Many people use pest control to remove insects from and around their homes. The pest control methods that are often used contain harmful chemicals that can destroy the environment. Pests can be eliminated with more natural methods than the commonly used ones. Keep reading for some environmentally friendly pest control tips.

Check to see if your refrigerator or pantry has any food items that are expiring soon or stale already. If you have food that is stale, it may attract not only bugs but maggots and flies as well. This is a messy problem that you will want to avoid at all costs.

If you are apprehensive about using chemical pest control in your home, try traps instead. Physical traps work to attract the pest and then trap it. Some work like traditional mouse traps that snap closed and kill the pest, while others involve a sticky sheet that adheres the pest to the sheet so you can remove it from your home.

You should regularly inspect the plumbing of your home and make sure you do not leave any traces of water, for instance under the pots you use for your plants or on your kitchen counter. Humidity can lead to a fungus infestation and leaks will provide pest with the water needed to survive.

Even if you believe your bedbug problem is gone, be wary. Bedbugs are able to go without eating for up to a year. This is the reason why you have to make sure any holes in walls or doors are sealed. It will make it impossible for them to hide there.

Always keep food properly sealed. A lot of species of pests are drawn to the smell of food, so control food scents. Full trash bags are another attraction, so remove these as soon as possible. Pests are attracted to garbage as well.

Check to see if your windows or screens are cracked or ripped as insects can easily penetrate any inconsistencies in your infrastructure. If you see that a seal has been broken, make sure that you fix this or get it replaced immediately so that it does not become an issue in the future.

Clean any highly trafficked food areas every single day. Even a few crumbs each day can lead to a feast for pests over time. It’s best then to approach your cleaning not once a week, but daily for these areas. Even just five minutes will lead you to a cleaner area and less potential pests.

If you’re using mulch, don’t mulch all the way to the side of your home. Leave a gap about half a foot in length between the mulch and your outdoor wall. This will give you (or any exterminator) a better ability to see if any pests (like termites) are crawling from the mulch onto your outdoor wall.

When trying to combat a problem with mice or rats remember this: they’ll eat pretty much anything. Peanut butter, cheese, even bits of meat can work in mouse traps. Spoiled foods work too and using them in your traps is one way to get dispose of them.

Insects such as silverfish are usually attracted by the humidity in your home. Damp places help silverfish thrive in your home environment. Give these pests a run for their money by dehumidifying your home. Make them learn an extra lesson by fixing leaky pipes and using proper ventilation in all areas of your home.

Use hairspray on flying insects. Perfume also works, but don’t get either in your eyes. Hairspray and perfume are flammable; therefore, you should never use these products near open flames. If you lack bug spray, give this a try.

Wait until the evening or night time to get rid of bee hives or wasp nests. You can use a can of spray foam (available at home improvement centers) to take care of unwanted bee hives. The foams can be sprayed from a distance, and effectively kill bees. Beehives are best dealt with at night, as the bees are less active than they are during the day. Check the hive for two days, and then spray again if you need to. Once you are certain that the bees have died, remove the hive.

Remember that spiders generally only hang around because there are other bugs to eat. In order to eliminate these other bugs, you should try to dust and vacuum frequently. This helps get rid of the population of bugs in your home.

It’s not that hard to get rid of pests while keeping the environment safe. You don’t have to live with pests and the environment doesn’t have to suffer in order for you to get rid of them. Just keep these tips handy when you want to get rid of pests the right way.

Pest Control Is So Simple When You Have Great Tips Like These was originally published on Spring