Give the Cold Shoulder to Pests

Give Pests the Cold Shoulder

Here are some simple housekeeping measures that will pull up the Welcome mat for pests:

• If you must leave dirty dishes overnight, rinse and part-fill them  with hot, soapy water.
• Try not to leave unwashed dishes in the dishwasher overnight.

• Clean up spills straight away, especially ones that will seep into soft furnishings and carpets.
• Rinse glass, metal and plastic containers before recycling.
• Store paper bags in a drawer, not sandwiched beside the refrigerator where they make a good hiding space for pests feeding on crumbs under the fridge.
• Pests need water so eliminate standing water such as in pot-plant saucers and in the pan under the fridge. Also ventilate your rooms to keep them dry and caulk leaking taps to prevent seepage into walls where pests can set up residence. Remember to empty your pet’s water bowl overnight too.
• Pull out heavy equipment like stoves, washing machines and fridges periodically and clean thoroughly underneath them.

Preventative measures like these are known in the trade as Integrated Pest Management. They will help see of pests before they even cross your threshold.

Source: http://www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/en/co/reho/reho_008.cfm