We all look forward to Fall with pleasure at the cooler weather. We visualize a fire in the fireplace, snuggling in front of it with the family, and we smell the aromas of Fall in the pumpkin spice and the cinnamon and cloves. We gather potpourri in Fall colors, gather greens with which to decorate and bake ourselves into a coma. We look forward to shorter days, because they remind us of childhood and the holidays. What we don’t visualize is calling Valrico Pest Control to get rid of uninvited critters who only want the same thing we do: coziness and warmth. Well, lock up the turkey and the pies and put the pumpkins out on the porch. The fewer aromas you give a critter to sniff, the less your house will be attractive to him.
Cockroaches
One of the most persistent pests in Valrico is the cockroach. Everyone shivers when they see one. Cockroaches have been around since dinosaur days. They have endured every pesticide known to man, and they have even survived nuclear radiation. All they need for life is moisture, warmth and food. Deny them this, and you’ll be rid of them:
- Keep counters, sinks and tubs as dry as possible. Make sure to dry them after doing dishes and getting showers.
- Keep food particles out of the kitchen sink, off the counters and off the floors. Sweep a couple times a day to deny them food.
- Put any loose food like cereals, chips and crackers in air-tight containers with lids. Cockroaches can slither into boxes in the cupboard.
- Wipe down any appliances, jars and other items that might have gotten something dripped onto them. Some folks keep their jars of bacon grease, for example, on the counter. Wipe them down frequently to deny cockroaches their food.
- Make sure there are no dried-on food particles from the dishwasher on spoons, forks and serving spoons.
- Call an expert for help.
Rodents
Cockroaches aren’t the only pests that seek food and shelter in your home. Mice tend to come inside no matter what the weather, because they would be prey otherwise. Mice are cute when they’re in a cage on a little wheel, but they’re not so cute when they chew through wires and cause a fire. They’re not so cute when they chew through boxes and bags of things in the pantry to get dinner. You’ve then lost a week’s groceries, because you can’t eat them after a mouse has. Exterminators can help.
Prevention
Prevention is the key to keeping your pumpkin pies and cranberry punch safe from whiskers and crawly things. Keeping the outside of your house unappealing to critters is just as important as keeping the inside too clean for them to get what they need to survive. Here’s how:
- Keep the yard raked. Cockroaches live in piles of leaves and grass cuttings.
- Patch any cracks in the foundation that they could crawl through. Even mice can enter that way.
- Weather strip doors and windows to keep them from entering.
- Move the woodpile somewhere but beside the house. Mice and cockroaches live in woodpiles, too, not to mention spiders.
- Make sure the chimney flue is tight, so they can’t enter.
- Seal any openings outside the house like cables, plumbing or electrical wires so mice and roaches can’t enter.
- Trim back shrubbery and don’t plant flowers right up against the house. Cockroaches and mice love to live in these areas, especially in the mulch.
Critters carry diseases, and they cause others to happen to people, especially children. Asthma and allergies are just a couple. Calling for help will protect not only you but your kids from the diseases critters carry. Before you contact us, put away the pumpkin pie – we like it, too.
