Spring Cleaning Tips to Keep Pests Away

Spring-cleaning is often an opportunity to create fresh start, and for many of us, that involves getting rid of unnecessary clutter and doing some household chores that we have been putting off for the past year. Besides cleaning from a pest control standpoint, spring-cleaning is also a great time to clean your home, spruce up dull corners and uplift with refreshing outlook to welcome a new year. Rentokil shares all you need to know to keep pests away with useful spring-cleaning tips.

How Spring Cleaning Can Prevent an Infestation

Pests enter your home primarily for food, water, and shelter, and when these factors are easily available in your home, it becomes an easy target for pests such as ants, mosquitoes, cockroaches, and rodents.

These pests carry germs, bacteria, viruses, and other pathogens that they can spread throughout your home and contaminate your food. In addition to that, they can also cause damage to your property. Rats, for instance, can chew on electrical wires, clothes, furniture, food packaging, and almost anything to gnaw on with their incisors.

Spring-cleaning allows you to remove the clutter that could aid the pests’ survival. This includes removing stored cardboard and paper, expired food, exposed pet food, etc. However, spring-cleaning is not the only solution to stop pests from coming into your home. Cleaning your home also allows you to inspect for early signs of a potential infestation and address any household issues that can promote pest harbourage. This is particularly necessary for termite infestation which when left untreated could cause extensive and costly damage.

What Are Pests Attracted To?

• Damaged Pipes & Clogged Drains - Blockage in gutters creates small puddles of water that provides a breeding place for mosquitoes and water for other pests to habour. The bad stench and odour also attracts pests such as flies and cockroaches in search of food.
• Plants, Branches and Wood Piles Close to the House - Many pests find shelter on plants and bushes that grow close to your home. At the same time, they also often use it as a bridge to access the indoors.
• Cracks & Gaps - Even the tiniest of cracks and gaps between your doors and windows and their frames are enough to provide pests a way in.
• Poor Ventilation - Cockroaches and termites love high humidity inside your home. It creates a warm and humid environment for them to thrive. Other pests such as spiders and booklice also favours a moist environment.
• Clutter - The trash collecting outside your home, dirty recyclables, and stacks of old newspapers and magazines that pile up in your basement are all ideal hiding spots for cockroaches and rats.
• Dirt, Grease, & Grime Build-up - The build-up of dirt, grease and grime in the sink and in areas where you eat and prepare food will draw insects and bugs, among other pests, long after your meals.
• Mould & Mildew Growth - Mould and mildew cause several health issues on their own such as triggers, but their smell can also attract certain pests into your home, including termites. Because it indicates the presence of dark, warm, moist areas where they could thrive in.

How to Prevent Pest Infestations During Spring Cleaning

Before you can think of rearranging the layout of your living room, make sure you hit the potential pest hotspots in your home. Below is a complete guide to keeping pest infestations at bay.

• Seal entry points - Inspect your home for cracks along the walls, windows, and doors and seal them. The same goes for the homes in window screens—consider replacing them to ward off pests. Make sure to have sturdy fix proofing and install insect screens to prevent pest entries into your home.
• Store food in sealed containers - Keep your food in the fridge or in airtight containers. These include your pet food and birdseed, which can equally serve as meals for ants and other pests.
• Remove standing water – Do not just dry out any standing water, address their sources as well: clogged drains, leaky faucets, damaged pipes, etc. These create excess moisture that attracts termites, cockroaches, even rats.
• Keep your outdoors clean and well-maintained - Remove any stagnant water, trim your branches and leaves away from your home, store your wood in dry areas, above the ground, and get rid of anything that can collect unnecessary water.

ALSO READ: Does A Clean Home Means A Pest-Free Home?

Ways to reduce pest infestations at home

• Consider using a dehumidifier - Your home can get particularly damp without proper ventilation and a dehumidifier can help remove this excess moisture that can provide a haven for cockroaches, ants, and rodents.
• Engage professional help - Much like spring cleaning, calling in your pest control specialist should also be a life-long commitment. Despite your best efforts, infestations can occur and reoccur and a professional pest control service can help you address any pest issues safely and effectively.
• Remove unwanted boxes, cartons, magazines, and newspapers - When you keep old boxes or stacks of paper lying around your home, you basically provide bugs and other pests with protection from predators and the weather. So, as much as possible, get rid of them.
• Keep an eye out for signs of pest infestations - Rat droppings, shed bed bug skin, cockroach eggs, and mud tubes made by termites—these are just some of the many indicators of pest presence to keep an eye out on.

You may also like: Find out the different smell indicators of pest infestations

Key Risk Areas to Look Out For During Spring Cleaning

So, where to look for these signs of infestation? Keep your eyes peeled for anything suspicious in every corner of your home, but particularly in these areas where factors that could attract pests—food, shelter, moisture—are significantly present.

• Bathroom
• Storage Room
• Basement
• Kitchen
• Cabinets and Shelves
• Courtyard
• Attic

Cockroach Control by Rentokil Singapore

Rentokil is a Singapore-based pest control company that offers protection for your home against pests. They include ants, cockroaches, termites, rodents, mosquitoes, and more.

We also offer advice on how to prevent future re-infestations and answer some of your frequently asked questions. Firstly, the specialist will conduct a site visit at your home to access several factors. They include the home condition, environment, risk factors, type of cockroach species and severity of the infestation. Next, the type of cockroach control solution is then recommended base on the frequency of the treatment, type of application, choice of active ingredient and locations to treat. Thirdly, pre and post treatment checklist is then discussed. This ensures you have clarity on what is to be expected and prepared for. Finally, monitoring and inspection of the treated premise will continue as ongoing solution to ensure pest control is on track. Read more on price of pest control in Singapore.

Frequently Asked Questions on Cockroach Control

What are the control measures for cockroach control?

Getting rid of cockroaches is part of our standard pest control service. This includes the use of residual spray, cockroach gel and baits. It includes initial detection, treatment, monitoring and inspection of the premise. Ad hoc or flush out programmes may be introduced depending on infestation severity.

Where do I find cockroaches?

Cockroaches enjoy lurking around dark and damp spaces. These include drains, grease traps, in the waste bins, among soiled and wet dishes, bathrooms and behind appliances or furniture. They will also hide in quiet and unfrequented places including storerooms and cabinets.

Why am I unable to find cockroaches around?

Cockroaches are nocturnal pests that comes out at night to search for food. They may appear in the day time where food competition is high or an increase in cockroach population. In addition, they can hide well in neglected corners and move quickly to escape from predators.

How do I get cockroach infestation in my car?

There are ways to attract cockroaches in the car. They include bringing in via bags and items with cockroaches latching on it, poor housekeeping, snacking habits and moist conditions that are not fixed. Regular detection for cockroach signs is beneficial to prevent cockroaches infesting in the car. This can result in road safety upon an encounter.

How do cockroaches transmit diseases?

Cockroaches visit poor hygiene and compromised sanitation environment including drains, sewers, waste and garbage waste centres. They pick up bacteria as they interact among these surfaces and pass on with their droppings, saliva and urine as they are exposed to food sensitive items. These include utensils, kitchen tops, exposed food ingredients and cutleries. Their saliva and droppings also contained allergens and proteins that triggers allergies and asthma symptoms.

What are the three essential cockroach facts to know?

Firstly, cockroaches breathe through their spiracles and hence they can survive well under water for as long as 40 minutes. Hence, they can withstand water-centric environment including drains and toilet bowl. Secondly, they need water and can go without food supplies for as long as a month. Removing both food crumbs and any standing water is essential to keep roaches away. Finally, they can run lightning speed fast that appears to be flying and gliding and attempting to smack them with a newspaper may not work for these sprinters.

Call Rentokil Singapore for a pest control service at (65) 6347 8138 today.