Preventing  Pests  at  Home
Is your family bugged by pests like ants, spiders,
cockroaches, termites, or mice? You're not alone.
You can effectively control or kill pests when you
take action to starve them out, dry them out, and
keep them out.  Like humans,  pests need three
critical elements to survive: food, water, and shelter.
By following  three simple and effective steps, you
can protect your family's health and safety while
controlling annoying pests.
  Starve Them Out!
Pests will eat just about anything, but they might leave
you alone if they don't have easy access to food:

• Seal up boxes and bags of food. Roaches love cardboard
  boxes and can climb into these items with ease.
• Store open food in plastic bags or containers,
  such as cereal, flour, or sugar.
• Immediately clean up spills and leftover crumbs.
  Pests love free food left out in the open.
• Don't walk around the house while eating. Meals and
  snacks should be eaten at a table.
• Clean dirty dishes right away. Pests want whatever is left of
  your meals.
• Keep a tight lid on trash, and empty it often. It may be trash
  to you, but pests see it as dinner. Place trash cans far away
  from a back door entrance.
• Don't leave pet food out overnight. Food can stir up
  pests' appetites.
  Dry Them  Out!
Although roaches can live up to one month without
food, without water roaches can die in a week's time:

• Always drain dish water from a sink. Because roaches can
  swim, a sink full of water might become the site of a roach
  pool party.
• Wipe water and other spilled liquids off the counter as soon
  as you first see it. Puddles are roach magnets.
• Fix or report leaky faucets, radiators, dishwashers, and
  washing machines to a building manager.
• Empty excess water in flower pots and plant stands. A drop
  of water can be all a roach needs to feel satisfied.
  Keep Them Out!
By keeping roaches and rodents out of your home,
you can prevent them from ever becoming a
problem. Rodents spend most of their lives hiding.
They love cracks, and can squeeze  just about
anywhere. Think smart, and they can't move in on you:

• Seal cracks and openings along baseboards, behind sinks,
  and around pipes and windows.
• Repair holes in door and window screens to prevent insects
  and other pests from entering a home.
• Check boxes and bags for roaches before bringing them
  into a home.
• Clean up clutter, including stacks of newspapers, paper
  bags, and cardboard boxes. These make good hiding
  places for pests.
• Set traps to control rats and mice. If you use baits, make
  sure they are in a tamper-resistant bait station made of
  durable plastic or metal, and place in an area where
  children and pets cannot touch them.
  For more information on pesticides or pesticide
  poisoning prevention, refer to EPA's Pesticides
  Program Web site at vyAAAv.epa.gov/pesticides,
  or call the National Pesticide Information Center
  at 1-800-858-7378.
                              United States
                              Environmental Protection
                              Agency

                              EPA 735-F-07-002

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