Home Improvement

5 Ways to Bug-Proof Your Home

Story Highlights
  • No.1 - Screen your home
  • No.2 - Door sweeps
  • No.3 - Fill in cracks
  • No.4 - Clean the yard
  • No.5 - Regular maintenance
  • Natural Bug-Proofing Measures

Bugs can be a headache for a lot of homeowners.

They cause health problems and damage to furniture and the structure of the house. Naturally, we want to ensure that they stay out of our house and off of our property.

Below are some bug-proofing measures you can do at home:

No.1 – Screen your home

One of the most effective ways to keep bugs out of your home is to put screens on all openings.

Put them on doors, windows, and ventilation ducts. Proper maintenance of the screens is also important to ensure its integrity is kept. Make sure you inspect the screens for any small openings or signs of damage and repair or replace them as soon as you see them. 

Screens are perfect for keeping small insects like leafhoppers and aphids out so ensuring that door and window screens are closed at all times is crucial to ensure no bugs or insects ever get inside your house.

No.2 – Door sweeps

Most of the time, small insects gain entry into the home through the gaps between the floor and the door. Door sweeps can be used to seal this gap and prevent light, sound, drafts, and insects from getting in. 

Fitting garage doors with a rubber seal is also a good idea. Using rubber is especially important because other materials like vinyl don’t perform well during cold weather. The lining of sliding glass doors can be sealed by fitting the bottom track with foam stripping.

No.3 – Fill in cracks

It’s normal that cracks here and there develop in the house. But if this is not attended to immediately, cracks can be used for insects and other vermin to gain entry into your home. For small cracks, you can use acrylic or silicone latex caulk. 

Latex caulks are easy to apply, they clean up easily with water and you can paint over it. For larger cracks, fill it with a strong material to match the existing structure like cement, wood, rock, or mortar.

No.4 – Clean the yard

One way to bug-proof your house is to prevent bugs from coming into your property in the first place. This means cleaning your yard by removing clutter, raking up grass clippings and leaves near the foundation

Clean drainage gutter and window wells as well. Trim tree limbs and prune shrubs that are coming in contact with the structure of the house or those that have branches already reaching the windows.

No.5 – Regular maintenance

This is something you can do a couple of times a year. It can be as simple as a walk-around your property while inspecting areas where insects could potentially use as an entry point inside. 

You can also check out the exterior walls and awnings using epic gadgets to see if there are any holes or cracks. You also want to make sure during this regular maintenance that all your bug-proofing measures are still intact and free from damage.

Natural Bug-Proofing Measures

Birds

Bug-proofing your house can also include encouraging birds as they are the natural predators of insects. In order to persuade birds to stay within your yard, you can plant shrubs or trees for their nest sites. Also, provide a freshwater source like a birth bath. 

Flowers

By planting flowers around your yard, you are encouraging beneficial insects to come and thrive in your yard. Wildflowers, as well as other native shrubs, can be a natural measure to control bugs and at the same time increase the curb appeal of your yard.

Following these steps will certainly help control the bug problem in your house. You also have the option of calling a professional but that will require shelling out cash.

About the author: Evelyn Paulson is a passionate blogger whose expertise lies in gadgets and all things electronic. She is currently working with epic gadgets, which offers a wide range of useful, trendy and epic gadgets for every purpose at incredible prices.

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