Regardless of whether you live in a suburban neighborhood or a more rural location, trash is attractive to animals. Many homeowners can wake up to their bins flipped over, bags ripped open and bits of trash strewn about their lawn. It's an incredibly annoying problem that can be embarrassing as well as unsanitary.
Frequently, raccoons are the culprits of these garbage robberies. North American raccoons are particularly troublesome in the spring and summer when they gorge themselves in preparation for the colder months. Many people turn to pest control experts for help to rid their home of these furry pests, especially when the messy trash starts to attract additional unwanted guests like rats, pigeons and cockroaches.
Luckily, there are steps that homeowners can take to avoid a raccoon problem from developing in the first place. Here are a few helpful things that most people can do to prevent raccoons from turning their yard into a landfill.
When you can't avoid leaving the trash cans out by the road, the best thing to do is add a deterrent for your furry pests. Yankee Magazine told one rural resident to leave an old radio out playing music near the trash. The noise will scare away the raccoons until the waste management company comes in the morning. In the situation the magazine described, the raccoons did steal the radio, so anchor it well to the cans. Also, this may not be respectful in a closely developed neighborhood.
Raccoons getting into the trash isn't a new issue, so thankfully others have already tried to tackle the problem. There are a slew of specially made garbage lids that are resistant to raccoons and other rodents. If you're not looking to invest in specialty garbage lids, consider using bungee cords and large elastic bands to hold down the lid from raccoon paws. Of course, if you do seal the lids with cords, rope or weights, make sure that it won't be inconvenient for the waste management company in the morning.
The simplest solution to pesky raccoons may be to keep your trash inside until it's collected. Try to store your garbage inside a lockable area like a garage or shed. However, if these places are not secure, storing your trash there will only attract more raccoon attention and require the use of pest control services.
You probably already know that most people are repulsed by the simple sight of cockroaches. If you are personally dealing with a cockroach infestation, the feelings of disgust are probably even more intense. Unfortunately, the cold winter weather tends to be one of the reasons this pest ends up in your home in the first place, according to Any Pest. While you may know that you don't want to share your home with cockroaches this winter, there are a number of interesting facts about this pest that you've probably never heard.
Because of the high amount of traffic and the versatility of the facilities, pests are naturally attracted to long-term care institutions. Many nursing homes, rehabilitation centers and other care facilities include on-site kitchens and cafeterias as well as private rooms and common spaces. All of these places are susceptible to attracting pests because of the presence of food, water and viable habitats.
During the summer months, some people love to go camping with family and friends. Yet this fun trip can be ruined with a few unwanted visitors, most notably different types of bugs. Crawling spiders, hungry mosquitoes and buzzing flies can become annoying quickly. How can you avoid these pests when you're outdoors? Consider these tips to keep bugs out of your campsite.
Carpenter ants can chew through the strongest studs and stringers in a house as they hollow the wooden beams out for nesting. The resulting damage can weaken the home's structural support and require expensive repairs. Professional pest control workers can remove a colony of ants, but the best practice for homeowners is to learn the best ways to keep out an ant colony and prevent the problem before it begins.
As the weather cools, you'll probably see fewer pests than you did during the warmer months, but that doesn't mean they're all gone just yet. Some insects can actually come out in full force during the autumn, while others might seek refuge in your warm home. Here are some key tips to keep in mind as fall gets underway:
As the middle of summer approaches, you need to be vigilant about keeping your garden free of pests. Many insects breed during the summertime, which means they're on the lookout for great places to lay their eggs. For many bugs, that means near a source of food. In fact, some species of insects will lay their eggs inside budding vegetables and fruit so their larvae have something to eat as soon as they hatch. That's why you have to keep harmful bugs out without damaging the bugs that could help you, such as bumble bees.
You might have noticed that, with the exception of the kitchen, you find more pests in your bathroom than in the rest of your home. This is because insects and rodents see the bathroom as a convenient watering hole. Pests love leaky pipes and standing water because these offer them a hydrating oasis in the otherwise dry biome that is your house or apartment. And if your bathroom develops mold, all the better for pests, who may eat fungus or use it to lay their eggs.
The kitchen is largest gathering place for pests in a residential home. The reason is simple: pests can grab a bite to eat and take a sip of water while they're here. And when they find such a bountiful place, they will return home to their nests and report the finding - before you know it, your whole pantry is a buffet for ants! The problem could get even worse if a piece of food falls somewhere and begins to rot. Similarly, fruit and vegetables you bring into your home may be harboring unseen pests waiting to hatch.
