The Best Pest Control Is A Clean and Hygienic Home

When newcomers to Queensland are asked what they like most about living here, the universal answer is the climate. We enjoy mild winters followed by long summers, plenty of sunshine and intermittent rain. Unfortunately, this climate is also the perfect breeding ground for household pests.

Cleanliness and Regular Checks Keep Pests At Bay

Pantry Accessibility

With no harsh winter to control their numbers, it can be a year-round battle to keep these nasties under control. However, cleanliness and regular action will keep them out of your homes and especially out of your cabinets. Even the beautiful, new cabinets made and installed by Craftbuilt Kitchens need regular attention to keep them pest free.

Food hygiene is vitally important so a great place to start is the pantry. Pests such as flour and meal moths and tiny beetles arrive as eggs in packaged goods, then burrow into soft packeted foods like flour or grains. Working one shelf at a time, empty the pantry and check for powder on the shelves or wriggling or web-like larvae inside packaging.

Seal Packaged Items In Plastic Containers

Throw out any contents that are already infested. These types of pests don’t carry disease, but you probably will not want to use anything they have crawled around in. Clean storage containers and shelves with warm water to dislodge any pupae or eggs that have fallen into tiny cracks, then seal the remaining items in plastic containers.

Use Insecticides or Natural Remedies Regularly

Most people are hesitant to spray insecticide into cabinets where food is kept, and many people prefer not to use it at all. This is good news for cockroaches that are notoriously difficult to eradicate if they get a foothold. However, it is possible to keep them safely under control and out of your cabinets.

Householders who will tolerate some insecticide remedies can use residual sprays in laundry cabinets and follow up with baits placed in the warm, moist areas cockroaches love. Place them under refrigerators, stoves and washing machines, in cabinets under the kitchen and bathroom sinks and replace them every three months. There are also natural remedies that may be effective.

Pests Need Food and Shelter – Don’t Give It to Them

None of these will work, however, if the area is not kept clean. Cockroaches feed after dark and just before dawn so any food scraps left on a kitchen bench or in the sink are an open invitation. Keep rubbish bins covered, emptied daily and cleaned regularly. Check cabinets for holes or cracks then seal them to deprive cockroaches of daytime hiding places.

Ultimately, it is up to the home owner to keep everything clean and hygienic so there is nowhere for pests to live. For the best kitchen cabinets maintenance and advice, contact our designers at Craftbuilt Kitchens today!