Tips for keeping your living room pest free
Your home’s living or family room would seem like the last place pests would want to live. But appearances can be deceiving. Their presence is not only creepy, but can threaten the health of you, your family, and your pets.
Clark, your friendly pest, rodent, termite, and grounds care expert, would like to share some important information that can protect your home’s primary recreation space from unwanted pests.
Why are pests attracted to living rooms?
Living rooms provide pests with numerous locations to hide. Carpets, for example, serve as shelter for ants, beetles, and fleas. Food crumbs left behind in a couch, recliner, or in the carpet will easily satisfy a hungry pest’s appetite.
In addition to being a source of food and shelter, living rooms are usually more accessible for pests compared to other parts of your house. Their first floor or partially below ground location and multiple doors and windows provide pests with numerous entry points. A missing door sweep, crumbling caulking around a door or window frame, or a torn screen gives opportunistic pests easy access.
Also, living rooms usually have a great deal of foot traffic relative to other rooms. This gives pests the chance to hitch a ride inside on clothing, backpacks, briefcases, pets, or in the numerous package deliveries that people have been receiving during the pandemic.
What pests are likely found in living rooms?
Fleas are typically found where animals sleep and frequent, including the routes they travel. Does your four-legged companion have a bed in your living room? How often do you catch them napping on the couch? Fleas will come inside on pets or articles of clothing, and will readily infest areas of your living or family room. This puts you in close contact with them.
Ants and house flies are happy to join in with your favorite binge snack or finish off any leftovers. Argentine and pavement ants have been known to eat meats, bread, oils, and fats, while odorous house ants prefer sweets. House flies are a little less picky, feeding on a wide variety of human foods and liquids.
Bed bugs, despite their name, can also be found in furniture. Known for being skilled travelers, these insects can catch a ride on clothing or personal items, traveling from such locations as schools and hotels right into living rooms. Once inside a couch cushion, bed bugs will wait to feed on anyone dozing off during a late-night movie. A human’s steady stream of CO2 will draw them out and indicate that a meal is nearby.
Occasional invaders
Occasional invaders like lady beetles (aka ladybugs), carpet beetles, and stink bugs can also make their way into living rooms. Lady beetles and stink bugs can be found nearby windows and doors, while carpet beetles will venture further into living rooms to dine on pet hair, dead insects, and woolen fabrics.
How to prevent pests from invading your living room
Make sure pests don’t spoil your next family movie night or Netflix binge session by following these pest-proofing tips:
- Seal any cracks or crevices along the interior and exterior of the living room with a silicone-based caulk, exclusion material, or a combination of both.
- Replace broken windows, repair ripped screens, and install weatherstripping.
- Maintain a clean and clutter-free living room by disposing of any leftover food and routinely vacuuming to pick up crumbs and pet hair.
- As people and pets move in and out of the living room, make sure they don’t bring any unwanted visitors with them. Check outdoor pets for any bugs attached to them and have people remove shoes and other dirty clothing before getting comfortable on the couch.
Clark Pest Control is committed to safeguarding your home from pests during these challenging times. Our service technicians use such personal protective equipment as gloves, masks, and respirators, they practice social distancing, they call ahead to notify you before a service, and they adhere strictly to all Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines when servicing inside or outside your home.
If you suspect pests are making your living room their living room, call Clark at (800) WE-NEED-YOU (936-3339) or send an email to clarkcares@clarkpest.com to schedule a free inspection.
Until next time, the pest management professionals at Clark Pest Control thank you for helping to keep unwanted pests out of your home and yard.