboards.
- Spray cracks and crevices in basements, crawl spaces, and around baseboards, doors and windows.
- Leave the spray undisturbed for long-lasting effects that provide continuous control against pests for up to 12 months indoors.