24 Tips to Keep Your Home Bug & Pest Free

At the heart of any effort to minimize pesticide usage in your home and still maintain a relatively bug free environment is the correction or elimination of conditions that may be contributing to a pest infestation.  All pests need food, water, and shelter to survive.  Since they can be very persistent, you need to be just as persistent.  By taking some simple steps to help control nuisance bugs and pests, you can be part of the solution.

  1. Keep stored food products refrigerated or in tightly-sealed containers.
  2. Dispose of packing materials, such as grocery bags & cardboard boxes that may harbor pests.
  3. Store goods on shelves away from walls to allow for cleaning behind them.
  4. Clean exterior and interior of ovens and hoods before grease buildups occur.
  5. Avoid leaving food and soiled dishes exposed overnight.
  6. Keep indoor garbage in lined and covered containers. Empty daily.
  7. Inspect for and clean up spills where you collect your trash and around exterior trash areas.
  8. Empty and clean recycling bins frequently.
  9. Empty mop buckets and remove sour rags.
  10. Regularly vacuum carpets, curtains, and upholstery.
  11. Seal cracks and crevices in exterior walls.
  12. Have garage doors fitted with sweeps and keep doors shut when not in use.
  13. Caulk crevices around doors, windows, vents, and other openings.
  14. Repair plumbing and roof leaks and reduce condensation problems.
  15. Drain puddles, including drip zones under air conditioners.
  16. Clean gutters and drains.
  17. Eliminate bird roosting sites and old nests in which pests can breed.
  18. Trim tree branches away from house to prevent pest access.
  19. Keep grass short to remove cover for pests.
  20. Reduce the number of foundation plants, especially flowering perennials which attract pests.
  21. Avoid bringing insect-infested flowers indoors.
  22. Substitute crushed shells, stone, or gravel for bark or other organic mulches.
  23. Use sodium vapor lamps outside to attract fewer flying insects.
  24. Insecticides used by homeowners may scatter pests into new areas.