Most people call a pest control professional or pull out a can of bug spray as soon as they spot a cockroach in their home. While this will help you to get rid of the pests in your home, a better thing to do would be taking preventive measure to stop the pests from infesting your home in the first place. There are several things that you can do to keep pests out of your house. However, the following steps are the most effective ways to pest proof your home.

Clean up your Kitchen

This cannot be emphasized enough: Your kitchen needs to be spotless if you want to keep your home pest free.  Using vinegar, wipe down your countertops each day. Additionally, empty your garbage, put away food, mop up any spills, sweep your floors and put dirty dishes in your dishwasher. Also, it is important that you transfer the food such as nuts, rice and grains from its original packaging to tightly sealed glass jars. By doing the above, you will prevent the pests looking for a meal as well as the insects that feed on them from entering your home.

Make Seasonal Checks and Seal Up the Entry Points

Rodents look for shelter during the cold winter months. For this reason, inspecting the areas of your home susceptible to entry by the rodents is important. You will invite mice, squirrels and other little animals to your home if there are small holes in the roof of your home or small crack in its foundation. Make seasonal checks and cover all holes and repair all cracks in your home.

To get inside your warm, cozy home, mice and insects will use even the tiniest hole. To prevent the pests from entering your home, seal up the holes in your home with a low-VOC silicone caulk. You can easily find this at any hardware store. Areas of your home that you need to pay special attention to include places where pipes enter or leave your home, window and door frames, the spot where your cable or TV wires come inside, and the seal around your external dryer vent. Before sealing them up, cover the larger holes with wire mesh or some steel wool.

Remove Any Debris or Wood Piles

Often, insects and small animals take shelter in dark and moist areas. For this reason, it’s important for you to prevent the buildup of mulch or soil around the foundation. Also, store firewood away from the home.

Install a Door Sweep

Another effective way of keeping pests out of your house is installing a pest sweep. By blocking the gap between the ground and the bottom of your door, the door sweep will keep pests from entering your home. You can buy a door sweep from any hardware store. Look for a door sweep that doesn’t need drilling and sticks to door with an adhesive strip.

Vacuum regularly

An effective pest control measure is vacuuming your home regularly. Regardless of how much effort you put in, you won’t be able to seal up every hole in your home. For this reason, a weekly vacuuming session is required to keep your home pest-free. By vacuuming your home regularly, you will suck up and trap any pests that make it indoors. This will help you to keep you home pest free.

Clear the Clutter in Your Home

In addition to weekly vacuuming, clear the clutter in your home by spending fifteen minutes each week to remove piles of clothing from the floor and clear out the piles of junk mail or newspaper. The piles of newspaper or junk mail and clothing on the floor are good hiding places for the pests so make sure you don’t provide these hiding places to the pests in your home.

Get Your Home Inspected by A Professional

Get a professional to inspect your home for a pest problem or infestation. After inspecting your home for a pest problem or infestation, the pest control professional will treat your home to prevent pests from entering your home. This is probably the easiest way for you to keep your home pest free. Call Green Pest Services today to schedule your first service, (703) 961-8484.