Some people never thought that outdoor hygiene would be as important as the indoors – particularly if they lived their whole life in an apartment and then moved to a house. But they eventually face some obstacles with the exterior of the house, their backyard, herbage, gutters, or else. If you’re one of them, this is the right place for you.
We can’t even imagine how much you were worried, disgusted, or even scared when you first saw some of the terrifying pests in your pipes or drains. You may not know how to get rid of them properly or you don’t have enough time in your daily schedule to clean the place. It’s also understandable if you own an ancient household or you live in an area full of trees and rain where you’re prevented from controlling leaves and insects to settle right upon your roof. But don’t worry – we’re here to help you.
First of all, you’ll get to know three of the most common pests you might encounter while inspecting your gutter, and then we’ll inform you about a couple of simple tricks that can stop these creatures permanently. You better take notes!
1. Mosquitos
If you’re living by the water or you have some sort of standing water in your backyard, such as pools, mosquitoes will be your number one undesirable guests. Not only you’ll be forced to use tons of insecticide sprays, soaps, and powders for your safety and spend a lot of cash on that. You need to prevent them from laying their eggs in the trenches or culverts. So basically, the cause should be solved first, and then the consequences.
All of us have at least once in a lifetime experienced a mosquito bite. Some of them cause various skin irritations, but also allergies that mustn’t be taken for granted. However, some specific kinds of these insects can transmit viruses such as the West Nile virus, malaria, etc. Not only can they be dangerous for humankind, but they also can afflict horses and dogs.
2. Mice
These pests are looking for shelter in the holes and gasps if they are filled with branches, pine needles and twigs. We’ve just described a perfect hiding place for a mouse. They can be found everywhere in nature and they are extremely fast and hard to catch. It’s even more common for them to be stationed in messy dikes or sewers than for mosquitoes.
Unlike mosquitoes who are not afraid of people, mice would run away from any human noise. The problem is they don’t feed with human blood, so eventually they’ll start looking for some food by trying to enter your house. Mice incline to chew through wood or some other materials so they can easily find their way to the warmth of your home.
3. Birds
Even though some of you might love to be woken up by the sound of birds singing, they can also be very disturbing as your tenants. First of all, they tend to make long-term nests on your property. Next thing is that you most likely won’t be able to defend your house from their droppings. It’s like some kind of unwritten rule that they choose the most noticeable parts of your exterior for that, such as windows, walls or facade. And even if you put the effort to destroy their nest, no one can guarantee you that another bird wouldn’t feel free to use your eaves as a refuge.
Nevertheless, these three pests aren’t the only unwanted guests you could receive. We shouldn’t forget bees, wasps and hornets either. They are likely to nest both beneath and inside tubes, and that’s not even all! We assume that no one chooses to willingly live within an inch of a colony of stinging insects. On the other hand, if there’s a remarkably big nest, there’s a danger of pulling down the pipes, or even of compromising the roof itself.
Also, snakes and other reptiles may appear in some areas, depending on where you live. And, if you aren’t a snake expert and you can’t determine if it’s a poisonous snake or not, you should take extreme caution. In that case, we recommend calling a pest-management company, as well as the local animal control department. We mustn’t forget different kinds of possums, squirrels, rodents, and many others, as well.
What can I do to prevent my gutters from becoming a breeding ground for pests?
To start, make sure that your environment doesn’t turn into a suitable place for pests. That’ll decrease the chances of your gutters to attract animals. Trim all the trees and bushes away from your roof so that you can minimize large critters to slide into the holes. Then check out your rubbish bins to protect them from attracting bugs. Set some traps, if necessary – you can also use numerous repellents, audio jammers such as sound waves or animal baits.
Another option, more expensive but definitely safer is to invest in your outdoor systems. We are talking about the gutter helmet. This design is created to allow the water to function normally, but it disables pests to crawl on your roof and habit the pipes that surround it. You don’t have to do all the work from the beginning, because this unit can be installed over your current gutters.
This is why no one should hesitate to ask for help or consultations via this link that features gutter specialists and all the benefits they’re offering, with one of them being eco-friendly cleaning. However, if you don’t know how or you simply didn’t need to take care of your gutters by yourself until now, we recommend an expert opinion.
One more thing – as we stated before, standing water is the favorite place for flying insects to stay and reproduce. We mentioned mosquitoes, but there are also flying ants and roaches which naturally love standing water. If you don’t live by a lake or a pool, you need to know that standing water could be formed almost everywhere – even in your pipes, so pay attention.
Numerous pests can’t wait for your gutters to get old and deform so they can easily make their nests there. Therefore, it’s crucial to wash the units, dig them up and even vacuum them in order to prevent those little creatures from ruining your living place.
In the end, we can agree that house care is as important as self-care. Intellectuals solve problems but geniuses prevent them – so be a genius and follow our simple tricks for pest-free gutters. Even if you don’t succeed and some annoying pest sneaks in, you can always check this article again and use the tips to make them leave in no time!
