5 Top Tips To Help Keep Pests At Bay This Summer

Are you starting to notice an increase of pests around your home?  Do you find as the warmer weather kicks in so does the frustration of pests taking over?  To help you out we’ve put together a list of tips to help you keep pests at bay this coming summer.

Block Entry Into Your Home
Seal up cracks and holes around the exterior of your home including entry points for utilities and piping.  Keeping your doors and windows closed as much as possible will go a long way to help reduce flies, mosquitoes and other pests from entering your home.  Installing fly screens will provide you with airflow in the summer without having to be plagued by pests.

Maintain Your Section
Trim bushes and trees especially those that are near the house, rake up dead leaves, keep lawns short and weed gardens. Keep compost in a lidded bin.  Doing these things will make your section less desirable to pests.

Get Rid of Standing Water
Remove buckets, old tires and pots of stagnant water and clean gutters regularly, standing water is a breeding ground for mosquitoes and also attracts other pests.

Keep the Inside of Your Home Clean and Clutter Free
Regularly wipe down your kitchen bench tops, cupboards, under the toaster and microwave.  Check your pantry for honey and other sweet spillages and keep sugar in an airtight container.  Sweep and mop floors, including under the fridge and stove.  Remove rubbish often.  Keep vacuuming up to date, being sure to get under beds, along skirting and behind dressing tables, book shelves etc.  Remove unnecessary clutter.

Treat Your Pets
If you have pets its important to keep flea treatments up to date, doing this can avoid flea infestations.  Try not to leave food out for pets, especially wet foods as this is an attractant for many pests.  Keep litter boxes clean and regularly pick up dog poo around your section.

Are moths causing havoc in your pantry?

So you’ve decided to whip up a few scones or make a lovely batter for that fish you’ve just caught. You get out the ingredients you need (and smile because you don’t have to pop out for any missing ones). You dig out your mixing bowl and open your flour container and there in front of your very eyes are little creatures wiggling round in your main ingredient!

Your smile turns into a frown as you either decide to give up altogether or reluctantly pick up your car keys and head out the door to purchase some overpriced flour from your local dairy.

If you’ve been frustrated by throwing out what was once perfectly good food, then this may just be the solution to your pantry moth problems. Out at dinner the other night we learnt of a way to keep these annoying critters at bay, and the key is bay. Just scatter a few bay leaves around inside your pantry and see what happens, apparently moths don’t like the smell so they vacate. We don’t have any moths in our pantry so haven’t given it a go ourselves but would love to hear whether or not it works for you, good luck!