5 Nontoxic Methods of Pest Prevention!

The first day of spring is March 20, 2018 and that is right around the corner! Spring brings beautiful warm weather but spring can also bring bugs… into your home. The ants are waking up and the ants might be marching one by one straight into your house. Bugs, of course, are not an ideal situation to have in the home but we at World Class Cleaning think that spraying insecticides on the surfaces of your home and into the air you breathe is equally less-than-ideal — perhaps worse than the bugs. So we’ve compiled 5 nontoxic methods of pest prevention. Let’s check ’em out!

  • Repair or seal openings

    It’s about to be really nice outside so why not spend some time patrolling the perimeter of your home in search of any sort of opening that pests can use to gain access? Look out for cracks and gaps in brick and cement and consider patching these yourself or hiring somebody to do it for you. The upside? You may be saving yourself heating/cooling costs in the long run, especially if any of these holes prove to be particularly drafty. Better energy efficiency means reduced carbon footprint, too! Also consider adding or repairing screens in windows and adding “sweeps” to the undersides of your exterior doors.
  • Repel ants naturally

    Ants use pheromone trails to follow one another to sources of food so why not clean up those “scent trails?” But not with toxic sprays or solutions but instead with something simple like soapy water or white vinegar. You can even try using spices that deter ants such as turmeric, black pepper, cinnamon, mint, and red chili powder. Yum!
  • Move firewood away from your home

    Maybe you have a nice backyard firepit you use in the fall and winter; or a fireplace or even a wood stove inside your home. And maybe you keep some firewood nice and dry on your back porch or otherwise near your house during those cold months — well… once it warms up, move that firewood! Those piles of dry wood are the PERFECT home for any number of insects. The closer this Insect Empire is to your home, the more likely they are to end up next to you when you sit down to dinner.
  • Controversial suggestion — leave those spiders alone!

    You could jettison spray-poisons all around the air of your home to remove insects & spiders or instead you could  leave the latter alone and allow them to take care of the former for you. If you’re afraid of spiders, is it because you’re scared of spider bites? From LiveScience.com: “Most so-called “spider bites” are not actually spider bites, according to researchers and several recent studies. Instead, “spider bites” are more likely to be bites or stings from other arthropods such as fleas, skin reactions to chemicals or infections, said Chris Buddle, an arachnologist at McGill University in Montreal.” Spiders in your house? Leave ’em alone and let them dine on the blood of your enemies (pest insects, that is)!
  • Get your house DRY

    Wet, damp surfaces –especially wooden surfaces– are the perfect environment for insects to live and breed. Check your pipes and faucets for leaks and get on the road to a DRY home!
  • Try some of these all-natural, old school homemade remedies

    From lifehacker.com: “A mix of peppermint oil and white vinegar is a solid go-to for repelling several pests, especially spiders. But research from Auburn University suggests the mix is good for the peskiest of pests too. To make your own cockroach deterrent spray, Brittney Morgan at Apartment Therapy recommends dropping 10 drops of peppermint oil into a spray bottle willed with two parts water, one part white vinegar. Spritz it around cupboards, under the sink, in the bathroom, and anywhere else that roaches might want to hang out. You can also use straight peppermint oil to wipe down countertops. Not only will it keep pests away, it’ll smell nice too.”

Well, there you have it! We hope you’ve learned a thing or two and we want to wish you a happy-almost-spring! If you’re interested in enjoying the sunshine instead of spring cleaning, give us a call and let us do the cleaning for you!