No one likes to find pests in their home. Whether it’s spiders, scorpions, rodents, insects, or any other creature, they invade a space, disrupt tenants, and decrease the value of your property. They can also cost your property a lot in damages if you don’t fix the problem immediately. Termites alone cost Americans more than $5 million in damages every year. Here are a few simple things you can do to ensure your property stays pest-free and your tenants safe and happy.
Seal Doors
Examine the spaces around your doors. It’s very common that you’ll find small cracks big enough for bugs to get in. To prevent them from getting inside, add a steel or aluminum threshold under the door. You can also combine this with a nylon door sweep which will cover the gap between the threshold and door bottom to make an even better seal against bugs.
Repair Cracks
On the exterior of the property, check the building’s foundation as well as gaps around pipes, vents, windows, and doors. On the interior, check basements, common areas, tenant’s apartments, attics, and crawl spaces. Pests can fit into even the smallest of openings, so it’s important to seal every possible entry point.
Add Screens
Here in Arizona, with our beautiful winters, tenants are likely to crack open their windows and doors to allow in a fresh breeze. However, this also invites pests into the property including mosquitos, fleas, and other insects into the property as well. Installing screens on all of your windows and doors will allow tenants to still keep the ventilation of fresh air they enjoy while preventing any pests from entering as well.
Store Trash Properly
As many are already aware, bugs, mice, and many other pests are attracted to trash. Cockroaches and fruit flies especially love to find an easily attainable bag of trash. In order to prevent this, make sure you have proper waste bins that are sturdy and have secure lids. Regularly inspect them for any cracks or holes that may occur. Work together with your tenants to ensure that their trash gets put inside the bins and not on their front doorstep or simply placed next to the bins.
Call a Professional
If preventative measures aren’t sufficient and you still see abundant amounts of pests, it may be time to call in an exterminator. Key signs for this are major infestations, having to seal off areas of the property due to pests, or if bed bugs have been reported.
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