Like death and taxes, pests are an inevitable fact of life no matter where you live. If your home experiences an infestation, you’re likely to feel uncomfortable in your own home, and in the worst cases, you might face health problems as the result of an infestation. No one wants to open a kitchen cabinet and find an unwelcome visitor in the form of a cockroach or mouse. There are some tips like sealing outdoor cracks to keep pests out is universal, but there are specialized tricks that help for specialized pests. You shouldn’t just hope that pests will leave your home alone and choose your neighbors instead but that’s just not something you can count on.
In order to stop pests from entering your home, be aware of what pests are most prevalent in the city that you live in. In big cities such as New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago, rats are incredibly common; rats are also found in several East Coast cities, such as Boston, Philadelphia, and Washington, DC. These cities are also breeding ground for cockroaches and bedbugs, two insects that can negatively impact your health if an infestation gets out of control.
On the West Coast, meanwhile, insects such as spiders, scorpions, and ants flourish in the warm, dry climate. Some scorpion stings and spider bits may cause intense pain and swelling, and these insects can also be difficult to find due to their small size. Spiders are also drawn to urban areas, especially as drought conditions limit their food supply and unusually warm weather keeps them active for longer. In the south pests can be an issue all year long while in the north when it freezes a lot of pests go dormant, though some pick that time of year in order to try and invade your home.
No matter where you live, you’re likely to be in the path of an irritating pest that you’d rather avoid. There are a lot of options for pest control but by knowing which pests frequent your city, you can better prevent them from entering your home with a customized plan of defense.
