Are you struggling to control pests? Do you fear they’ll overrun your home? Do you want to find expert help, but don’t know where to look? Have no fear, this article is here! Chock full of great advice, this article will prime you to get those pests out of here.

Use hairspray to kill cockroaches. If you ever have a cockroach in your home and don’t have any bug killer on hand, try using an aerosol hairspray. It allows you to keep a significant distance between yourself and the roach, while being an effective means of suffocating and killing it.

Check to see if your refrigerator or pantry has any food items that are expiring soon or stale already. If you have food that is stale, it may attract not only bugs but maggots and flies as well. This is a messy problem that you will want to avoid at all costs.

Ask your exterminator what the risks of using their pesticides are. Everything comes with some level of risk, and some chemicals can be very dangerous for children or pets. If your exterminator is unsure you should find out before you let them proceed. It is definitely better to be safe than sorry.

Fix any leaks in your water system. That’s because water attracts pests. In fact, most pests can even sense water from far away. Don’t allow pests to invade your home because of a leak you can easily fix. Keep your home in good order to eliminate conditions that attract pests.

Before you attempt to get rid of any pests, you must identify them. Not knowing what kind of pests you’re dealing with can lead to using ineffective methods or methods that make the situation worse. By properly identifying the type of pests you’re dealing with, you can develop control measures that can get rid of them.

Put your pet’s food and water away at night. Pet food is a great meal for most insects and rodents. Having water next to it will only give them something to wet their mouth with. Putting the food and water away will not get rid of the pests, but it will at least reduce where they can get food from.

If rodents such as raccoons or skunks are tearing your garbage bags, set a trap where you usually leave your garbage. Attract the animal with a piece of meat and make sure the trap you use is large enough for the animals you have observed. If possible, release the animal in the woods instead of killing it.

If you have firewood, make sure that it is stored a decent amount of feet away from the house. Bugs will inhabit this wood, so you will want it as far away from the house as possible. Try to expel all the items that bugs will feast on from your home.

Make sure that all of your windows and doors have mesh screens. Make sure that all the screens are in securely and are repaired if necessary. Be sure to use a fine mesh for screens as this is a larger deterrent for pests. Check your door and window seals as well for any points of entry.

Pests love a cluttered house! The more stuff you have laying around on the floor or shoved into cupboards, the more places they have to hide and thrive. In order to eliminate this, a good idea is to go through your entire place a couple of times a year and getting rid of things you no longer need or use. The less things you have, the less things they have to hide in and under.

If you recycle, that might be something pests find attractive. You should store your recycling outside the house if you can. If you are unable to store your recyclables outside, rinse all containers before you put them in the recycle bin. Make sure your recycling container is sealable, as this minimizes the chance of a pest infestation.

Store blankets, sweaters, quilts and other bedding and garments in chests lined with cedar. The natural resin of cedar wood repels moths and other pests without harming fabrics. You can also use cedar hangers in your closet or place small planks of cedar in your drawers or storage containers for the same effect.

The cleaner your home is, the less likely you are to have bugs infest your home. Bugs actually feed off of the crumbs that are dropped on your floor or in your couch cushions. An unclean home is a perfect place for bugs and pests to breed and become out of control.

Trim (or even remove) any foliage or tree limbs that happen to be leaning onto your home. These limbs and wild brush act as exceptional climbing tools for bugs and rodents. It’s like having a ladder attached right to your home, a sure welcome sign for an infestation. Proper trimming can help keep these pests at bay.

If you have a humid home, deal with the problem quickly. Many pests like to eat wet wood, drywall or even the mold which grows there, and this can lead to major health problems. Have your humidity problems dealt with professional to ensure your home is safe to live in.

If you have children, you need to use pesticide on your lawn to prevent fire ants from hurting your children. Fire ants have been known to kill people who have an allergic reaction to their sting. At your local home-improvement store, you can find pellets to spread on your lawn to kill fire ants along with a host of other harmful insects.

Do you now know how to deal with your problem? Do you have the knowledge you need to get the job done? Do you have the confidence required as well? Great! With all of this in mind, you’ll tackle those pests and have the situation squared up in no time flat.