If you avoid going in your basement because it's dark, musty, and spider-infested, it sounds like your home could use pest control treatments. Professional pest control treatments are more effective when they're combined with other measures, such as sealing cracks and making your home less hospitable to pests. Here are some steps for eliminating pests in your basement.
Get The Basement Ready For Pest Treatments
Before you call a residential pest control service for help, clean up your basement so the treatments can be more effective. The pest control service might offer suggestions for things you can do to prepare for their visit. For instance, you may need to dry and declutter the space since bugs are drawn to dampness and paper clutter.
If you have clothes or papers stored in the basement, consider sealing them in totes that snap shut. Pests like silverfish are attracted to cardboard, books, and newspapers, so denying them access cuts off their breeding and grazing grounds.
If your basement has a musty odor, it probably has a dampness problem. If your basement doesn't leak, the problem might be condensation. Try wrapping exposed pipes in insulation and running a dehumidifier to get rid of dampness that attracts roaches and termites.
Seal Cracks That Let Bugs Inside
Bugs and spiders are so small, they can get inside your home easily if you don't go around and seal all the cracks and gaps in the siding and foundation. Since your basement is under the ground, you want to seal cracks to keep out water and bugs too.
A pest control service might help with sealing your home if you're not able to do the job yourself. Ask if they provide exclusion services if you'd rather let a professional seal your home to keep bugs and rodents out.
Have Pest Control Treatments On Schedule
When you have professional pest treatments on a monthly, bi-monthly, or quarterly schedule, you may find you rarely see bugs in your house anymore. That might tempt you to cancel your regular treatments, but that could allow bugs to return. One reason regular treatments are effective is that the pesticides used have a residual effect that keeps working for weeks.
Even if you have treatments on schedule, you might still need an occasional booster treatment if you get an infestation of fleas, bed bugs, or other pests. Pest problems can vary every year depending on the weather conditions and other factors in your home.
By staying flexible with your pest control treatments and never getting lax about warding off bugs, you can at least be ready to fight an infestation and reduce the risk of them occurring. Then you'll be able to go in your basement without fear of running into a spider or seeing a roach scurry across the floor.
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