Home Invasion: Are you mistakenly inviting unwanted tenants into your home?

When you first started living away from home, did you ever have roommates? Having roommates can be a really great thing: they provide company, help with your weekly house chores, they might even help with the cost of necessities such as toiletries. The best part of having a roommate? The fact that they pay for a portion of your rent, which can take a load off your back. However, not all roommates are great. When you find yourself stuck in a situation with a roommate that is dirty and doesn’t pay rent, it’s time for an eviction.

These filthy roommates are uninvited and try to hide, remaining mostly out of sight. They’ll chew on your walls and leave feces in places that feces should never be. Confused? Maybe you once had a pesky roommate, but here I am referring to the invasion of actual pests and other critters. It takes too much money, time, and effort to maintain the comfortability and cleanliness of your home to allow these pests to occupy your space. However, believe it or not, you could be making mistakes that appear as an invitation for unwanted pests.

Watch out for these common mistakes homeowners make which can lead to pests occupying your home:

1. Homeowners will literally hold the door open for pests to enter their home. When it’s warm and breezy outside, we all want to let the fresh air in by leaving our doors/windows open. Unfortunately, your home looks just as appealing to you as it does to any other critter. Open doors/windows provide effortless entry for both large and tiny critters.
2. Homeowners may think that having screens is the surefire solution to critters sneaking into open doors/windows, which can absolutely be true. However, before entrusting your screens to keep the pests out, thoroughly check the quality of your screens. Screens are designed with tiny holes that works as a filter, holding back insects while allowing the flow of fresh air into your home. However, old, worn screens with holes and tears give easy access to insects. Also, keep in mind that rips near the bottom of the screen can be targeted by larger critters with claws forcing their way into your home.
3. Leaving out uncovered food and trash is like leaving out bait to attract unwanted pests. Parents, do you ever notice that when you’re cooking food that smells yummy, your children are suddenly more interested in what you’re doing than their video games? Pests are drawn to the smell of our foods like magnets are drawn to each other. Any food left out on the counter should be covered, wrapped, or kept in a container. Additionally, both trash cans–indoor and outdoor–should have a lid to contain critter-attracting scents and avoid garbage raids.
4. Water is life–for us, and for pests, too. Critters need water to live just as much as you and I do. Leaky faucets/pipes and other water issues isn’t just a risk for expensive water damage, it’s a risk for a critter invasion as well. Any spots in your home where pests can access water creates a breeding ground, rapidly multiplying the severity of both issues. The moment you notice leaks and clogs in your pipes, take action to mitigate further problems.

If you’re not paying close enough attention, you could be the reason that critters find a way into your home.

By: KayLynn P.