Get matched with top pest control specialists in Dunkerton, IA

The best way to ward off roaches is to take preventative measures and stay on top of routine extermination services. Keep them away by cleaning your kitchen free from crumbs, properly storing away food, covering your pet’s food bowl, and reducing moisture in your home to make your house less tempting for roaming cockroaches. Remove clutter—especially cardboard boxes that roaches love to hide in, and replace them with plastic tubs.

Roaches may not be quite as common on the top floors of a home, but they can easily climb up there if they want to. Second stories are less likely to have food sources and somewhat less likely to have moisture issues, so most roaches are attracted to bottom levels first. However, humid attics and similar spots can help roaches thrive.

Aside from a warm, cozy place to curl up, you might wonder what attracts mice to your home. Several items attract mice, including: Birdseed Pet food Water Cereal and whole grains Food scraps from the composting bin Open trash cans High-fat and high-sugar foods Unused cars—they make great homes for chilly mice Insulation in the attic Clutter Brush from your yard, including leaves, sticks, wood, and shrubs (so mice can make nests) Overgrown trees or bushes—mice love to leap from branches onto the roof Indoor nesting materials, including cloth, paper, tissues, and toilet paper Tiny cracks in the siding or foundation

Water bugs won’t actively chase you, but they earned the nickname “toe-biters” for good reason. Water bugs are highly defensive. They typically rest an inch or so below water, waiting for prey. But if they feel threatened by a human that gets close, they may inject the person with a harmless venom from their legs, which may feel like a bite.