It has been a long cold winter, but the season is nearly over. Now that the warm weather is right around the corner, it is time to focus on spring cleaning. Cleaning your home and property will make you feel good, but it can also stop harmful pests from getting into your home.
As the weather warms up, those common household pests will be waking up, and if you are not careful, they could make your home their own. But there is still time to keep those pests at bay with these practical spring cleaning tips.
Examine Your Property
Many homeowners hide indoors when the temperature drops, and the lack of winter sunshine can make outdoor tasks even more difficult. Now that the weather is warming up, it is time to conduct a thorough home inspection.
Start by walking around your property and looking for spots where mice, rats, squirrels and other pests could find entry. A loose exhaust hose could create an entry point, as could damage to your attic from winter storms. Having these issues addressed now, before household pests wake up, is the best way to protect your home.
Clean Your Basement and Attic
Many pest problems start in the underutilized parts of your home, Household pests tend to be very shy, and they will generally avoid the rooms you and your family use all the time.
That is why your spring cleaning regimen should include the basement and attic, spots where mice, rats and other household pests often hang out. Start by cleaning out the basement and attic and giving it a good vacuuming. While you are cleaning, look for any holes where pests could come in. Take note of these deficiencies and have those possible entry points sealed as soon as possible.
Clear Away the Clutter
A cluttered home is a haven for pests. Mice can hide out in piles of unworn clothes in the kids’ closets. Rodents can find refuse under the boxes in your garage and ants will be right at home in your cluttered basement laundry room.
If you want to keep those household pests at bay, make clearing away the clutter part of your spring cleaning. Getting rid of clothes you no longer wear, throwing away broken appliances and other items and clearing the clutter from your garage can all create a cleaner and more livable home while making the property less hospitable to pests.
Spring is on its way, and now is the time to clean your home. Spring cleaning will make your home look its best, but it is also a great way to keep those pests away.
