The kitchen is a hot spot for bugs and rodents to take up residence. Easy access to food and water makes the kitchen especially attractive for pests. Plus, they can find a nice home hidden in cabinets or under the sink. Cleaning your kitchen thoroughly goes a long way to prevent bugs and rodents from taking over you kitchen. Follow these cleaning tips for a pest-free kitchen:
- Clean up crumbs and spills promptly. Check your counters, floor, refrigerator, and cabinets for crumbs and spills. If you don’t attend to them quickly, you’re essentially laying out a feast for bugs and rodents in your kitchen!
- Take out your trash regularly. The trash can is a pest’s dream with its collection of food scraps, napkins, and other kitchen waste. Keep your trash in a sealed container and take it out of the kitchen as soon as it is full.
- Make sure your food is tightly sealed. Store food in airtight containers whenever possible to prevent bugs and rodents from getting into them. Clip chip bags tightly, roll down the bags in cereal boxes as much as possible, and don’t leave box tops open.
- Do the dishes after a meal. The more dishes that are left in the sink, the more hiding spots that are available for bugs. Wash your dishes immediately after use and place them in the dishwasher. Run the dishwasher regularly to prevent bits of food from attracting bugs. In addition, don’t leave food sitting in the garbage disposal; this attracts bugs and pests as well.
Rinse your recycling. Sticky residue and food that is left on your recycling is an open invitation for bugs and rodents. If you store your recycling in the kitchen, be sure to wash the bottles and cans out thoroughly before tossing in the recycle bin. - Fix leaky pipes or appliances. Bugs and rodents are constantly in search of moisture and a leaking sink or appliance provides the perfect water source for them. Regularly check your kitchen sink pipes, refrigerator, and dishwasher to ensure they are leak-free. If you detect a leak, fix it immediately.
These cleaning tips will go a long way to keep pests out of your kitchen. Once you’ve taken care of the inside, let HomePro Pest Control tackle the outside of your house. For a free estimate, contact us online or call us at (757) 499-1078.