Your home can make a great home for pests if you’re not careful, so it’s important to do everything you can to keep them away. Your kitchen is especially vulnerable to both bugs and rodents. Fortunately, there are numerous precautions you can take to substantially reduce the likelihood of having pests invade your kitchen. Here are some ways you and professional home pest control in Anchorage, Alaska, can keep pests out of your kitchen.
Don’t Let Dishes Pile Up
Even the most vigilant clean freak occasionally leaves dirty dishes in the sink, and this might be okay to do once in a while. Unfortunately, leaving dirty dishes in the sink or around the kitchen often can quickly attract all sorts of pests. If you don’t have the time or energy to do the dishes some evenings, try to at least rinse the food off the dishes and load as much as you can into the dishwasher.
Use Sealable Food Containers
Another way to help keep pests out of your kitchen is to purchase foods in cans or resealable packaging or to use your own sealable containers to store food. Food is safer in jars or cans, but rodents will also have difficulty chewing through heavy-duty canisters, so store things like cereal or other foods that typically come in cardboard boxes or plastic sacks in something more substantial that can be sealed.
Take Out Trash Quickly
The trash is also an open invitation to pests. Make sure you take out the trash when it’s full, and if possible, use a garbage can with a lid. Periodically check the inside of the garbage can for any leaks for food spills that may have gotten through a trash liner so that you can clean the garbage can as needed.
Sweep Frequently
Sweeping after every meal may seem tedious, but it can go a long way toward keeping both rodents and bugs out of your home. In addition to the obvious crumbs and food scraps that fall on the floor, check the floor and shelves of your pantry, as well as inside the cupboards. Periodically wipe up crumbs in these areas as well.
Utilize Refrigerator More
Your refrigerator is a great way to store food, even if it doesn’t necessarily need to stay cold. It’s much more difficult for pests to make their way into the fridge or freezer, and you can store food like breads, cereals, and other dry goods in the freezer without the taste being affected. In some cases, it can help your food last longer, too.
Clean Up Spills
It’s important to clean up food spills on the floor, countertops, and shelves. But one thing some homeowners overlook is that many pests come into your home looking for water. Make sure water spills or leaks from the sink or in-door refrigerator water dispensers are repaired so that you don’t have excess water around the kitchen.
Get Professional Help
Finally, utilize the help of a pest control service in Anchorage, Alaska. They can do an inspection of your kitchen, as well as the rest of your home, and find areas of weakness that need to be addressed, like holes or cracks that could allow pests into your home. They can also provide treatments to take care of any existing problems and provide monitoring to ensure infestations are kept at bay and that your family is safe from future pest problems. To schedule your appointment, contact American Pest Management today.