Moving into a new house can be an exciting but tiring experience, and pests are the last thing you need. Uninvited insects can prevent you from creating a cozy and welcoming place for your guests in your new house, but guess what? You might not even know what lurks in your new home.

It might seem scary, but there are some simple precautions to ensure you keep insects out and create a pest-free environment for your family and friends when they come over.

 

Tips for Dealing with Pests

Remember how you were hunting for a new place until you settled on this new house? Well, insects are no different; they're also searching for their next safe location to find food and water, and make bug babies.

Pests are a common issue within households. In fact, around 2.9 million people reported seeing insects like roaches in their houses. You can prevent this with six simple steps and create a pest-free home.

 

1. Clean Up Outdoor Areas

Bugs come from the outdoors, so it's only natural that you want to start with these areas first. Usually, you'll find insects hanging out in debris or damp, dark, and warm places where they can hide. You should also look for branches, leaf piles, twig piles, or outdoor trash because they can easily crawl inside your house.

By cleaning the outdoors, we mean trimming trees, raking leaves, collecting trash, and moving them away from your home. If you fail to do so, you're risking you and your loved ones' lives because statistics show that pests like mosquitoes cause approximately 800,000 deaths yearly, so you don't want to be one of those numbers.

 

2. Home Cleanup

Once done with the outdoor areas, it's time to tackle your actual home. This is the biggest draw for insects if you leave food, water, and crumbs on the table or floor.

That's why before moving into your house, you need to do a thorough cleaning first. You can do this with the help of some products, storing food in sealed containers, or cleaning up floors regularly to avoid any food crumbs.

Unfortunately, termites infest around 600,000 houses in the U.S. alone, so they're widespread in households. Luckily, you can find some of the best termite killers on the market with active ingredients that kill pests instantly.

 

3. Do an Inspection Beforehand

The construction phase is the most inviting to pests if you're building your new house. But if you're concerned about insects moving into your new home, you can inspect the interior crevices and cracks beforehand and spray them.

However, if you're moving into an existing home, you can hire a professional pest control to inspect to take a look and ensure there are no pest issues. They'll tell you whether it's a manageable situation or if there are any other problems.

The last thing you want to do is move into a house with an active pest problem. To avoid this, you can take matters into your own hands or leave it to the professionals to identify and manage the pest problem before it's too late.

 

4. Maintain Cracks, Crevices, and Barriers

Did you know that cracks, crevices, and barriers are the top places where insects thrive? According to statistics, cracked walls, leaks, and broken windows are among the most frequent issues that lure pests. That said, you must seal any cracks or crevices around your windows, foundations, basement, and insulation.

Another thing you can do is inspect the perimeter of your house by repairing any holes or covering them up to prevent pests from entering inside.

Whatever you do, don't forget to cover up any gaps in your door or add an entry sweet for an additional layer of protection. You can use door-seal or weather stripping kits to the frame to keep pests from entering from the sides or top of the door.

 

5. Install a Screen

If you want to be extra, you can install a screen mesh on your windows and doors to keep the fresh air in your home. Usually, a finer or mesh is an excellent alternative to preventing pests from entering your door. At the same time, if your house already has screens, you can do a simple inspection and ensure there are no tears or holes to allow insects inside.

 

6. Don't Pick UP Bed Bugs

Bed bugs are often overlooked, but they can be dangerous when transmitted. To protect yourself from bed bugs and other pests, you should buy mattress encasements to cover up any fabric on your mattresses.

If you didn't know, the exposed fabric is prone to picking up bed bugs, so the best thing you can do is to wash your fabrics and clothes on high heat and seal them in bags beforehand.