Spring Cleaning – The Best Way To Keep Spring Bugs Out
Spring is a time for renewal, refreshment, and restoration. With lighter evenings and warmer weather, many Canadian homeowners feel rejuvenated to tackle a new project or pick up from where they left off in winter. Take it from Terminix Canada; the best way to channel these inner desires is to take some preventative spring pest control measures.
Why? Because spring is breeding season for many types of pest. Ultimately, if you stand still, spring bugs will feel more than at liberty to make your home theirs. That’s why Terminix Canada has listed four places in your home where spring cleaning and spring bug maintenance should take place. By being proactive, you can prevent spring bugs from appearing and killing your springtime buzz.
4 Places Where Spring Bug Maintenance Should Take Place
- Kitchen
- Washroom
- Basement
- Outdoor Areas
Clean The Kitchen
While human populations are grounded from vacation due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s not the same for spring bugs. Ultimately, your kitchen is the biggest pest holiday destination of them all! It’s open for business if you do nothing about it. Pests love food and since your kitchen is where the food is, bugs like ants, flies and beetles can’t get enough of your food preparation space.
Nevertheless, by thoroughly and diligently cleaning up food spills, crumbs, and overripe fruits from the countertop, you will make your kitchen less appealing to spring bugs.
For your annual spring clean, first remove everything from your cabinets and pantry. Get rid of stale spices and dated items. Put open packages into airtight containers. Next, wipe down the inside of your cabinets and put in new shelf paper. Then, pull your appliances as far from the wall as possible and vacuum behind them. The last thing to do is give the counter and floor a real scrubbing with a sponge soaked in warm water and a bit of dishwashing liquid.
Tidy Up The Washroom To Wash Out Spring Bugs
Cockroaches and silverfish are just some of the springtime critters that love moisture and make their homes in washrooms. Ultimately, reducing any areas of concentrated moisture is essential for effective cockroach and silverfish control. If you have a dehumidifier handy in your home, we recommend using it to dry out your washroom and other areas.
Elsewhere, while you’re in the washroom, wash your shower curtain and liner. Clean out your medicine cabinet and check under the sink and around the tub and toilet for leaks as well. Remember, leaks lead to moisture build up on the floor and in the pipes themselves. Should you uncover any leaks in your space, call your local plumber.
Better The Basement
Pests like spiders and wildlife like rodents enjoy harbouring in dark corners and cluttered areas of your home. These favourable conditions are often found in your basement. This is why we recommend taking some time during your spring cleaning to truly go through your basement looking for spring bugs.
We’re talking about eliminating clutter wherever possible, storing items in plastic bins with secure lids, and reducing cardboard box use too. Damp cardboard boxes provide another springtime oasis for a number of pests, especially silverfish.
Before you return upstairs, finally inspect your basement with a magnifying glass. Look out for any gaps and crevices that require caulking. Remember, even the tiniest cracks or crevices provide pests and wildlife ample access to the interior of your home.
Audit The Outdoors For Spring Bugs
So far, this blog has addressed places where spring cleaning and spring bugs maintenance should take place inside the home. But don’t forget the outside too!
You’ll want to perform a complete inspection of the outside of your house. This includes noting any damage that might have occurred during the winter. Replace any rotted roof shingles, and unclog the gutters and downspouts. Repair any ripped screens, put in new weather-stripping where needed, and patch-up loose mortar around the windows and foundation.
As far as landscaping, trim back bushes and branches so that pests can’t use them as tightropes into your home. Get rid of any rotted tree stumps and make sure mulch is at least 15 inches away from your foundation. Termites love rotting wood. If you come across any bee, hornet or wasps nests, do not engage. Terminix Canada has the treatments you need for wasp removal and hornet removal.
Since bee populations are in danger, we often recommend customers contact local beekeepers to safely rehome bees and their bee hives. However, in cases where bee hives are located in an area that poses a danger to human safety, especially in cases of allergies, we are able to control the threat and safely remove bees from your property. Contact us today and see your flying insect control problems buzz off for good!
READ MORE: THE BEST WAYS TO KEEP YOUR DECK SAFE FROM TERMITE DAMAGE
Get Rid Of Spring Bugs With Terminix Canada
Pests don’t care about your home. So why suffer? If you believe your home is infested this spring, locate and contact your nearest Terminix Canada branch today. Simply tell them what happened, and they’ll take care of the rest – building the pest control program you need.