This is a guest post from our friends at Take Care Termite and Pest Control, in Tracy, California.

Until your home is infested by bugs and pests, you’d never know how it is to live in a home that houses mice, cockroaches, bed bugs, rodents and other pests that pose serious health risks to the residents. By the time you notice one or two, you can be sure that your entire house is being overrun by them. So, before matters get unpleasant and it becomes unsafe to stay indoors, go on the defense mode and avoid all of this because a little prevention prior to a pest invasion will save you from going through a lot of hassles later.   

Depending on your location and property type, your home is most likely to be infested by these 5 pests that commonly invade residential properties across the U.S.    

1. Rodents  

This is the most commonly encountered pest in residential properties. You can find rodents in dark, secluded areas of your home like your basement or your attic. Rodents can contaminate food and spread grave diseases apart from causing serious damage to your property. They also increase the risk of electric fires by chewing and gnawing on cables and wires.   

2. Roaches   

Roaches are attracted to moisture and food which is why bathrooms and kitchens make a perfect habitat for them. You can find them everywhere from your groceries to home appliances, contaminating food sources and spreading harmful human pathogens and bacteria.  

3. Termites  

There can be nothing more devastating than dealing with a termite invasion that not only ruins the structure of your house but also lowers its market value. Termite colonies are also known to carry diseases and allergic reactions so if you discover them in your home, take immediate action before they invite extensive repairs.  

4. Ants  

These colonizing crawlers pose no threat to human health but certain species can definitely cause property damage. You can find them in your kitchen foraging for food, crawling up vertical surfaces to get into tiny holes, invading your yard or patio or marching straight into your home through the front door. Residential pest control services should be able to help you identify and exterminate ant infestations safely.   

5. Bed Bugs  

Every homeowner needs to know how to find bed bugs because this low-level infestation is hard to identify until it becomes established and spreads to the other areas of the house. The typical signs of a bed bug infestation include rusty stains on bed spreads, dark spots that are caused by excrements, tiny eggs or live bed bugs hidden in the cushion seams. Finding where they are hiding in your home is very difficult so it is recommended to hire residential pest control services.  

Tips to Protect Your Home against Pest Infestations 

  • Trim all the trees and shrubs touching your home and eliminate the entryways. Instead of using mulch in areas that come in direct contact with your foundation, place less attractive coverings like stones or rocks.  
  • Cracks and crevices are entryways for pests that spread diseases and damage your property so seal all the gaps, caulk doors and windows and repair all the warps, rips and tears in your doors and windows. Install screen meshes to block their entry into your home.   
  • Carefully inspect your outdoors for all the gaps and openings that make it easier for pests to invade your home. Look for loose siding, openings in dryer vents, cracks in your foundation, missing roof shingles, and gaps in pipes.  
  • Keep your basement, patio, attic, deck and backyard clean and clutter-free. Make sure there is no source of standing water around your home. Regularly remove spills and debris and ensure that all the trash cans are covered with tight-fitting lids.   
  • Inspect your kitchen and bathroom drains for accumulated gunk and debris because they are an ideal breeding ground for pests.  
  • Store food only in resealable food containers to keep pantry pests from contaminating foods. 
  • Replace your regular mercury vapor lights with halogen lights or high-pressure sodium vapor to reduce flying insects around your doors and windows.     

Having a prevention plan in place for dealing with pest infestations is necessary but it does not eliminate the stress. So, if these DIY tips don’t do the trick for you, don’t wait too long to call professional residential pest control services because if you do, it can cause irreparable damage to your property. Residential pest control services can identify the exact source of the problem and implement effective techniques to eliminate pests from your property. So hand it over to the pros and make sure your home stays pest-free! 

This is a guest post from our friends at Take Care Termite and Pest Control, in Tracy, California.