A clean, comfortable home is essential for daily living. But are pests lurking in dark spots you can’t see? In addition to unsanitary living conditions, household pests like the Aedes mosquito can cause serious Dengue and Zika symptoms like prolonged high fevers, joint pains, and headaches. Follow these pest prevention tips to keep unwanted visitors at bay!  

1. Remove Food Sources

Pests, such as ants and roaches, are usually attracted to food and water sources, so they’ll likely seek out unwashed dishes, food waste and even forgotten food bits in pantry cabinets. A useful pest prevention tip is to clean up food and water spills quickly, clear your trash regularly and do a quick vacuum or wipe down after you eat so you don’t leave crumbs for these pests!

2. Keep Spaces Clean, Tidy and Dry

Dark, damp areas are favourite lounging spots for pests. Here are some of the often-forgotten places in your home and how you can keep them pest-free:

• Underneath cabinets and sinks: Remove all items and scrub the entire area, focusing on hard-to-reach corners. Declutter your items so there are fewer hiding spots for pesky pests.

• Behind fridges: Mop up spills and fix any leaky plumbing to remove water sources

• Vases, pails, toothbrush holders and other containers with water: Remove stagnant water, wipe dry and keep them overturned

While other pests may need a larger area to breed, the Aedes mosquito only needs stagnant water the size of a 20-cent coin! Here’s a simple checklist to prevent mosquito breeding and keep your family protected:

3. Spray For Extra Protection

Once you’ve established a regular cleaning routine, pests are less likely to find your home desirable. Use these simple sprays for added pest prevention:

• Ants, roaches: Add lemon slices and a few drops of eucalyptus or peppermint essential oil into water and spray the mixture at possible hiding spots

• Lizards: Mix pepper and chilli powder into water and spray into corners

• Mosquitoes: Spray insecticide at dark corners around the house. Repellents containing DEET (N,N-diethyl-m-toluamide), picaridin or IR3535 as the active ingredient are the most effective in repelling mosquitoes.

4. Screen and Seal Entrances

Even in the cleanest of homes, it’s possible to find the occasional unwanted guest. Consider installing magnetic window screens that can obstruct the path of lizards and bugs, while keeping your homes ventilated. These strips can also be easily removable and cleaned.

Cracks and crevices on walls, ceilings and along ledges can help with pest prevention, so seal up all possible areas of entry using silicone sealants to keep your homes truly pest-proof!

For more tips on home maintenance, check out the latest reads or refer to our guide getting the basics of maintaining your flat right!