As a tenant, you want to keep pests off your apartment. However, most people believe and expect that the landlord is wholly responsible for pest control. Individuals should realize that they are the ones responsible for how the state of their rooms is. Your lifestyle plays a vital role in attracting pests, and therefore, there are a couple of roles you can play to minimize the chances of having the creatures entering your house.

Sanitation plays a significant role in controlling and eliminating pests. Most of them like insects and rodents are only in your house for food, water, and shelter and eliminating these sources keeps them away and helps you avoid infestation. Some of the ways to achieve this include:

Proper food storage

Pests need to eat food for survival, and so, they are likely to be attracted to any source of food. Ensure not to leave food out or leave opened bags and boxes of food around. If the foods cannot be in a locked refrigerator then ensure they are in tightly closed containers to minimize any smell that could attract pests. If you have a cat or dog, buy a storage container for the pet food rather than having opened bags of pet food around.

Clean the apartment

This is another vital step that you can take to avoid an infestation. Make sure to keep the kitchen and the entire apartment clean. Do not leave used dishes from last night’s dinner in the sink overnight. Also, wipe your stove or cooker after cooking every meal since the grease from food attracts the creatures. Sweeping up crumbs, cleaning the counters and vacuuming your apartment on a regular basis is also a nice habit. The cleaner the apartment is, the lesser the chances of having to deal with pest infestation problem.

Proper trash disposal

You should have a garbage can in your unit and make sure that it has a tight lid and if it is a bag, make sure to tie it every time after disposing of garbage. Once it is full, tight it well and bring it down to the respective receptacles as designed by the property owner. Make sure to place the bags inside the trash bin and close it tightly.

De-clutter your house

This is another measure you can take as a tenant to keep pests away. Clutter offers hiding space for insects and rodents. Avoid stacking piles of papers or dirty clothes in a corner. Also, ensure to move furniture from walls and vacuuming the spaces from time to time as this will prevent the little creatures from finding comfortable spots to hide.

Do not open packages indoor

Another way in which pests get on your property is by package deliveries. This is because boxes are put in warehouses where rodents and insects are largely found thus you could carry them to your house. You should, therefore, be aware of this risk and it is wise to take this caution. Open the deliveries outdoor and dispose of both the box and the packaging materials.

Be careful while in public places

Some pests such as bedbugs can be brought home in the course of daily activities like going to movies, public meetings and traveling in public buses. To avoid this, you should:

  • Inspect the space before taking your seat in any public place like the movie theater
  • Avoid putting your bag on the floor
  • If you are in a hotel room, avoid putting your luggage near the bed
  • Ensure to brush yourself off before entering your house after spending time in a public place

You may follow all the mentioned tips, but that does not guarantee you that you are free from pests. It is wise to be sure and to do that; you will need the help of a professional pest manager who will come to your property and examine if there are any possible pests. Regular inspection is vital, and you should, therefore, make a point of contacting an exterminator near you just to be sure.

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