MOORESVILLE, N.C., Spring is almost here. With warmer weather coming and anticipation of longer days ahead, now is the ideal time to pay attention to the often overlooked storage areas in and around your home that can attract pests, and cause health concerns as the season changes.
And, with the coronavirus (COVID-19) rapidly declining, refreshing your non-living spaces couldn’t be more timely. In 2020 the average homeowner had 57% more food in the home and by 2022 continue to 16.1% more food (according to USDA) and valuables in storage that can act like a magnet for uninvited “guests”.
In the past two years our lives have changed. We have all been stocking up on pantry and household staples and preparing more meals at home than ever before. Maybe you even adopted a pet – 23 million American households did – that’s nearly 1 in 5 nationwide who now have pet food in storage, or there’s a stack of empty cardboard boxes in the garage from all the online orders that have been delivered; both of which makes you even more susceptible to a pest infestation.
All these things, unfortunately, create the ideal habitat for destructive rodents and asthma triggering pests to reproduce. To make matters worse, once they’ve inhabited your dwellings, it can be almost impossible to get rid of them without calling an expensive exterminator.
According to Kari Warberg Block, Pest Prevention Expert and CEO/Founder of EarthKind, “That’s why you must purge with a purpose to deter pests. Simply throwing trash on the curb isn’t quite enough. Taking a more proactive approach is required to prevent an infestation and keep your home’s health in check. Without a reminder on my calendar, even I forget to check the pest-prone areas like cupboards, closets, attics, garden sheds, and lawn furniture bins. Spring is the ideal time to utilize a checklist to prevent an infestation, plus freshen and protect your homes pest prone areas with EarthKind’s Stay Away® essential oil-based pouches.”
In addition to these CDC home cleaning recommendations, consider the following tips from Kari to help prevent stressful, messy, and often expensive spring pest infestations:
Clean up the storage and feeding areas where traces of pet food may be present. This will eliminate attractants that can lure pantry moths, ants, and mice into the space. Dog food is the # 1 rodent attractant.
Transfer dry food into airtight glass, metal, or plastic containers to protect it from moths, weevils, small beetles, and Springtime humidity that contributes to larvae hatching
Look closely to identify tiny cracks in the walls, windows, doors, and around plumbing and electrical wires. Seal them with silicone caulking or weatherstrip so rodents and pests can’t get in.
Fix any leaks. A leaky faucet or water seeping under a sink can encourage critters like ants, mice, and cockroaches to come in and quickly reproduce before you even know it.
Spray the insides of your dresser or wardrobe with a vinegar-based cleaner. Then wash it with a warm soap solution. Remove any drawers before you begin cleaning. The gap between the wardrobe wall and the shelves is a moth’s favorite place to hide.
Move the furniture and appliances – these are common harborage areas because we tend to miss them with our weekly vacuuming or swiffering. This is especially important if someone in the home has asthma, as dust and dander are common triggers for asthma.
Clean up high, down below, behind, and underneath all areas to get rid of cobwebs and dust. Pests often travel along these areas to move about unseen.
Clean out the garden shed, pool house, crawl space, or garage where BBQ grills, lawn furniture, toys, and spring seeds may be stored. Mice especially love these areas when there are wires to gnaw on, cushions to use for bedding, and seeds or food debris for nourishment.
Replace pest traps around the home with EarthKind’s Stay Away® repellents, if you would prefer to keep pests out from the start, rather than luring them in with an attractant, then having to dispose of the dead bodies.
Earthkind’s plant-based, poison-free pest repellents, for Rodents, Ants, Cockroaches, Moths, and Spiders are made with scientifically proven botanical formulas, and come with a 100% satisfaction guarantee.
Taking a naturally smarter® approach that includes expert advice and botanical solutions will help reduce a homeowners’ exposure to pests that can carry bacteria, parasites, and pathogens triggering serious health risks, allergies, and/or asthma symptoms.
Spring is in the air. Let the clean-up begin to naturally protect your home and the environment as the season starts to bloom.
About EarthKind®
EarthKind® is the leading pest prevention brand with a mission to reduce toxic pesticide use in homes and businesses by making it radically easier to keep pests out without having to kill or poison them. EarthKind’s® 100% guaranteed, top-rated, solutions are produced using ingredients grown on US farms, made by handicapable citizens who care, and formulated to protect your stored valuables without harm to natures delicate ecosystems, or your family’s health. EarthKind® is a is a woman owned, Carbon Neutral company.
This article was shared with Prittle Prattle News as a Press Release by PRNewswire.
