January 04, 2024

10 Proactive Pest Control Tips For Edinburg

Edinburg’s vibrant culture makes it a beautiful place to live in South Texas’ Rio Grande Valley. But its warm weather also makes it a haven for pests like termites, roaches, mosquitoes and ants. These creatures can quickly interfere with your daily life and even cause damage to your property. Instead of waiting for bugs to take over your home before you deal with them, stop them in their tracks with proactive pest control. Here are 10 of our top tips. 

Inspect your property regularly

Don’t wait until you see ants marching across your counters or termite damage in your walls before you call in pest control support. Look for the following: 

• Cracks or holes in your foundation or walls where pests could enter your home
• Droppings indicative of pests
• Property damage such as signs of chewing or tunneling
• Nests where critters could be hunkering down

You should inspect your property at least once a year. In order to catch every sign of unwelcome visitors, you should consider hiring a professional (Esparza is happy to help!), so you catch problems as soon as possible.

Close entry points to your home

You don’t keep your front door open because you do not want to invite unwelcome guests into your home. Do not keep the “front door” open for pests, either. If your annual inspection reveals potential cracks, holes, tunnels, or other entry points for critters, it is time to seal them off. You can do this work yourself, but you may find that it gets done more thoroughly, and with less stress, if you hire a professional. At Esparza Pest Control, we are happy to help you identify and address areas where bugs may be finding entry into your space. 

Remove all food sources

Pests often enter a home because they are hungry. If you make your home a place that is barren of accessible food for bugs and critters, you are less likely to have a pest problem to begin with. Here are some tips for making sure you remove potential food sources from your home: 

• Keep your counters clean and wiped down. 
• Vacuum and sweep regularly. 
• Empty the trash. 
• Store food in airtight containers. 
• Store pet food in airtight containers. 

Embrace natural pest deterrents

Removing food that critters want to eat is an important first step in proactively keeping them off your property. A second step is to install natural pest deterrents in and around your home. Here are some ideas: 

• Place bags of clove or spray clove oil to deter ladybugs.
• Bait ants with cornmeal (They cannot digest it.).
• Place banana peels under the soil in your garden to deter aphids. 
• Use coffee grounds around the outside of your property to keep pests away. 
• Create apple cider vinegar traps for fruit flies.

Seal gaps in your home

In addition to addressing cracks and holes in your home, you should look for and seal off gaps in your home that could be welcoming pests. Here are some ideas for where to look, and how to treat them: 

• Repair screens.
• Replace worn-out weather stripping.
• Spray 1 part vinegar and 3 parts water where you see ants to eliminate their scent trails. 
• Check the dryer seal between the machine and the wall. 
• Place a chimney cap and screen. 

Wash seasonal clothes before wearing

Changing wardrobes throughout the year is a common habit. However, pests may have found your stored clothing to be a cozy place to set up a home during the off season. In order to keep from inadvertently bringing them into the main living areas of your home, wash your clothing before you wear them for the first time in the spring or winter. 

Clean your gutters and vents

Gutters and vents should be kept clean for a number of reasons, one of which is proactive pest control. If you live in the Edinburg area, pests may find full gutters and dusty vents to be a comfortable place to live or an easy road into your home. For example, mosquitoes may use stagnant water in your gutters to lay their eggs. Vents provide a warm place to live for some bugs. Cleaning your gutters and vents removes any existing pests and makes these areas less welcoming to those that might try to come in later. 

Trim your landscaping

Sometimes, overgrown landscaping can provide a road between your plants and your home. For example, a tree that is growing close to your home may make it easy for squirrels or pests to crawl over to your roof and into your attic. Bushes or shrubs that grow against your siding make it easy for ants to crawl into your home. Keeping bushes, trees, shrubs and flowers neat and trimmed back from your home can make getting into your home more difficult for these unwelcome guests. 

Reduce stagnant water around your property

Stagnant water, even small amounts, can serve as a breeding ground for pests. Make sure you remove any and every source of this water from your yard and property. Here are some common places for you to look: 

• Uneven areas in the lawn where water pools
• Clogged gutters
• Standing pots 
• Leaks

Hire a reliable pest control company

You do not have to wait until you have a pest infestation to hire professional help. Many companies, like Esparza Pest Control, offer periodic and preventative services that help you keep pests at bay. 

When looking for the right company, make sure you hire businesses that come with strong reviews, years of experience, non-toxic treatment solutions, and warranties in case the pests come back. At Esparza, we have decades of such experience, a 60-day warranty and the range of tools you need to tackle any unwelcome critter who tries to enter your property.