Every homeowner should invest in preventative pest control. Either hire a company to come and treat the inside and outside of your house on a monthly or quarterly basis or commit to treating the home yourself. You can find pest control solutions at your local hardware store. Do yourself a favor and pre-treat your home to gain an edge on those pesky little creatures.

Maintaining a few key areas of your home can lend a great hand in keeping out pests. It is important to check all the weather-stripping on your exterior doors. Some bugs can squeeze under the door even if you have pristine weather-stripping, so if yours is worn-down or flimsy bugs can easily gain access and take up residence. Screens are another home feature you need to keep in good shape. Even if an insect can squeeze into the flattest of areas, most that cause severe issues won’t be able to get through the grid.

It seems obvious to point out that simply being clean can help keep pests out of the home, but it’s true! It’s important to stay on top of daily home care, but there are also a few key areas to pay special attention to. In your kitchen, you want to maintain general cleanliness. You also want to make sure you don’t neglect your bottom cabinets, counter-top appliances and the space below and behind large appliances. It’s easy to miss a spill that goes underneath your refrigerator or stove, and that small spill can attract ants, roaches and more to your kitchen.

Bottom cabinets have a tendency to have cracks or gaps in the back that are an invitation for pests to make a home underneath. Of course, you want to seal up any gaps as well as you can, but you’ll also want to make sure things stay clean in those cabinets and check them periodically for evidence. Another pesky area where pests like to live is in the bottom of counter-top appliances. Make sure you clean underneath these every time you wipe down your counters and do the dishes.

You can take all the precautions, but everyone’s home is still vulnerable to pests. They’re oddly smart, small and persistent. So, on top of everything, you want to ensure you know how to check for pests so you can detect them early and start treatments immediately upon detection. Check your cabinets, behind appliances, bathroom corners and underneath furniture regularly.