When Pests Attack: Defending and Reclaiming Your Home
A home is truly a wonderful thing to have. It is a castle for us to call our own and do as we please. The freedom to paint the walls any color that we like, mow the lawn at our leisure, blast music as loud as we want. To own property is to have equity in our own lives, and this comes with responsibility. Ownership of a house comes with a whole host of maintenance costs that one can try to anticipate, but more often is simply reacting to. Some of these problems, such as wondering how to keep bugs out of your air conditioner or rats from entering the basement, are simply matters in which you should call a professional.
From mosquito control to calling animal services and removing a fox, the term “pests” can be quite all-encompassing. Technically anything that bugs you can be considered a pest, but what this more commonly means is something that is not welcome in your home and has not been invited. Specifically, animals and insects that cause damage to your property by trying to make it their own are what the pest control services industry refers to as “pests.” Your neighbor’s dog or wayward children are not pests, despite any trouble that they may cause.
In this article, we’ll go deep into how to try and maintain control over your property from those pesky critters that inhabit the world outside your house. Whether they are as small as an ant or as large as a raccoon, they are uninvited guests. Whether the critters are cute or not, you must find some way to live with them that suits your lifestyle. We’ll end on the note that perhaps the best way to control them is to repurpose your property so that you both can live in harmony, but you’ll have to research that yourself in order to find out the solution that fits you best.
Pests, Pests, Pests
As we stated before, “pests” are commonly referred to as the animals and insects that are trying to gain unwelcome access to your home or destroy your home to build their own. In the insect realm, termites come to mind as pests that are literally trying to eat the wood that your home is built with to construct their own nests and further their goals. You’ll want to speak to a qualified termite control service to help you fix this problem. In a similar vein, depending on the type of pest and what damage they’re trying to do to your home or property you’ll want to consult a specialist that has some knowledge of what’s going on.
In a larger context, squirrels or raccoons may be trying to enter your basement or heating and cooling system to get out from the harsh conditions of the world. We can’t blame them for acting on instinct or trying to better themselves, but our home is our home to guard and protect. These larger pests can be a problem because they can carry all sorts of diseases such as rabies, bacterial infections, and more. You’ll want to keep them out of your home to stave off disease and to keep them from interacting with any children or pets that may also be present in your home. These problems can tend to become a bit more complicated than simply figuring out how to keep bugs out of your air conditioner.
The many methods of dealing with pests have as much variety as there are pests in the world. In the desert climates, pest control experts commonly talk about how to control snakes from getting inside a garage or other shady area, while in snowy regions the focus is on how to prevent squirrels or other rodents from nesting in the warm attic areas. You may even be able to learn some common pest control techniques (such as setting traps or glue) by watching videos on the subject. Especially if you’re a visual learner who needs images to fully comprehend what they are learning about.
Bugs in the A/C (Yes, Real Bugs)
When you hear the term: “there are bugs in my A/C,” we might be tempted to think about some sort of mechanical or computer failure that’s going on. Especially since air conditioning systems have become so computerized and can be controlled with smartphones or other devices. They seem so complex, and yet they are still just upgraded versions of the most basic air conditioners that they’ve always been. Yet the problem remains: how to keep bugs out of your air conditioner? It seems like a problem that is extraordinarily complex, but nothing could be further from the truth.
Unless you’re absolutely dead set on never fixing anything yourself and only calling a trained professional (not a bad idea), then perhaps these ideas aren’t for you. However, if you’re in a pinch and simply need a quick fix until the A/C repair person comes over and can help you out then you should try some of the following methods: using duct tape to cover up any holes in hoses, using caulk for a similar prevention method, putting cardboard between the A/C and the window (if it’s a window unit), or putting up screening in the areas that you think bugs are navigating to.
Many people are confused as to why bugs gravitate toward their A/C unit and are seemingly attracted to it, but it’s really quite simple. The air conditioning apparatus is sometimes a great environment for a bug to gather food, bask in the sunlight, be away from other pests, and mate. In addition, many air conditioning units generate heat which some types of bugs are attracted to and may rest upon. Other types of bugs, such as cockroaches or ants, may even appreciate the cooler air that the air conditioning unit provides around them and seek shelter near it. So at the end of the day, how to keep bugs out of your air conditioner is not such a difficult problem after all.
Different Problems Require Different Solutions
You may be relatively lucky and not have to deal with large pest concerns, instead focusing on small concerns such as how to keep bugs out of your air conditioner and keep it clean. In fact, many homes get so many bugs in their air conditioners over the years that they eventually have to be replaced. Air conditioner installation is not cheap, and so it’s best to guard against these things with the recommendations given to you by a pest control professional.
The next time you have ac maintenance done on your home, be sure to ask the heating and cooling professional for their recommendation on how to keep bugs out of your air conditioner. Sometimes this is through installing a filtered grate around or on top of the air conditioner, other times it means spraying it with a special chemical or surrounding it somehow. It will depend on the region you live in and the unique power consumption needs for your home. Not everybody has air conditioning to begin with, and the way you circulate air in your home may be entirely antithetical to these practices. You need a plan that works for you all the time, even if that means discarding some generalized advice.
Other problems are easier to deal with from the start, especially if you’re building a new home. Instead of having to call up a termite control service every couple of years, you can build with cedar wood (a natural termite repellent) and make sure that you have wood windows as well. In this way, you’ll be killing two birds with one stone in a way that’s built into the cost of doing business. This may also allow you to install air conditioning or other modern elements in a way that never leaves you wondering how to keep bugs out of your air conditioner. If you get it right from the start, with just a little planning you can go a long way.
Consider Setting up Appointments Regularly With Pest Control
Like many things in life, perhaps it’s better to not wait until work needs to be done and just anticipate regular inspections for pests. Many pest control service companies sell “subscriptions” in which they will come to your home and check on common problem areas where pests could get in. This usually means setting traps, spraying repellent in areas that would commonly be inhabited by pests, and taking care of any pressing issues that you’re currently experiencing.
By setting up a subscription for your pest control or animal management, you’ll be taking a load off of your mind and wallet. You can prepay to anticipate the worst, but perhaps come out with the best solution for any scenario. Instead of having a knock on your door from unwanted visitors, you’ll greet your very own friendly pest control service person.
To Kill or Not to Kill? It’s a Personal Choice
While a homeowner may want to find out the best method of how to keep bugs out of your air conditioner, they may not want to kill other livings beings. Whether this is because of their personal religious beliefs or secular ethical beliefs doesn’t matter, it is up to the homeowner and property manager to decide on how to deal with such problems. While it’s much easier (and less expensive) to trap, kill, and prevent critter from coming into your home than it is to deal with live ones, it can be done. A pest control or animal control service company will be more than happy to take your money any time you need a creature removed from your house.
Sometimes it’s relatively simple to remove unwanted intruders from your home, on par with figuring out how to keep bugs out of your air conditioner. Other times, it can be more difficult and require expertise from the pest control provider. Animals such as squirrels and rats can be attracted to cages where you will eventually hear them vocalizing the distress of being caught. Once you know that they’re in there, you can call to have them removed from your home and try to figure out where they’ve gotten in. Other times, you may have an animal such as a snake or cockroaches infiltrate an area and never know about it until you find the deceased animal, especially if it is a storage or underutilized area.
Whether you decide to kill or release the unwanted organisms that enter your home is your personal choice, but like many things in life: an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. By trying to fortify your house so that creatures have to stay outside, it prevents you from even having to deal with the situation of them being inside the home. Sometimes this can be expensive, but if you’re having to call pest control multiple times a month to remove animals, eventually something’s gotta give. Your last option might be living in harmony with these creatures.
Live in Harmony with Nature
As we near toward the end of this article, one may be asking: “this all seems like a lot of work, why can’t I just live in harmony with these pests somehow?” It turns out that you can, but it also may cost you a bunch of pretty pennies. You will have to do research specific to the area that you live in and what type of housing structure you inhabit, but where there’s a will, there is a way. Many permaculture specialists have designed ways for landscaping and housing to work in tandem with the land. This doesn’t mean necessarily eliminating pests, but providing other places for them to go besides your home.
It becomes a matter of reason and willingness to change how one lives that spurs many people to permaculture designs. Since most people aren’t educated about how to set up a field sanctuary for rodents (or simply would like them eliminated off their property), it’s to be understood that there is a lack of education in this area. Even many pest control service companies will be at a loss when trying to explain how to “live with” pests instead of eliminating them. They certainly can tell you about how to keep bugs out of your air conditioner, but they may not understand why you’d want bugs around.
By consulting a landscaping expert that has some degree of experience in permaculture, one may be able to find a holistic setup that works for them. In the same way that we rejoice in planting flowers that attract bees (because we know that they are good for gardens and ecosystems), we should continually think about ways to “redirect” pests toward some constructive measures on our property rather than simply sweeping them away. It is perhaps the “pest control” method of the future in which we not only consult people how to keep bugs out of your air conditioner, but live close to them and the land as well.