Home renovations can be stressful and expensive enough without having to worry about pests showing up in the middle of the job.
Fortunately, there are a few easy ways to keep insects such as roaches and termites from getting in your way. Here’s how:
Seal Up Any Cracks And Openings In Your House
One of the most common entry points for unwanted pests in your home’s cracks and openings.
Work with professionals to find these entry points so you can seal them up before the renovation begins. If digging around in crevices aren’t your idea of fun, consider professionals to do it for you. You can also block bugs out by moving all your furniture away from the walls, putting down window-tinting film, and using weather stripping on doors.
Keep Old Food And Trash Covered
As appealing as an old bag of chips might be while working on renovations, they’re just as appealing to bugs, too. When you’re doing any sort of construction or renovation work, make sure to keep your food covered at all times—especially if it is a food source for pests.
All trash should be kept tightly sealed as well, or else stored outside until after the renovation when you can take it out with care.
Treat Your Home For Pests Before The Renovation Begins
Even if you have gone through all the above steps to keep pests from finding their way into your home during renovations, they still might show up. In that case, consider treating your house before starting construction work. This process is called pre-treating and involves spraying chemical pesticides around possible entry points in an effort to stop bugs from ever entering the house.
Pre-treating is especially helpful for those who plan on doing a major renovation since a pest infestation could mean extra time and money spent fixing up your home.
Secure the Exterior Of Your House
Don’t neglect the exterior of your house during renovations. Remember: pests may be able to find their way in through your chimney and attic. So make sure to secure these areas with siding and heavy-duty wire mesh before starting your renovation. Leaving them exposed could mean more bugs than expected putting a hold on construction.
Make sure that your lawn and your backyard aren’t at risk of becoming bug havens. A good way to keep the exterior of your house pest-free is by planting bushes around it with thorns or spikes. This will help discourage pests from finding their way in through any cracks or openings, and also helps secure your home’s boundaries.
Choose A Company That Specializes In Renovations
Whether you decide to treat the house yourself or hire a pest control company for this job, make sure they specialize in renovations. This is because pre-treatment for renovation work is different from regular treatment for pests. For example, roaches and other pests could be nesting inside walls before construction begins, which means you need to find all their hiding places before sealing them off with paint and drywall.
This isn’t something general services that tackle pest infestations will know how to do—which is why hiring one that specializes in renovations can help ensure a smooth project from start to finish. It also guarantees the safety of your home and construction crew, since they will know exactly what chemicals to use for the job.
Post-Construction Bug Check
Once the renovations are complete, it’s time to take care of any infestations that may have shown up during construction. Depending on the type of bugs you’re dealing with, there are a few different tactics you can use to remove them from your home.
Spray insecticides near baseboards to target cockroaches hiding behind them. If you spot any signs of termites, you’ll need to call a professional exterminator right away. You can also hire an exterminator to place small glue traps with the attractant pheromone near places where insects like roaches and ants might be entering your house. These methods should help keep your home free of any tiny unwelcome visitors that might have found their way in during renovations.
Your renovation is finally complete and it looks great! But as you stand back and admire your work, don’t forget one final thing: Make sure your home is still bug-free after the construction work has been done.
A key part of these steps is being thorough when checking your house for signs of pests, which can easily be done during construction without too much hassle. You should also remember to treat your house before beginning renovations and take steps toward preventing infestations during and after the construction work.
