How to Get Rid of Bugs and Critters in and Around Your Home

Bugs and critters are all around outside. They are attracted to certain plants, flowers, food and water around the exteriors of our homes. If you live by a body of water, field, forest, nature preserve or new construction, they can be abundant. Bugs and critters find their way into homes looking for food, water, shelter and warmth. Here are a couple ideas for ridding your home of these pesky bugs and critters, depending on what they are and their level of infestation.

How to Get Rid of Smaller, Non-Poisonous or Non-Dangerous Bugs

Many ants, bees and species of spiders are small and not dangerous or poisonous. There are a few ways to get rid of these insects. Most stores carry bug spray that you can spray directly on the insects or around your home. If you are using a bug spray inside your home, be sure it is made for the interior as some sprays may be dangerous to you, pets and children. Many insects are good for the environment. So, before you kill them, keep that in mind.

There are natural ways to deter some bugs and insects from your home. An article on countryliving.com, 13 Natural Ways to Keep Pests Out of Your Home and Garden, has many helpful recommendations. For example, ants don't like citrus. Mosquitos are not fond of thyme and basil. If you see a few ants, bees, spiders or smaller insects in and around your home, you can try these do-it-yourself or natural ways to get rid of them. If you find that you have a bigger problem, or an infestation, it is likely time to call in the professionals. Ants can build nests inside the siding of your home. Bees can sting and build immense hives in your siding, under rafters, under decks and other similar places. Mosquitos can carry disease. Pest control services can evaluate how serious the problem is and recommend the correct level of service.

What to Do About Larger Insects, Critters and Birds

Mice, bats, raccoons, birds, possums, snakes, poisonous or larger spiders, squirrels and other critters can get into your home as well. Common places are attics, basements and crawl spaces. You may even see them running around in your home. If you see a mouse or mice droppings in or around your home, place a few mouse traps in the areas where you see them. This may do the trick. There are traps that kill the mice and there are traps that just capture them so you can let them go in a field.

If you see anything else, it is time to call in a pest control company. Critters, birds and small animals can carry diseases and can bite. Minimally, they are dirty. Pest control companies will set the correct traps with bait to capture the critters. They will clean out any debris or nesting the critters brought in with them. They will also disinfect the infestation areas. This is not a time for do-it-yourself or natural remedies. Professional services are highly recommended. An infestation of animals, birds and other critters can affect the home sale process and home value if you are selling your home.

If you see insects or critters in and around your home, it is best to act quickly. You don't want to worry about diseases from mosquitos or bats, such as Lyme disease and rabies, for example. You don't want wood-boring insects to damage your home or infestations to affect your home value. You don't want to be bit by insects or critters nor carrying germs and dirt into your home. Remember, a small problem left untreated can lead to a larger, more expensive problem in the future.