For health and safety reasons, it is incredibly important that your home is well-maintained and clean, since this will minimise the number of rodents, insects and/or cockroaches making your home theirs.

An infestation can be seriously difficult to eradicate, and if the infestation is widespread, you might need to make temporary living arrangements if your home needs to be properly fumigated.

If you need professional pest control, make sure you are proactive when doing so. Don’t leave it to the last minute, as this will only prolong and exacerbate the damage inflicted on your home. Not sure where to start? Read this guide to find out.

Prevention is key

When it comes to effective pest control, prevention is probably the most important thing you need to consider. There are several things you can do every day to deter rodents and insects from infesting your home, who are often looking for food or moisture. These are as follows:

Don’t leave food out

Regardless of whether it is during the day or overnight, you shouldn’t leave food out for a long period of time.

Try and make a habit of cleaning up your kitchen as you cook or prepare meals, since this will encourage you to not leave things out. It only needs to be an extra half hour or so before ants, cockroaches and other bugs start infiltrating.

Wipe down all surfaces

You don’t need to wipe down every square inch of your home – that’s just impractical. However, if you want the best local pest control service, it’s certainly worth wiping down kitchen benches, counters, stove tops and bathroom sinks before bed. This will ensure that no crumbs or bacteria are left behind for rodents and insects to feast on when you’re asleep.

Empty garbage bins frequently

It’s also worth emptying your garbage and waste bins as often as you can (i.e. as soon as it becomes full or close to full).

An overflowing bin is a haven for cockroaches, ants and other nasty grubs that have no place in your home or apartment. An overflowing bin also looks rather terrible and let’s face it, there’s always a smell.

Inspect your home often

Aside from preventative pest control, there’s also a lot of value in inspecting your home as often as possible. It’s always better to leave this up to the professionals, however, that doesn’t mean you can’t do your own informal checks to see if there is anything of great concern. So, what are the tell-tale signs that you might need professional pest control? Be on the lookout for:

• Large cracks in walls or the ceiling (this is where roaches can enter)
• Insect droppings on window bearings or in the kitchen
• Egg cases (left behind by cockroaches)
• A strange or unusual smell
• Cracked window seals

Get professional help as soon as possible

Even if you are vigilant and proactive, infestations can still pop up. If you have an infestation, then it’s time to call the pros for specialised pest control. They have a plethora of resources and services at their disposal, which effectively treat and eradicate any insects or rodents in your home.

Firstly, the inspector will likely administer an insect gel, which will be placed on windowsills, door jams and other susceptible areas. Secondly, the technician will use what is known as an insecticide spray and/or an insecticide dust. These are designed to kill bugs and deter further colonies of bugs (like cockroaches) from infesting your home or property.

So, if you believe that your home is infested with nasty insects, then get in touch with a reliable firm for effective pest control. If you believe your property is clean, then frequent prevention measures are still crucial!