Six helpful tips to avoid household pests

Everyone knows the frustration of finding a line of sneaky ants across the kitchen floor or creepy crawly spiders setting up camp in the corners—or worse! Today we’ll discuss a few simple tips to help discourage those pests without disturbing the household or introducing potentially harmful chemicals.

1. If possible, restrict eating to the kitchen and dining room to keep food crumbs and containers limited to a smaller area and out of carpeted rooms. Try to stress the importance of this to everyone in the household to get them on-board, children especially!

2. Establish a sweeping/mopping/vacuuming schedule on a weekly basis and clean up any spills before they become sticky and difficult, especially sugary drinks like soda or juice.

3. Keep an eye on pet dishes and eating areas and try to regularly wipe them down, especially for pets that get canned food. Keep all pet food in a cool, dry space in the pantry in an air-tight container.

4. That goes for people dishes, too! Try not to leave things waiting in and around the sink for too long after a meal. Take a few seconds to rinse or hand wash them or fill them with soapy water and soak them for the necessary amount of time.

5. Did you know that arachnids have an aversion to certain scents? Or at least 10,000 Pinterest posts maintain that they do. Find a few citrus scented room sprays or make up your own homemade citrus/lemon spray to spritz around corners and under furniture that’s hard to access for cleaning. Not only will it give the room a fresh, zesty smell but it’ll send those creepy crawlers packing! Be cautious with essential oils if you decide to give those a try as some of them can be toxic to pets. Make sure to do your research to keep fluffy friends safe!

6. If you notice an infestation that you feel is beyond your control or you have any questions or concerns, please submit a work order through the Tenant Portal or call (866)995-5772 to arrange for a professional to be sent to your unit. We’re always here to help!