How to Keep Children Safe from Pests During the Winter Months

When you hear the word “pests,” rats, ants, spiders and other creepy crawlers come to mind. And they are not just an outdoor problem—these pests and others can get inside your house, into your cabinets and make themselves at home on your furniture. If you are a parent, it behooves you to know your pest control options and which ones work the best while minimizing your household’s exposure to the chemicals in pesticides.

You want to keep your children safe from pests and healthy this winter, but may not be sure where to start. Below are some tried and true ways to get rid of vermin without using pesticides.

Rodents

Rats and mice can carry diseases that are transmittable to other pests and children in Alaska. The simplest thing to do to keep rodents out of your house is eliminate their food supply. Wipe up crumbs from kitchen surfaces quickly, cover trash bins and store food in airtight containers. Other preventative measures include installing screens on doors and windows and sealing any other potential entry points. Set out traps instead of pesticides to deal with rodents that do gain entry. For safety’s sake, be sure to place traps out of reach of children and pets.

Cockroaches and ants

As soon as you notice an ant or roach problem inside your house, try to pinpoint their entry spots and seal them with weather-stripping or caulk. Like rodents, ants and roaches are drawn to easily-accessible food sources. Eliminate food sources by cleaning up spills and crumbs, rinsing dirty dishes, rinsing disposable food containers before throwing them away and storing your food and your pet’s food in air tight containers. Because these critters are also attracted to water inside homes, repair leaky pipes as soon as possible.

Try wiping up ants and ant trails using soapy paper towels before turning to pesticides. If you do need a stronger pest control option, use enclosed bait traps instead of sprays to avoid exposing kids to poisons.

Fleas

The most common way fleas get inside homes is on pets that spend time outside. When fleas are outside, they prefer dark places away from sunlight. Try blocking pets from playing in these areas of the yard. Keep grass and foliage cut short, flea comb pets on a regular basis, wash pet bedding and vacuum the house at least once a week.

Bed bugs

Bed bugs get brought into homes on clothing, furniture, bags and suitcases that have been in physical contact with an infested area. When traveling, watch your luggage for hitchhikers, but also check your hotel room for bugs before settling in. Ridding your home of bed bugs without the use of pesticides involves several steps. You’ll have to vacuum thoroughly, remove clutter, seal cracks and crevices and wash all clothing, towels and bedding in hot water. You may need to discard severely infested furniture, or contact a pest control specialist.

Preventing pests and protecting kids in Alaska is important all year round. Reach out to the team at Pied Piper Pest Control today to learn about effective pest control treatments for your specific situation.

Categorised in: Pest Prevention

This post was written by Writer