Creepy, crawly, and disgusting are just a few words that people use to describe insects. These annoying pests enter our homes when we least expect it, and start making a home for themselves. When this happens, it’s time to use some pest control, which you can do with the following tips.

Try a do-it-yourself spray. If you can’t afford to have a professional service come out to spray your home for pest prevention, try any of the number of pest control sprays available at local hardware and box stores. Most come in easy-to-use bottles with trigger spray nozzles that allow you to spray around the foundation and windows of your home, both inside and out.

Install a cap on your chimney to prevent birds, squirrels and other nuisances from entering. Not only do these animals’ nests present a fire hazard, but the critters themselves can carry lice and other parasites. The cap acts as a barricade, keeping intruders out while allowing smoke to pass through.

Do you have ants in your home? Get rid of these insects by mixing some borax and sugar. Pour this concoction on your doorstep and all around your home. If you know where the ants come from, pour a generous quantity of borax and sugar in these areas. The ants will be drawn by the sugar but the borax will kill them.

Go through the foundation and roof of your house to ensure that there’re no cracks or holes that pests can get into. If you find any, make sure you seal them up as soon as possible. Try to avoid using typical caulk as they usually can chew through this. Your best bet is to use something made with copper or mesh.

If you practice recycling, make sure to rinse out all bottles can cans. You should take extra precaution to rinse out cans of soda, as they are filled with sugar. Rinse soda cans out before storing them.

If you believe you have bed bugs, you can help control the population by washing your clothes. However, you have to be careful when doing so. Put all of your clothing into a plastic bag. Seal it up to take it to the laundry room. Wash it all in the hottest water possible and then dry it on high heat. Remember that it is very hard to eradicate bed bugs on your own, so call around and see if a company will do a free inspection for you.

Store flour, cereals, sugar, and other dry goods in sealed plastic, glass, or metal containers. This prevents invasions of pantry moths, weevils, ants, and even mice in your kitchen. Do not count on cardboard or other flimsy packaging to keep pests out. Mice can chew through them, and insects can penetrate tiny openings.

In order to permanently eliminate pests from your home, it is vital that you properly identify what pests are in it. If you aren’t aware of which pests you have, there is no way you can come up with a proper method of getting rid of them. Identification is the key.

If you have firewood, make sure that it is stored a decent amount of feet away from the house. Bugs will inhabit this wood, so you will want it as far away from the house as possible. Try to expel all the items that bugs will feast on from your home.

While squirrels are cute, they can do a lot of damage if they get into the attic area of a home. Many times they chew through electrical wires, creating a fire hazard. Make sure any areas where cables or electrical wire enter the home is protected so they cannot chew a larger hole and gain access to the interior.

If you are trying to get rid of pests in your home, you should think carefully if you have children and/or pets. Many of the chemicals that are in pesticides can be harmful to them. Get them out of the house for a few hours if you have no other choice.

If you are about to wipe out pest with a chemical product, take the time to protect yourself first. Wear some gloves and find some protective goggles for your eyes. Place a scarf on your nose and mouth to prevent exposure to the chemical. If you get some chemicals on your skin, rinse immediately.

Make sure that you spray your house at least once a year. This will serve to eliminate all of the bugs in your area at the current time and prevent new ones from coming in near future. If you do not spray your house, you are making your living space open season for bugs.

Insects may find their way into your home, but they won’t live to see another day. The next time a bug decides to set up camp inside your home, use these pest control tips on it. The bug and any of it’s friends that wandered in will be pushing up daisies.

How To Rid Your Home Of Ants was originally published on Spring