Pest Prevention Program: Preventing Pests, How to Do it Yourself

Welcome to our pest prevention program page!

The links listed here are part of an integrated program of integrated pest management. What is Integrated Pest Management? Well, I am glad you asked. IPM, is it is commonly called, is a system which seeks to use the least toxic, least expensive means to get the best results in controlling pests. Our ideas on IPM are a little bit different from the normal programs.

Normal IPM starts with controlling the pests, and gives only a little attention to preventing pests. Our program starts with pest prevention, and uses pest control as a last resort!

You will see the difference.

If you start with the first page on this list, you will find a link at the end of the article which will send you to the next page in the proper order. The same is true of each page.

Prevention Pages

Prevention Starts Outdoors

Preventing pests is better than controlling pests, for the same reason that preventing house fires is better than controlling house fires! There is a lot of information on preventing pests in the home, most of it deals with the obvious: "Clean your house, seal your food, check for holes, close your trash can, stop leaving the doors open when you run out to the mailbox you moron!"

Brush Control As Prevention

Removing debris, brush, and weeds will help to keep pests off your property. Rotting wood is the roach's natural food. Getting rid of rotting wood, will help to keep roaches and other pests off your property, make sure that your outside area is free of it, and anything else that might hide pests.

Brush The Facts

Rotting wood is the natural food of the roach, and serves as food and cover for many other insects and rodents. Getting rid of it will send the little critters running and aid you in your quest to prevent pests.

Mowing As Prevention

One of the largest and most critical areas to deal with in home pest prevention is the lawn. The lawn is a place for show, a place for recreation, and a place where children usually have their first real contact with nature on a physical level. The addition of children and pets increases the importance of both controlling the pests and the nature of the control.

Other Lawn Care As Pest Prevention

Cultivating is something that doesn't have to be done as often as the other items on our list, but it is highly important. If you have a thatch build up, or compaction problems, aerifying, or verticutting will aid in keeping your lawn in good condition.

Lawn Care The Facts

If the area is getting so much traffic because it is convenient, you could make a paved foot path through the area, or you could plant or build a traffic barrier to make it less convenient

Landscape As Prevention

Your landscape is an insect and rodent magnet, it will attract them, or it will help to repel them, based on how you manage it.

Plant Choices As Pest Prevention

Your choice of plants to populate your landscape plays a very important role in preventing home pests. As a general rule of thumb, these should be native plants whenever possible.

Tree Care As Prevention

Good pest prevention practices apply to trees as well as the rest of your landscape. Proper maintenance will repel insects and weeds, poor practices will attract them like a lawyer to an ambulance.

Landscape The Facts

Use plants native to your area when you are landscaping. Native plants are already resistant to native pests, are comfortable with your climate and average rainfall, and they won't break out into the environment and eat the forest.

Preventing Pests From Coming In

If you have performed the other tasks in this guide properly, the number of pests trying to get inside will be limited. The biggest part of indoor pest control, is practicing good outdoor pest prevention. There is still one important thing that needs to be done:

Indoor Prevention The Facts

Most importantly, there are always the things your mother told you. Things like: "Close the door when you go in or out." You should have paid more attention, you probably wouldn't have to be reading this list!

If you don't find exactly what you are looking for, email us, and we will try to solve that problem as well. etexbiz@gmail.com