27 Easy Tricks To Protect Your Maryland Home From Pests

01/30/2021

Home Pest Control   

Although it may sound a bit dramatic, your house is under the threat of a pest infestation 12 months out of the year. The pests that try to get inside may change from season to season, but Maryland doesn’t have an “off-season” when it comes to pests.

If you are concerned about your Maryland home becoming the next home for spiders, ants, rodents, termites, or any other common local pest, you have good reason to be. There are many ways that pests can find their way into an unprotected home. Luckily, being concerned about pests is the first step in preventing them. Once you realize your house could end up with a pest infestation, you are ready to take action to prevent just such an occurrence.

At American Pest, we recognize that pest protection and prevention doesn’t only involve having a treatment performed by our knowledgeable technicians. There are many things homeowners can do to keep your home uninviting to the many pests that may want to move in or take up residence right outside your door.

That’s why we’ve put together these easy tricks to protect your Maryland home from pests. You can do these tasks on your own, and they will go a long way in protecting your home from the many pests that threaten it.

Pests That Are Most Likely To Infest Your Maryland Home
Before diving right into the helpful tips, let’s take a moment to identify the types of pests that are most common in our area.

Ants

Many species of ants can get into your Maryland home. Many are simply a nuisance. You may find them all over the place, but they won’t cause any more harm than potentially contaminating some food.

Other species of ants are more than a nuisance. Carpenter ants will create tunnels in the wooden structures in your home, causing damage that can eventually lead to structural problems. Pharaoh ants, they can spread harmful bacteria such as salmonellosis, staphylococcus, clostridium, and streptococcus.

Regardless of which type of ant gets into your house, you don’t want to let them stay. They will cause you a lot of frustration, as well as a loss of money through wasted food that you have to throw away. If you have carpenter ants, you may have costly repairs to make, and if you have pharaoh ants, you could end up sick or with sick family members.

Cockroaches

No one likes cockroaches, and there are good reasons for this. These pests aren’t just unsettling to look at, they also cause a lot of problems when they get into a home setting. Cockroaches spread dangerous pathogens wherever they go. When they get into your house, these places can include your countertops, food prep areas, bathrooms, or even your toothbrushes.

Not only are cockroaches linked to the spread of over 30 types of illnesses, but they are also responsible for triggering allergy and asthma symptoms in people. They are very difficult to kill and are very good at hiding, making it even more difficult to fully eliminate an infestation.

Mosquitoes

Although you aren’t likely to end up with a mosquito infestation inside your house, it’s quite likely that you’ll end up with one in your yard. Mosquitoes thrive in hot, humid climates and can be a major annoyance during Maryland’s hot summers.

In addition to getting bitten any time you step outside, you also risk contracting a serious illness when you encounter a mosquito. These tiny pests are responsible for spreading the West Nile virus, Zika virus, yellow fever, malaria, and more.

Occasional Invaders

Occasional invaders are pests that typically only show up in your house at certain times of the year. These include spiders, ladybird beetles, silverfish, earwigs, and more. They often come inside to get out of the heat or the cold, or in search of food or water.

Most of these pests are harmless, but they can indicate that you have another pest problem. For example, if spiders get into your house, they often do so because you have other pests that they can eat. They will also overwinter in your walls, then reemerge in the spring.

Rodents

Rodents are one of the most common pests to have in your Maryland home, and they are also one of the most dangerous and destructive. Rodents will spread various illness-causing germs throughout your house and damage walls, insulation, wiring, and more.

Often getting into your home in the fall and winter while looking for warm shelter, rodents will quickly grow their ranks as they begin to reproduce in the area they chose to nest. This out of the way location can often be hard to reach, making elimination even more difficult.

Termites

Termites are a pest you may never lay eyes on, but they will cause significant damage to your Maryland house if they are allowed to get inside. Because most can’t tolerate sunlight, they stay hidden in the ground or within your walls. They feed on cellulose and will dig tunnels through the wooden elements of your house as they eat and live there.

Termite infestations can go unnoticed for long periods of time, allowing the damage to grow extensive before becoming obvious. Unfortunately, if left too long, this damage can threaten the structural integrity of your home.

Nine Pest Prevention Tips For Inside Your Maryland Home

The type of pest you are likely to end up battling in July is different from the pest that might show up in your house in January making year-round prevention essential if you want to avoid a pest infestation of any kind.

Preventing pests can seem like an overwhelming task. How can you possibly keep them all out? You must tackle the interior and exterior of your home to ensure that pests aren't a problem. Here are some tips and tricks to protect your Maryland home:

• Inside your house, start by doing a deep clean. This helps clear out clutter, debris, and other items that may attract pests or help them find easy shelter or food once inside your house.

• During your deep clean, be sure to move appliances and clean behind and under them. Food items can fall behind or get trapped in these locations and are often forgotten, but provide nourishment for pests.

• Don’t forget about closets, basements, and attics where clutter is often discarded and accumulates.

• In your kitchen and pantry, store food in airtight containers or the refrigerator. Do not leave food out on the counter.

• After each meal or snack, wipe down your countertops to remove crumbs. Clean all dirty dishes or place them immediately in the dishwasher instead of leaving them in the sink.

• Sweep and vacuum regularly.

• Remove the trash regularly.

• Check your pipes and plumbing now and then to look for leaks or drippy faucets.

• Make sure your house has proper ventilation and that none of your rooms are too high in humidity. If you do have high humidity, use dehumidifiers to rectify the problem.

18 Pest Prevention Tips For Outside Your Maryland Home

Although implementing habits in your house to prevent pests is vital in maintaining a pest-free home, your efforts can’t stop there. The vast majority of pests get into your house by first coming into your yard. Because of this, even if you’ve done everything in your power to make the inside of your house unwelcoming to pests, you'll still end up with pest problems if you don't address the exterior of your home. They’ll either be a major problem in your yard, or they’ll still end up inside in hopes of finding food, water, or shelter.

To make the outside of your house, your landscaping, and your yard unattractive to pests, follow these simple prevention tips:

• Clear debris from your lawn, including branches, twigs, leaves, and other items that may have ended up there.
• Clean out clutter and debris that has collected behind outbuildings and in other corners of your property.
• Keep your grass trimmed low.
• Store firewood in a location that is not right near your house. Keep it covered if possible.
• Consider removing landscaping elements like rock walls that can easily harbor pests.
• Keep shrubs, bushes, and trees trimmed so that they do not come in contact with your house and so that excess water or moisture doesn’t gather below them.
• Remove items from your property that collect water when it rains, such as plant pots, children’s toys, and birdbaths.
• Clean your gutters regularly so they don’t become clogged.
• Make sure your drainage system works well and leads water away from your house, not towards it.
• Check your water spigots to make sure they don’t leak or drip.
• Keep tightly fitting lids on your outdoor garbage containers.
• Remove bird feeders and outdoor pet food dishes to diminish food sources.
• If you eat outdoors, make sure to clean up thoroughly afterward so scraps and crumbs aren’t left behind.
• Repair damaged weather stripping on all exterior doors of your house.
• Fill or fix any gaps around the windows in your house.
• Fill or fix all cracks, crevices, gaps, and holes in your foundation.
• Repair damaged siding and roof shingles.
• Place wire mesh over openings on downspouts, vents, and other areas.

What To Do If You Still End Up With Pests In Your Maryland Home

Despite all of your best efforts, sometimes pests still find a way to get into your Maryland home. Don’t despair! Just because they won the battle doesn’t mean they’ll win the war. You can have a pest-free home, and the best way to accomplish this goal is to enlist the help of American Pest.

For nearly 100 years, American Pest has been solving pest problems for Maryland homeowners. We are not only experts at eliminating active pest infestations, but we are also skilled in preventing infestations in the future. For non-stop pest protection, our on-going pest control services are the best way to stop pest problems from developing in your house, no matter the season.

We’ll work with you to develop a pest control plan that works all year long to protect your house from the pests that try to get inside during each season of the year. Because we know that no two homes are exactly alike and no two families have the same needs, we offer a variety of home pest control plans to meet your needs and budget.

Let the experts at American Pest get rid of the pests in and around your house and prevent new ones from getting inside. Our services are safe, effective, and include our pest-free guarantee. Your Maryland home can be fully protected from pests. Contact American Pest to get started today.