Archie Hayes 
Pests in and around your home can make your life frustrating–to say the least. Fortunately, there are a variety of things you can do to address this unwanted situation and avoid the potentially harmful health hazards that accompany such a situation.
1. Firewood
Firewood is a favorite of pests. They just love to set up home in a big pile of wood. Because of this, you should make sure to make your firewood pile at least 20 feet away from your home. Additionally, you should check each piece of wood before bringing it into your home.
2. Weatherstripping
Weatherstripping is the spongy or felt material you see placed around the perimeter of your doors. Its main goal is to keep the outside cold and heat out and keep your heating and air conditioning in. However, if your weatherstripping is worn, creating gaps, pests will absolutely make their way into your home. You should replace worn weatherstripping and fill in any gaps.
3. White vinegar
Without a doubt, ants can be extremely annoying and hard to remedy–especially if you do not want to use insecticides in your home. Fortunately, there are alternatives. For instance, you can mix one-part water and one-part white vinegar and use this solution to wipe down the area in which you have seen the ants. You should do this several times each day until you do not see any more ants. This combination of water and white vinegar eliminates the scent trails these pesky insects use to navigate their world.
However, this approach will only address ants that are entering your home to forage for food. If you have ants that have nested in your home you will need to use bait.
4. Basil
If you have ever had flies in your home, you know just how frustrating they can be. Luckily for humans, flies hate the smell of basil. You can simply put potted basil near all windowsills, doorways, and on your kitchen counters. You can also use dried basil if you prefer. All you need to do is put the dried basil in a muslin pouch then place the pouch in the same area as the potted basil. Once the pouch is in place, you need simply to rub the pouch every week to release the scent.
5. Landscaping
Keeping your trees and hedges away from your home is another way to address pests. You should ensure that any plants are at least one foot from your home exterior. This will create a natural barrier that will lessen the likelihood a pest will easily enter your home.
Read more why you need to remove mosquitoes and ticks.
6. Dehumidifier
Spiders just love to set up shop in a basement. However, by placing a dehumidifier in your basement, you can begin to decrease their population. You will also need to consistently remove cobwebs, and you should sweep them from areas like the corners, the ceiling, and even the windowsills. If you keep the humidity at 40 percent, you will notice a sharp decline in the population of those eight-legged pests.
7. Trash
Pests of all types need to eat, and your trash is a great source of food. To help control pests, you should make sure to empty all of your trash bins on a routine basis. Letting trash build up in your house is not just smelly and unsightly, it is an open invitation for an infestation. You should also make sure to place your trash in an outside trash bin, ensuring the lid fits tightly. Additionally, all trash bins in the home should have lids.
8. Coffee grounds
Coffee grounds have such as strong smell that many pests will avoid them. You can easily place the leftover grounds around your house in the areas in which pests are entering your home.
9. Seal your home
There are a variety of ways pests can enter your home beyond the obvious entries, such as doors and windows. In fact, pests can enter through plumbing gaps, fan vents, and electrical gaps. To help deter entry, you should use an outdoor-graded sealant and seal up any hole or crevice you find on the exterior of your house. Additionally, you should make sure there are no holes or tears in your window screens. If there are, you should replace them.
You don’t have to be told to clean out your home if it has an insect problem. It isn’t always simple, though, to locate a service that can handle everything. Flies and other pests are difficult to dislodge, so only an expert exterminator will be able to properly clear the environment.
Bugs can be both annoying and hazardous. There’s a lot of worries lately about diseases like West Nile virus, which are spread by mosquitoes. Hiring an insect control business not only cleans up your yard but may also be beneficial to your health. Another disadvantage is structural soundness. Termites may cause serious damage to a home. Not only are they dangerous and unpleasant to have around, but they can also harm the property’s value. As a result, you’ll want to call in the pros of an expert termite control firm to resolve the issue.
A termite inspection is an excellent approach to ensure that termites aren’t infesting your home’s walls. If the termite company discovers something, you may act quickly to remove it before it becomes a problem.
10. Food
Just like you, pests need food to live. You should keep all food and drinks in air-tight containers. For instance, over-ripened fruit is a huge attraction for pests. If you have fruit out on the counter, you should make sure to eat it before it overripens or store it in the refrigerator. Additionally, clean up all spills because keeping your kitchen clean is a great way to deter pests.
