Apartments are not only living spaces for humans. They can also become the home to several pests, such as mice, rats, and cockroaches. If you are the owner of an apartment, pest prevention becomes necessary to ensure your building remains pest free.
Keep reading to find out more about the best pest extermination tips for both apartment tenants and owners.
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How Do Pests Gain Access Into Apartment Buildings?
Pests are very big problems for apartment building owners. These rodents and insects have the potential to cause many issues for residents, such as asthma and allergies. They can also lead to structural damage to your building or even the possibility of fires.
Pests often gain access to apartment buildings through different food sources. This often includes garbage, food that residents leave out, and even pet food. Pests can also gain access through foundational cracks or from a neighboring unit when they are experiencing a pest infestation.
There are a few tell-tale signs you have a problem with pests in your building. If you notice live insects, eggs, or droppings in your apartment building, call a pest controller as soon as you can.
Common Pest Types Found In Apartment Buildings
For most owners of apartment buildings, pests represent a big problem. They can lead to a range of health issues and disrupt the daily lives of tenants. The more common pest types found in buildings are rodents, ants, bed bugs, and roaches.
- Bed Bugs
These are parasitic insects that feed on the blood of humans, which is why they commonly reside in beds. Bed bug bites often look like mosquito bites, yet they are usually more painful and itchy than a mosquito bite.
- Roaches
Roaches are also very common pests that take up residence in homes. These pests are highly adaptable to the environments that they live in, and that includes apartment buildings.
- Ants
Ants might be small but can become a significant problem if they decide to invade apartment buildings or homes. These creatures feed on anything that is edible, including any food source, such as leftovers, pet food, and plants.
Top Rated Apartment Pest Control Tips For Tenants
Information is key. This is especially important if you would like to keep your apartment free from pests. If you are experiencing a problem with pests, notify your landlord or manager immediately.
Below are a few tips on how to keep your apartment pest-free:
Tip One: Report Any Unusual Pest Activity
It is very important that you or any of the other residents report any pest activity that seems unusual as soon as you notice it. This will help the landlord or the management to identify any trends. When necessary, this information will prompt them to contact a professional pest controller to address the issue right away.
Tip Two: Be Prepared And Ready For Pest Services
Many tenants and residents don’t take regular pest control services seriously. Some residents don’t want pest controllers to visit their homes. At the same time, others fail to take the recommended actions required in preparation for pest control or prevention services.
You will want the products that are going to be used to be as effective as possible. This means moving your appliances and furniture away from the walls beforehand. You should also sweep, vacuum, and mop before the service, but rather wait awhile before cleaning up after completion of the service.
Tip Three: Keep Your Apartment Clean
Making sure your living spaces remain clean will contribute greatly toward preventing pests. Here are a few cleaning habits to keep in mind:
- Promptly wash and pack away your dishes after every use
- Keep your drains and sinks free from food particles
- Sweep and mop floors every few days
- Vacuum your carpets at least once a week
- Don’t allow pet food to stand out overnight
- Secure your trash can with a lid that fits tightly
Top Rated Apartment Pest Control Tips For Owners
As the landlord of a building, it is important to put in a concerted effort to keep your building free from pests. Here are the tips you need to keep your building free from pests:
Tip One: Notify Tenants When There Is A Pest Problem In The Building
The National Apartment Association has stated that renters expect to be given notice if there are pest problems in the building that they live in.
Tip Two: Encourage The Residents To Report Sightings Of Pests
Many residents may feel reluctant when it comes to notifying a landlord of pest activity. However, you should encourage the residents to report any activity since pests found in one location can quickly spread to the rest of the apartments in a building.
Tip Three: Educate The Residents On Pest Prevention
Residents or tenants are the best resources to prevent and stop pest infestations. This is why it is so important to give them the information that they need on how to prevent pests. The best way to educate the occupants of a building is to work with a pest professional in your area to create colourful flyers that can be distributed to all the residents. If you have an announcement board or monthly newsletter, you can also use these to include useful pest-prevention tips. This information should stay focused on steps your tenants should be taking to keep their homes pest free.
Tip Four: Implement An Extermination Schedule
Prevention maintenance is one of the most important steps to lower the likelihood of pest infestations. This is why you will need to exterminate the apartments, property, and facilities regularly. Don’t become one of those apartment managers or landlords that only contacts a pest control service only once an infestation is well underway.
