Most Missouri Springs homeowners do not realize they are training the local pests. If your home provides a steady supply of food and water, they will learn to come back every single day.
You do not want your house to feel welcoming to pests that cause harm to your health. If an animal finds a safe and warm spot, it will mark that spot for its friends. You might think you are just being a little messy, but to a pest, you are being a great host.
Call a Pointe Pest Control and get an audit done for your house today!
Providing a 24-Hour Buffet for Local Ants
The first way you condition pests is by placing food in the same location every day. When you put a bowl of pet food on the floor and leave it overnight, you are practically inviting the ants. They do not even need to work hard to get a meal in the wild.
Even if you clean up later, the ants have now memorised the path to good food. The pests know that your house is the ideal place to have a snack. A stable food supply is an attraction in an otherwise arid town such as Missouri Springs.
That is why it is important to ensure that all food is contained in tight storage and that no food is left outside after the sun sets.
The “Open Door” Policy During Beautiful Spring Days
Missouri Springs has amazing weather, particularly during spring and fall. You may be tempted to keep the back door open and allow the mountain air to pass through the house. But while you are enjoying the breeze, you are telling pests that your home has no walls. They learn that they can walk right into your living room whenever the sun is out.
And when you do this every afternoon, the pests will wait in the shade of the doorway for it to open. That is why most homeowners are surprised by a sharp increase in the activity of bugs during the “good” seasons of the year.
Teaching Pests to Drink from Your Foundation
The pests require water as much as they need food. When you have a leaky outside faucet or a sprinkler that sprays your siding, you are telling pests that your house is a “watering hole.” In the dry air of the Pikes Peak region, moisture is very valuable.
Pests like crickets and centipedes will learn to huddle near your foundation to stay damp. They view your house as a giant oasis in the middle of a dry desert.
Pests are masters at tracking water. They will follow the moisture from the wet mud outside directly into the small cracks of your foundation, eventually settling into your basement or crawl space. Without realizing it, you are conditioning them to live right inside your home.
Stacking Hidden Hotels Against Your Siding
Many people in the Springs like to keep their yards tidy by stacking firewood or plastic storage bins. In case such items are piled directly against the house, they form a safe habitat for pests. You are training mice and spiders that your siding is such a safe place to hide from the wind. They get to know that the shadows of your clutter are a protection.
They make a base camp on the woodpile and search your vents and window seals. And when they are settled in the wood pile, they will at last endeavor to make their way through the warmer walls of your home.
Claim Your Home!
It is depressing to know that your day-to-day activities may be benefiting the bugs. A safe and hygienic house is where you can relax without any undesired visitors.
A reputable pest control company, such as Pointe Pest Control, can help you stop the “training” cycle. They know exactly where to find the hidden paths and the food sources that attract local pests. Schedule an inspection today.
