While bugs play a vital role in the ecosystem, you don’t want your home overrun by them. Insects tend to be drawn to a space as clutter and crumbs accumulate. To avoid unintentionally bringing bugs from your previous home, ensure they don’t hitch a ride to your new place.
Be selective of your moving supplies
Carefully choose your moving supplies. While using old or inexpensive cardboard boxes can be a budget-friendly choice, it can also bring bugs into your new home. Cardboard has crevices where bugs can live and lay eggs. Consider alternatives to cardboard to prevent bugs from hitching a ride. If you opt for plastic containers, clean them thoroughly before packing your belongings. Bug eggs can be hard to spot, so this extra cleaning step can save you from potential infestations.
Inspect your stuff
Bugs can sneak into every nook and cranny of your belongings, making them tough to spot. Their eggs are even harder to see. You can’t check everything meticulously, but we strongly recommend examining mattresses, rugs, and cushions for bed bugs and fleas. Examine closely to avoid bringing eggs or live bugs with you when you move. Bed bugs and fleas typically hide in these soft surfaces, but they can spread if the infestation is severe. For information on identifying bed bugs, refer to the EPA’s guidance.
Organizers, Drawers, and Wardrobes. These types of furniture tend to accumulate our stuff, offering hiding spots for insects. Some bugs, like Cockroaches, lay eggs on hard surfaces in enclosed spaces. To avoid unintentionally carrying an infestation, consider thoroughly clearing and cleaning these furniture items instead of leaving them as-is while packing for your new home.
Start with a deep clean
When you first move into your empty new home, it’s easy to see everything. However, as you bring in your belongings, hidden spots can emerge.
Before unpacking your furniture and items, give your new place a deep clean (top-to-bottom) to establish a clean starting point for making it your own.
If you’re concerned about the laborious cleaning process, you can book an appointment with us to manage your moving cleaning requirements.
How to keep bugs away from a new house
While it’s impossible to make a house entirely bug-proof, there are steps you can take before and after moving in to make sure bugs are a rare problem rather than a daily nuisance.
Bug-proofing may require extra effort and expense, but it’s a worthwhile investment, considering the time and money saved on not having to hire an exterminator. Follow the preventive steps below to keep bugs out of your house.
- Seal entrances
In most cases, bugs get inside homes through openings connecting the indoors to the outdoors. The key to preventing bug issues is blocking their access. Concentrate on these potential entry points:
- Windows: Check for torn screens, damaged frames, or missing screens.
- Doors: Inspect for unsealed gaps underneath, such as the absence of door sweeps or large thresholds at the base.
- Repair cracks
Older properties may have issues like cracks in window frames, walls, door frames, and roofing. These cracks can provide easy access for bugs. It’s crucial to thoroughly examine both the inside and outside of your new home to identify any repairs needed. Seal small cracks with caulk and use expandable polyurethane foam for larger ones.
- Check pipe penetrations
Every home has utilities with openings for pipes and wires. These openings are made when lines are run from the exterior to the interior, creating potential entry points for pests. This can include clothes dryer vents, telephone and cable wires, water, gas, and electrical piping. Seal small holes with sealants, and use copper mesh or steel wool for larger openings.
- Clean and Declutter Regularly
Even if you seal up all the obvious entry points, bugs may still find a way in. To prevent bugs from making themselves at home, maintain good housekeeping practices.
Even with sealed cracks, leaving food out, not properly sealing food items, allowing dirty dishes to pile up, or ignoring spills can attract insects and make them want to stay. Having too much clutter creates breeding areas for bugs that manage to get inside.
By keeping food sources and breeding spots out of reach for any invading bugs, they will move on because they won’t find what they need to survive in your home. Keeping your living space clean and clutter-free is one of the best ways to keep it bug-free.
The difference between bug-proofing a house and bug-proofing an apartment
While houses can be more spacious and require regular maintenance, living in an apartment may demand extra precautions for pest-proofing.
Houses are standalone units with a limited number of entry points, and they typically have more space separating them from neighboring homes. In contrast, apartments are part of a larger complex, with numerous entry points and many people living close together.
If shared spaces are not well-maintained or if a neighbor attracts insects due to poor habits, your apartment can easily be affected.
Although you can’t control the conditions of your surroundings, maintaining good cleaning habits can help address bug issues in your space. In an apartment, it’s especially crucial to practice regular cleaning, take out the trash, declutter, mop, and deep clean, in addition to implementing bug-proofing measures.
FAQ about keeping bugs out
- Do new homes have fewer bugs?
Contrary to what many think, even brand-new homes can have hidden bugs. Home construction is not a completely sealed process, and it involves exposure to the outdoors. Therefore, it’s wise to carefully inspect and take appropriate preventive measures for even the newest homes to avoid bugs.
- What smell drives bugs away?
Bugs vary in types and sizes, and they have different aversions to certain smells. To repel common insects, you can use essential oils like peppermint, lemongrass, cedarwood, lavender, and tea tree are effective in keeping away insects like mosquitoes, flies, and other common home pests.
- Does every house have bugs?
Typically, over 93 bug species inhabit a home, but most of these bugs are harmless and go unnoticed. Even though small bugs are unavoidable in your home, it’s essential to keep up with preventive bug-proofing measures to ensure that the more harmful and troublesome ones are kept out.
- What keeps bugs away from your house?
As mentioned, maintaining good cleaning habits and sealing entry points are the top methods for keeping bugs away from your house. If needed, there are insecticides designed to create a protective barrier around your home.
End an infestation before it has the chance to begin
Like most significant problems, bug infestations usually start with a dirty home, accessible entry points, or both. Regardless of the steps you take to prevent bugs from entering, the most effective approach is to ensure the home is thoroughly cleaned before you begin moving in. Deep cleaning your new home from top to bottom will prevent lingering live bugs, bug breeding areas, or bug eggs from causing bigger problems once you’ve settled in and can’t spot them easily.
Even though deep cleaning before moving in might feel exhausting and daunting, it’s essential for establishing a solid foundation for your life in your new home.
