Even if you keep your home clean and don't leave crumbs or pieces of food out, you may develop pests. Rodents and other bugs can invade your home, spreading disease and leaving waste. If you want to protect your home from pests, check out these three tips for keeping pests outside where they belong.

Clean the Exterior and Yard

Start by cleaning up your yard a bit. No, pests don't prefer disheveled yards, but they prefer hiding places, and if those hiding places are near your home, it increases the chance of the pests moving inside. Start by making sure you don't have food waste in your yard, which may attract pests. It's also important to keep plants away from exterior walls. Climbing ivy on the side of your home may be beautiful, but pets hiding in that ivy can easily use it to get inside. If you do have some plants near the home or on the walls, maintain them well and watch for signs of pests.  

Seal Holes in the Exterior Walls

Pests need a way inside your home, and they will find one. You aren't going to welcome them in your front door, so pests will hunt until they find a hole in your exterior wall, so they can get inside where it is warm and full of food. These don't have to be big holes. They are typically the small spaces around windows and pipes that pass through the exterior wall. They don't fit completely, so little gaps are left. The best way to correct these is with a liquid spray insulation. It expands to fill the entire hole. If you have a crawl space, it may be difficult to seal by yourself because of the ground. This may require professional sealing.

Fix Leaky Pipes

Bugs and rodents like your home because it is warm and has everything they need to thrive. To stop them from invading, take away what they need: food and water. Food is easy because you can simply clean up crumbs and don't leave out food. However, it can be more complicated to eliminate their water supply. They may be getting it from your pet's water dish. More likely, however, they are finding water in other areas because pests prefer dark, hidden areas. Therefore, pests tend to prefer leaky pipes. Get yours fixed to remove their water supply, forcing them to leave to survive.

No one wants a home overrun with pests, but it is easy for them to get inside if you aren't vigilant. By following these three tips, however, you are more likely to keep the pests where they belong: away from you and your family. If you would like more information regarding pest control, or if you already have an infestation, contact a pest control company like Falcon Pest Management in your area.