Spring cleaning is a practice that dates back thousands of years, where people would clean the fireplace soot from their homes, dust off the rugs and bedding and start opening up the windows to let in the warm, fresh air. The practice of performing a thorough cleaning following the cold months of winter has continued into the modern age.
If you’re making preparations for a big spring clean, you’ll want to add pest control to your ‘to-do’ list. Spring is the best time to do pest control and it signifies the start of the pest control season. How often you should do pest control is really up to you, but ask your pest control expert for advice on this.
It’s not only the home that gets a thorough spring clean. Commercial enterprises often perform a spring clean and should consider this to be the best time to do pest control as well.
Now that pest control season and spring cleaning season are almost upon us, let’s take a look at a guide on including pest control in your spring cleaning routine.
The Most Common Spring Pests
How often you should do pest control depends on just how many pests are invading your home. We all know that spring is a time of the year when everything comes to life and thrives; it’s the same with household pests.
The most common spring pests, particularly in Queensland, are the usual suspects. Spring is also prime breeding time, so it’s the best time to do pest control. Ants tend to run rampant around the home or business come spring, signifying the start of pest control season. Cockroaches will also come out of hiding and start proliferating as soon as the weather warms up, and so will mice and rats. Silverfish are also a known problem in spring and we all know that flies are going to be invading your space as well.
Of course, household pests are not limited to what lurks inside the home, as the yard is also a haven for numerous pests, such as fleas and ticks, snails, wasps, spiders, annoying mosquitoes, beetles, moths, termites and more.
Another ‘pest’ to consider are bees. While bees play a vital role in our ecosystem, you won’t want bees establishing hives in your yard or place of business. Bees not only inflict a painful sting on both people and pets, but some people have an allergy to bee stings presenting a serious health risk. Severe bee infestations can also cause damage to property due to the sheer weight of numbers and the hive itself.
Signs of a Pest Infestation
As spring is the best time to do pest control, you’ll want to include searching for signs of pest infestation in and around your home as you map out your spring cleaning agenda and routine. With this in mind, let’s cover some things you should look out for:
Rodents
Rats and mice will leave behind droppings. They also shred paper and materials for nest building. Other obvious signs rodents are present are chew marks on furniture, holes burrowed through the walls and the sound of scratching behind the walls or in the ceiling.
Flies and Mosquitoes
It will be painfully obvious if your home is being invaded by these flying pests, as they’re not shy about making their presence known.
Cockroaches
Cockroaches love kitchens and bathrooms, as there is food and water in plentiful supply. Apart from visually spotting roaches, other signs of their presence include droppings, egg cases, signs of feeding and gnawing in the pantry, odd smells and strange smears on surfaces. How often you should do pest control is sometimes dictated by cockroach infestations.
Silverfish
Silverfish enjoy feeding on material, putting your clothing and linen at risk. Apart from spotting silverfish hiding in wardrobes and drawers, they also leave behind silver smears and small droppings that look like pepper. Unexplained holes in your clothing are a definite indicator that silverfish are present.
Termites
If termites are present in and around your home, it’s time for a termite inspection. Some things to look out for include wood that sounds hollow, peeling paint on the walls, small mounds of sawdust, a musky smell, chewing/scratching sounds inside the walls and mud tubes below the house and around the foundations.
Ants
Like flies and mosquitoes, the presence of an ant infestation will be very obvious, as they will be crawling around everywhere, especially in the kitchen. However, the location of their actual nest can be much harder to find. Often, the best time to do pest control is when you need a professional service to locate and destroy an ant’s nest inside or outside your home or business.
Spring Cleaning Pest Prevention Tips
If you do spring cleaning and deep cleaning regularly, no doubt you would already be familiar with the best tips and advice to get things done, but what about pest prevention tips as part of your spring cleaning regime? Let’s look at some things you can do to help prevent pests this pest control season.
Remove Clutter
As you’re going about cleaning and rearranging, make a point of being harsh on any clutter you’ve allowed to build up in your home. Many household pests, whether it be rodents or roaches, love having places to hide. The more clutter you have, the more hiding spots you’re creating.
Reduce Sources of Moisture
As you go about your duties, check kitchens, bathrooms and the laundry for any water leaks. This includes inspecting pipes under the sinks and inside cabinets. Pests thrive in areas where water is readily available.
Fly Screens
While you remove and clean fly screens and screen doors, check for holes and replace any screens that are damaged.
Seal Entry Points
Check for gaps or holes anywhere around doors and windows, air conditioners and so on. Seal up these potential pest entry points to prevent critters from getting inside.
Make That Pantry Spotless
During your spring clean, it’s a wise idea to remove everything from the pantry so you can give it a thorough clean. Also, consider storing all food in glass or plastic containers and avoid keeping food in boxes or plastic bags. Do the same with any cupboard where food is stored.
Only Use Bins With Lids
Having garbage bins open around the home is like sending an open invitation for pests to come and feast. Only use bins fitted with a snug lid to deter pests and keep them away from garbage.
Arrange Professional Pest Control
As spring cleaning time is the best time to do pest control, book an appointment with your pest control technician to come around to perform a general inspection and administer pest control.
Garden Maintenance
Mow the lawns and weed those garden beds. Trim trees and shrubs and get rid of lawn clippings and other debris as soon as possible.
Book an Inspection with Blue Chip Termite & Pest Control
Contact Blue Chip Termite & Pest Control for your spring pest control. Now is the best time to do pest control and we’ll even advise you on how often you should do pest control. Talk to our expert staff today and prepare your home or business for the summer ahead.