House & Garden

The Homeowner’s Guide to Preventing Rodent Infestation This Winter

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It’s coming up to winter time, and although that may signal warm, snuggly clothing and comforting foods, it’s also a time to be wary of pests. During the colder months, pests seek out warm areas with food and water. Often, this means inside nooks and crannies in your home. To ensure the safety of you and your family this winter, we’ve put together a homeowner’s guide of 8 tops to prevent a rodent or pest infestation this winter.

  1. Tidy clutter

Regularly going through your clutter is not only good for your space and your mind, it’s good for the hygiene and cleanliness of your home. Idle clutter is a great, undetected and warm home for rodents to nest in during the winter months. Ensure you clean out your home regularly to avoid setting up camp for pests.

  1. Store safely

Of course, any home has storage. That is hard to avoid. However, there are ways you can store your items safely to discourage the onslaught of rodents and other pests. Ensure you used sealed boxes and containers when storing items, so pests can’t get into your valuables. Furthermore, it’s a good idea to store items in plastic or metal containers and boxes, as opposed to cardboard.

  1. Remove food sources

This may seem like an obvious one, but you can never be too clean when removing food sources. Clean your kitchen and dining area after each use, and make sure food scraps are sealed when thrown away.

  1. Inspect water containers

This is mainly for mosquitoes, as they nest in water. Make sure that all water containers are regularly emptied, including pot plant reservoirs.

  1. Bins

It’s important for the safety and hygiene of your home to keep bins away from the living vicinity. Keep bins as clean as possible by washing them regularly, and ensure all contents that are thrown into the bins is sealed.

  1. Trees and foliage

Although foliage is beautiful and provides us with the oxygen we so need, trees and plants can create a highway for ants, rodents, spiders and termites. Make sure that bushes and shrubs are kept away from walls, and that any overhanging tree branches are trimmed.

  1. Window screens

During the warmer months, it’s lovely to keep the windows open to invite in some breeze. During winter, you’ll still need to air out your home, so make sure that all your windows and doors are properly screened so that you have a safe retreat from these mosquitoes and cockroaches.

  1. Clean and inspect regularly

It’s just as important to clean and inspect your house regularly. Despite taking heed of all the tips on this list, pests may still strike. Ensure that severe damage isn’t caused by consistently cleaning and checking your home thoroughly for signs of pests.

While winter may signal the slowing down of life for some breeds of pests, it doesn’t for many others. Keep this homeowner’s guide close to your chest, so you can prevent any pest and rodent infestations this coming winter. If you do suspect signs of rodents or pests in your or around your home, don’t hesitate. Call one of Melbourne’s pest control experts to have the problem sorted out immediately.

 

 

 

 

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