Taylor Pest Control

It is shocking to learn that pests have entered your home, and you may be surprised to find that most critters are very difficult to get rid of once they have made their way inside. Your home is your safe haven, and you should be able to live in it comfortably and securely. When pests invade, they strip you of that sense of security and comfort. Fortunately, a Taylor pest control company will know how to identify the pests and eliminate them as quickly and as safely as possible so you can live in your home peacefully again.

Why are Pests a Problem?

If you have ever had a pest problem in your home, you know the difficulties they cause. You may become startled as they dart out in front of you unexpectedly, and they are a general nuisance. However, they are much more than just that. When you are living with ants, cockroaches, and rodents, they can quickly damage the belongings inside your home. Pests can contaminate the food within your home, damage the insulation and wiring inside your walls, and more. Insects such as termites are particularly damaging, as they can wreak havoc on the structure of your home even before you have identified the problem.

Although the damage to your home is devastating, the potential effects of pests on your health are even worse. This is particularly true if there are people that suffer from allergies or asthma in your home. The saliva, shedding, and droppings of cockroaches in particular are likely to trigger a person’s asthma and allergies. Other pests, such as yellow jackets and other types of wasps, can also cause serious allergic reactions in individuals. These reactions can include serious symptoms such as swelling in the face and throat, and an inability to breathe. Sometimes, when a person is not treated promptly, a sting from an insect can be fatal.

How Do Pests Enter Homes?

Most people think that pests enter homes because they are looking for a place that offers shelter from the elements. Taylor is a city that enjoys beautiful weather all year round. However, pests will still try to get in to access food and to seek protection from their predators. After seeing a pest, you may wonder how it got inside your home, but these critters are quite skillful at using many methods to make their way inside. Some of the most common of these are as follows:

• Dryer vents and exhaust fans: Dryer vents and exhaust fans provide direct access to the home because they are open spaces that transfer air from inside to outside. Broken or damaged vents, fans, and dampers will make it very easy for critters to enter the home and soon after they do, an infestation will develop.
• Doors and windows: Many people do not think that pests will use their front door to enter the home, but sometimes they do. This is particularly true when there are gaps or cracks around the entryway, which provide easy access to pests that then make their way into the home. Even more likely, pests will also use windows to get into your house. They will use gaps and cracks around the window to get in, or they will take advantage of torn and broken screens that have not been repaired to get inside.
• Walls: You may know that pests will crawl along walls, but you may not realize that they also use walls to get inside your home. Holes in your exterior siding will allow critters to get inside your home, as will plumbing, cables, and heating items.
• Bringing pests into the home: You may think that you would never willingly bring pests into your home, but you may do it more often than you think. When you bring certain items into your home, such as secondhand furniture or clothing, you may be bringing pests into your home, as well. Bed bugs, in particular, are known as being hitchhikers that travel from place to place. Still, any type of pest can easily hide inside an item and then emerge once they have easier access to food and shelter.
• Damaged foundations: Cracked, broken, and otherwise damaged foundations can make it easy for pests to get inside a home. This is especially true for termites. You should inspect the foundation of your home at least once a year to determine if it is damaged so you can repair it and keep the pests outside where they belong.

Once you know how pests are getting into your home, you can then take the necessary steps to make sure they cannot.

How to Prevent Pests Inside Your Home

There are many ways to prevent pests from entering your home, but the most effective are as follows:

• Store food properly: One of the main reasons pests enter homes is to access food. Storing food properly in airtight containers makes it more difficult for pests to smell the food and become attracted to it and even if they do, they cannot get inside.
• Seal gaps and cracks: Pests can make their way into a home using the smallest of holes, gaps, and cracks. Always inspect the interior and exterior of your home to find these cracks and gaps so you can fill and repair them, blocking access for pests.
• Do not store items near your home: Items such as mulch, firewood, and debris provide shelter for pests, including termites and black widow spiders. If you have these items outside, store them away from the house so pests cannot hide out in these areas until they have a chance to make their way inside.
• Treating your home: Prevention tactics such as sprays and pesticides are a great way to ensure pests never make your home theirs as well.

Call Our Pest Control Experts in Taylor Today

No one wants to deal with pests, let alone have them in their home. If you are dealing with an infestation, or just need effective prevention strategies, our Taylor pest control experts at Stride Pest Control are here to help. Call us today at (512) 777-1339 or contact us online to schedule a free consultation and to learn more about how we can help.