Whether you’re battling ants, flies or cockroaches, prevention is key. By removing food and water sources, regularly cleaning areas of the home, and sealing cracks and crevices, you can keep pests at bay.

The most common pests are nocturnal, so they’re most often seen at night. They’re also resilient and reproduce quickly, making them difficult to eliminate. Contact Kansas City Pest Control experts to deal with your pest problems.

Mice And Rats

Rodents like mice and rats invade homes looking for food, shelter, and warmth. They can contaminate stored foods, damage property, and spread diseases. They also chew on electrical wiring and drywall insulation, leading to fires and costly repair bills.

Rodents are highly adaptable, and even a well-maintained home can still have a rat or mouse problem. The key to getting rid of them is taking away their attraction to your property by making it inhospitable to mice and rats. Remove their food source by securing garbage in sealed containers and wiping down all surfaces, particularly those where crumbs might fall. Vacuum and sweep floors regularly, and keep pet food in tightly closed containers.

Mice and rats can squeeze through openings as small as a dime, so it is important to block all entry points into your house. This can be done with wire wool or ‘ mouse mesh’ (available at hardware and DIY stores) stuffed into cracks and crevices. It is also important to keep vegetation trimmed back so that it doesn’t overtake your house or block access points.

If you’re unable to seal your house, consider buying and installing rodent traps. Snap traps are the most humane option, while poison bait can be dangerous for children and pets that might eat dead mice. If you decide to use poison, only purchase poison that is labeled for rodents, and place it in areas where a child or pet cannot reach it.

Poisoned rodents typically die in hard-to-reach areas, and a predator such as a cat or fox might eat them and become sick or even dead themselves. It’s also not a good idea to set out poison in the open, as it might attract other predators that will end up killing more rodents.

Poison can take a while to kill rodents, so you must have a plan to keep them out of your home while the poison works. If you have cats or dogs, make sure that they are current on their vaccinations and don’t allow them outside where mice and rats might enter.

Ants

Ants are a common nuisance for homeowners, invading kitchens and contaminating food. They also create unsightly trails in and around living spaces. Although there are many DIY ant control solutions available, they don’t always work and often only provide short-term relief. For the most effective ant control, it’s best to enlist the help of a professional pest control company. They can provide a full range of services and solutions to eliminate existing ant infestations and keep them from returning.

Homeowners can prevent ant infestations by taking some basic steps, such as keeping food in airtight containers and cleaning up spills and crumbs as they occur. They can also reduce the ant’s attraction to their homes by caulking cracks and crevices around the foundation, using ant bait stations inside to control ants indoors, and spreading Tanglefoot Pest Barrier outside to stop ants from crawling under siding and through pipes.

Outdoors, and ant hills can be unsightly and interfere with lawn care, while ants that burrow in wood (like carpenter ants) may damage porches, decks, trees, or firewood supplies. Ants can also be a problem for gardeners, invading and ruining plants and destroying their roots.

One of the most common reasons people call pest control professionals is to deal with ant invasions. Ants account for more calls than any other pest. The species that are most troublesome to homeowners vary depending on the area of the country. For instance, red imported fire ants are a major pest in southern regions and carpenter ants are the most common in the Pacific Northwest.

Some natural ant repellents can be used as an alternative to chemical products, such as a sprinkle of black pepper or cayenne pepper. Also, essential oils can be used to effectively repel ants and other insects, including flies, fruit flies, stink bugs, and more. To use an essential oil as an ant repellent, mix a few drops with water and spray it on surfaces where the ants are most likely to be found.

Another natural ant killer is diatomaceous earth, which works by destroying the insect’s exoskeleton when they come into contact with it. The sharp edges of the silica granules are abrasive and cut up the insects, disrupting their digestive systems and killing them. Another long-term ant killer is borax, which is a white powdery substance made up of sodium, oxygen, and borate (its more processed form with other minerals added is called boric acid).

Cockroaches

Cockroaches are one of the most common household pests. Their droppings and saliva can contaminate food, utensils, and surfaces and may trigger asthma attacks in sensitive people. They can also leave behind musty odors in dark, damp areas of the home. They gnaw through organic materials, such as cardboard and fabric, which can lead to structural damage.

There are multiple types of cockroaches, but the most troublesome in homes are German cockroaches (Blattella germanica). Adults are light brown and about 1/2 inch long with two dark stripes running lengthwise along their backs. Their nymphs are smaller and darker with a tan stripe down the center of their backs. They can reproduce very quickly and can go from a single fertilized female to thousands of new roaches in just over a year.

The brown-brimmed cockroach (Blattella trivittata) is another common invader. Its body is light brown with a reddish-brown band on the pronotum, which is located behind the head. Like the German cockroach, it can reproduce rapidly and can quickly become a significant infestation problem.

Oriental cockroaches are similar to the brown-banded cockroach, but are darker in color and have a sheen on their bodies. They are found in homes and businesses, and like the other cockroaches, they can breed very quickly. They can be difficult to detect, as they hide during the day in damp, dark places such as basements, crawl spaces, garbage cans, and drains.

To keep cockroaches away, eliminate food sources by storing dry goods in airtight containers and keeping kitchen counters and appliances clean. Keep floors dry by sweeping and mopping regularly, and remove standing water with dehumidifiers. Seal cracks and crevices with caulk to prevent entry points into the home.

If you think you have a cockroach infestation, it’s important to contact a professional pest control company immediately. These experts know how to get rid of cockroaches and will implement safe and effective treatments, such as baits and sprays, that will kill adults and disrupt their reproductive cycle. You can also use a variety of prevention measures, such as caulking around the entry point to your house and installing mesh screens on your windows and doors.

Spiders

Spiders are carnivorous creatures that feed on insects. They can be found in many different habitats, including forests, wetlands, and homes. Spiders may bite people, and some types of spiders, such as the Black Widow or Brown Recluse, are poisonous. If you are bitten by one of these, seek medical help immediately.

The best way to prevent spiders is to keep your home as clean as possible, especially in the kitchen and bedroom. Clutter, piles of clothes and papers, and dusty corners are all attractive hiding places for spiders. Additionally, reducing the amount of other pests in your home will discourage spiders from seeking out a new food source.

Regularly vacuum and dust your home to remove webs and other debris. This will also prevent a buildup of odors that can attract spiders.

In addition, make sure that you regularly take out the trash and close the lids so that flies can’t enter. The same goes for putting away any foods that you haven’t used.

Lastly, seal any cracks, gaps, and openings in your home’s exterior and interior using caulking or weather stripping. This will also stop ants and other pests from entering your home.

Peppermint oil is a great natural repellent for spiders. You can add a few drops to a spray bottle of water and use it to spray around entry doors, window sills, and other trouble spots in your home. You can also place a few drops of essential oil on a cotton ball and place it where you think spiders are hiding, such as closets or other corners and crevices.

Another simple deterrent for spiders is to place chestnuts around your home. Spiders dislike the scent of chestnuts and will stay away from your house.

There are many steps that you can take to get rid of pests, and prevention is always the best strategy. However, if you need additional support, a professional pest control company can offer expert help. The team can assist with all of your pest control needs, from ant control to rodent removal. Contact us today for more information.