During the summer, the warm heat outside tends to raise the temperature inside the house. Bugs require a warm place of residence and shelter from the boiling sun, so your home becomes a welcome accommodation for them.

Termites, cockroaches, slugs, ants and every other bug in your area not only bring germs inside with them, but they also become one of the top sources of annoyance to your family by crawling eerily out of nooks and crannies when they’re least expected. I can vividly recall my mom almost shooting a flying cockroach the size of a mouse when I was a little girl because it was carrying on so loudly one night that she thought it was an intruder when it woke her up from a dead sleep.

Some bugs and pests, such as termites, are harder to get rid of than others. With termites, the problem is that by the time you know for sure that you have an infestation, it’s too late and virtually impossible to stop. If you suspect a problem, your best bet is to refer to sites like www.termitecontrol.net to find and compare termite control companies. There’s no need to compromise the foundation of your home just because of hubris.

If you are finding far more creepy crawlies indoors than you’d like, here are DIY tips you can follow to reduce the number of bugs in your home and prevent new ones from mingling in:

photo credit: © 2006-2013 Pink Sherbet Photography via photopin cc

photo credit: © 2006-2013 Pink Sherbet Photography via photopin cc

1.  Seal doors properly

A closed door keeps unwanted company out of the house, and a properly sealed door also keeps the insects away. When you closely look at the doors in your house, you’ll be amazed at the number of gaps that are there to be sealed (they make an easy red carpet for the bugs). You can install a threshold or a strip made out of steel or aluminum to cover any of the gaps at the bottom which not only let bugs in but dirt too.

The sides of the door as well as the top are two more places where pests can come from, so you make use of silicone caulking to cover the frame meeting the wall and the ground. Weather stripping kits are also available to cover the perimeter of the frame.

2.  Create bug-killing balls

Bugs don’t have much of an appetite and actually only have to eat a crumb or two to survive weeks, and even months. This is the reason why you may need to take action and create something that gets rid of them once and for all while making other bugs afraid of coming into the house.

One quick and easy way to do this is DIY big-killing balls. You’ll need:

  • 1 minced onion
  • 1 cup flour
  • 12 oz Boric acid
  • ¼ cup shortening
  • Water

Place all the ingredients into a bowl and mix them together until a soft clay is made (add water accordingly until moist but not runny).

You can shape the clay into any form you like, but balls are typically the easiest. The most important thing after creating these balls is to place them in places where bugs tend to show up. However, it’s vital to make sure your children and pets can’t reach the balls or mistake them for treats.

3.  Focus on maintaining your yard

Maintaining your yard is a major determinant of the level of pest infestation. Some pests (like mosquitoes) thrive on water, so removing the unnecessary build-up of water in your yard is one of the best ways to prevent pests from growing in number.

You may need to aerate the lawn where water tends to collect so the soil is able to absorb water in a natural way.

Sources of drainage like drains and gutters also have to be maintained properly. Keep any plants and other dirt from building up in them in order to allow them to function properly. You should also remove any leaves etc. lying in the yard as they’re a perfect place for pests to hide.

photo credit: MS-R / Michael S-R via photopin cc

photo credit: MS-R / Michael S-R via photopin cc