How to Stop Bugs Coming into Your Home
- Written by a contributor
Zzzzz! Just as you’re drifting off to sleep comes that unsettling sound … The dreaded hum of a mosquito or the steady droning buzz of a fly have ruined the sleep of many weary Australians. Warm sunny days are perfect for enjoying the great outdoors and opening up your doors and windows to ventilate your home with fresh air. Don’t let flies, mosquitoes and other bugs stop you from enjoying a warm night, protect your home with security screens on your doors and windows.
For each person on Earth there are around 17 million flies and the total global mosquito population is estimated to be around 10 quadrillion so it’s understandable that it can be difficult to keep our tiny winged nemeses out of our homes! Not just annoying, bugs can sting us or our pets, carry disease, create unsanitary conditions and contribute to conditions such as asthma or dermatitis.
Insects need food, water and shelter to survive and your home can easily become a great place for bugs to satisfy all three of these needs. There are ways to prevent an insect infestation and one of the best places to start is ensuring insects don’t have access to your home. By covering food to eliminate their food supply as well as sealing gaps in your home’s exterior and installing insect screens and doors you can stop insects accessing your home and settling in.
Install a quality security door
Quality security doors are great for protecting your household against thieves and prowlers, and they are also effective at keeping out pests. A professional installer will be able to ensure that your door is perfectly fitted without gaps and functioning as it has been designed to do.
You might be thinking that a fly screen will do, but fly screens are often only a temporary solution as they will warp, tear or stretch even with gentle usage. The tiniest tear unfortunately will render the whole screen useless. They are not a good choice for households with boisterous pets or kids as they will need to be replaced regularly. It’s definitely worth considering a security door instead as in addition to being able to protect you from insects, it will be able to protect you from intruders and has been designed to withstand forced entry.
Install window screens
It’s all very well to ensure your doors will protect you from insects, but proper window mesh needs to be installed also so that you can enjoy fresh air through your home without insect annoyance. If you want your home to be properly secured, security mesh is a great option and can be used in upstairs rooms to allow you to open windows while still being compliant with regulations designed to protect children from dangerous falls.
Many households rely on natural ventilation during the summer months, leaving doors and windows open to draw fresh air into the home. Unfortunately, without proper mesh screens installed at your home, opening up your home will simply allow bugs to invade your home.
Remove food sources
If you already have an insect problem, the first thing to do to try to make your home less attractive to bugs is to remove food sources. Do you have a fruit bowl on your bench? Empty it out and put fruit in the fridge. Dirty dishes in your sink? Be diligent about cleaning straight after eating to ensure there’s no food scraps out to attract bugs. Also ensure you bin is sealed properly and clean around it if necessary.
Eliminate water sources in your yard
Bugs need water, so especially if you have a mosquito problem, check in your yard for pools of stagnant water. Garden maintenance can have a big impact on insect infestations. Mosquitoes need a water supply to enable them to breed, so eliminating pooled water is an important step to take to reduce your mosquito population. If you have bird baths, try to change the water regularly.
Seal any exterior gaps
Insects only need to tiniest gap to be able to get into your home. Be wary of any gaps and repair or replace torn fly mesh. A handy guide is that if a pencil will fit through a crack or gap in your home’s exterior, a juvenile mouse will be able to get in too as well as any insects. Caulk provides a cheap, easy solution to sealing gaps in order to keep bugs out. Add caulk around areas such as window and door frames.
Click here for more information about Jim’s Security Doors. Or for expert advice on choosing the right security door or mesh screens for your property, please contact our experienced sales team on 13 15 46.