If you keep your home clean, does that mean that you will never have any need for rat removal in Niagara? Not necessarily. It is true that keeping a clean home helps to deter some sorts of pests. However, it is also true that many nuisance animals, including rodents, are very resourceful and tenacious in seeking food and shelter. Knowing how and why pests get into your home may help you deter them more effectively.

Food Is Out in the Open or Not Properly Sealed

Many types of pests, rodents especially, have keen senses of smell. Sweeping your floors, washing your dishes, and cleaning off counters after cooking or eating help to remove crumbs from your kitchen that could attract pests. Nevertheless, it is not only the crumbs that can attract pests to your home. For example, do you leave pet food out in a dish for your dog or cat at all times? Pet food can attract pests. So can food that you leave out on the counters. If you keep food in containers on your counters, check to see that they are sealed completely. If not, the smell could be getting out and attracting pests to your home.

There Are Entry Points Around Your Home

Rats and mice have the ability to compress their bodies and squeeze into very small openings. Insects and spiders are able to squeeze into even smaller cracks in the exterior of your home. Unless you are vigilant about keeping these spaces tightly sealed, they can allow pests to get inside. For example, you should check the seals around your windows frequently and replace the seals if necessary. If you have a gap under your exterior door, this can provide a way for pests to get inside. You may be able to prevent this by installing a sweep at the bottom of your door to close off the space. A storm door also provides an extra barrier that pests cannot get past so easily, so this could be a good addition to your home if you don’t already have one.

Don’t discount the openings that are supposed to be there. Look for the holes where pipes and wiring go in and out of your home. Chances are, the lines do not fill up the entire space, and you may have to seal it off with caulk, foam, or steel wool to prevent pests from getting in that way.

You May Be Bringing Pests Into Your Home Without Realizing It

Pests can be pretty determined at getting into your home on their own, but sometimes they get a little help from you. Sometimes the things you buy can be infested with pests and you may not realize it. For example, you may bring fruit flies home with you from the grocery store if you buy fresh produce. You can prevent this by washing your produce as soon as you bring it home and transferring cereals and grains from their boxes into airtight containers, preferably clear ones so you can tell at a glance what’s in them. If you buy furniture from a secondhand store, it could be infested with rodents or bed bugs.

Another way that bed bugs can get into your home is in your luggage after you go on a trip. Bed bug infestations are common in hotels, even ones that are nice and expensive. Bed bugs can get into your luggage during your stay, and when you get home and unpack, they start looking for new places to hide while they wait for you to go to bed so they can bite you.

Rat Removal in Niagara and More From Truly Nolen

Pest infestations can happen to anyone, regardless of cleanliness. Therefore, you should not feel ashamed or embarrassed to admit you have a pest problem in your home. However, you should call Truly Nolen right away to resolve the current infestation and prevent them in the future.