Basements are often slightly or fully underground, where cool air and ventilation can be hard to come by.
At 247 Pest Control, we know that this can cause various troubles, such as mould growth, water damage, and sadly, a breeding ground for bugs and pests to flourish and infest.
The thought of creepy crawlers inhabiting your basement is sure to cause you goosebumps. If you haven’t spotted them scurrying around, then consider yourself lucky.
However, if you don’t see them, it doesn’t mean that they’re not around your basement. Most bugs and pests run and hide as soon as they sense a foreign presence.
Bugs and pests love to nestle in dark and damp environments and don’t care if it's your man cave, where children play, your home gym, or a clunky storage spot.
In fact, pest infestations mostly thrive in places that are hidden from the world. With relatively high humidity and cooler temperatures, pests enjoy a life comfortably hidden from potential dangers.
Spider Webs
The one good indicator that pests have made a home in your basement is spider webs.
If you spot a few webs here and there, there’s a likelihood that spiders have made their home in your basement, and they feed upon the many other unwelcomed guests.
If spider infestations become alarming, consider professional spider exterminators from 247 Pest Control.
Other Creatures
The presence of flies and/or crickets is another sure sign, as these and up food of some larger pest predators, such as centipedes.
Overgrown Vegetation
Having plant life in or near your basement, then animal life is not far away.
Bugs in your basement are never a good thing as they can compromise structural integrity, spread diseases, infest food supply, cause water damage, and more. If you store any form that bugs recognise as food down there, insects will most likely start feeding off of it and wreak havoc. Although bugs may be small and seem harmless, some insects can cause considerable damage.
If you’re in a rental property and discover pests, before you do anything, check for information in your tenancy agreement as it’s often unclear who’s responsible for, i.e. bed bugs. In a thorough tenancy agreement, you will have thorough details on how to handle an infested basement and the steps to take. On the opposite end, if you're among British home buyers, you must understand that when you have moisture, there will always be basement pests and that's the predominant percentage of UK properties. Sorry.
- Spiders;
- Ants;
- Termites;
- Cockroaches;
- Centipedes;
- Millipedes.
Basement Spiders
Spiders aren’t extremely dangerous, or at least for the most part of their representatives.
Although their bites may sting, they’re rarely lethal. The problem is that they can grow into large amounts due to intense breeding. One female spider can lay at least two eggs or even 1,000.
Seeing thousands of spiders in your basement is something you surely don’t want to happen.
Basement Ants
Ants are easy to kill, but they’re challenging to exterminate when there are thousands of them. Spraying some insecticide won’t be enough to get rid of them. The key to getting rid of ants once and for all is to infiltrate their nest.
Basement Termites
Termites are the most harmful pests you can ever encounter, as they love timber, often used in construction.
They’ll munch on wood and paper until nothing is left, nor stands still. If your home is built from a lot of timber, having termites in your basement is a guarantee to destroy your home in no time.
Make sure to check cracks, crevices, and moist soil.
Basement Cockroaches
Oriental cockroaches are the least favourite pests anyone would ever want to come across and that happens not only in sewers and rubbish.
Other than their unsightly appearance, they carry more than 30 types of bacteria, and their eggs can find harbourage and spread throughout your basement reasonably quickly. Although cockroaches don’t bite, the bacteria they have can contaminate your food and cause you to be sick.
For nasty infestations in areas lacking proper sanitation, consider a professional cockroach treatment from 247 Pest Control.
Basement Centipedes
Centipedes are one of the most dangerous arthropods pests because of their painful bite.
Although these nocturnal creatures can’t cause serious medical problems, some centipede bites can cause allergic reactions. There are hundreds of subspecies of centipedes, which makes identification difficult.
An excellent way to know whether you’re dealing with a poisonous species is by looking at the number of legs they have.
Basement Millipedes
Millipedes and centipedes often get mixed up because of their names. The difference between the two is that millipedes aren’t venomous, but certain sub-species can cause irritation to our skin because of the fluids they produce.
Hence, when handling these critters, you should equip with gloves and protective gear to avoid irritation.
Is your basement filled with bugs?
- Dispose of overgrown plants and bushes around your property, and keep firewood no less than 20 feet away from it.
- Fill in cracks and crevices via silicone caulk, steel wool, or maybe both?
- Secure entrances like windows and doors.
- Think about covering window wells to keep pests out.
- Remove clutter and organise storage containers to eliminate possible basement insect hiding places.
- Use plastic rubbish bins instead of cardboard boxes.
If you’re dealing with pesky pests, here are some tricks you can try other than calling a professional to help you out.
You’d only need to equip with some pest control gear that exterminators use.
Eliminate Moisture
The presence of water keeps mould, bacteria, and pests alive.
So, the first step to getting rid of basement bugs would be to get rid of both moisture and sources immediately. This includes repairing leaky pipes, drainage issues, or cracks in your foundation.
It is key is to keep moisture levels in your basement as low as possible.
Opt for Dehumidifiers
The best tool in fighting and getting rid of moisture is using dehumidifiers to further reduce and eliminate water molecules. These air suckers are essential if your basement has poor or lacks ventilation.
Get Rid of Food Sources
Next, it’s time to actually start getting rid of pests.
What you want to do is to cut off and get rid of their sources of food and what helps their subsistence. If you have anything that pests could see as nutrients, then you should do all in your power to clean up and remove any trace of it.
However, this all depends on the type of pest you’re dealing with. Some insects love to feed off human food, and some love pet food, and bed bugs love blood.
The best solution would be to eliminate any traces of food and cut off their feeding source.
Remove Furnishing & Upholstery
Keeping old furnishing with heavy upholstery or old carpets and rugs can turn out the perfect breeding ground for a range of pests, comments carpet & rug professionals Rug Cleaning London. That’s why you should keep fabrics in the basement for too long, especially if you have moisture floating around,” experts note.
Block All Entry Points for Pests
Once you’ve got rid of their food, the next thing to do is to seal all points of entry to your property and basement. These can come as of cracks or small holes, broken windows, doors barely hanging, etc.
To keep pests from entering your home, it’s best that you patch up any holes or cracks and close off all spaces.
Use Aromatic Oils Against Unwanted Creatures
Aromatic oils don’t just smell good, they can actually repel insects. Certain aromatic oils such as lavender, peppermint, and citrus oils are great at repelling bugs.
Spray some all over your basement and home to help keep pests away.
Spray Garlic To Chase Out Basement Bugs
Garlic may be a delicious addition to your pasta, but there are a few things that bugs hate than this vegetable. Known for its antibacterial properties, garlic is also great for killing and repelling bugs.
An excellent way to use garlic in your quest to get rid of basement bugs is by making your own garlic spray with a few cloves of minced garlic with a bit of mineral oil, dish soap, and water. As simple as that.
Repel Critters With Vinegar
Vinegar is a critical ingredient in a lot of DIY cleaning products. It’s also potent in repelling insects. A mixture of vinegar and water is an excellent insect repellent.
Set Up Effective Animal Traps
Lastly, if you’ve done all the things above, but you’d like to be extra careful, you could also set up traps around your basement. One example is ant bait stations. This is a magnificent trap to help kill ants. Ants usually enter the station, carry insecticide bait to the queen, and eventually kill the colony. This method can take a while because it can take several days until the colony moves away.
Clean Your Basement
You should sweep or vacuum once in a while.
You have several solutions to keep bugs and pests away from your basement and keep your home protected from any potential infestations from animals harmful to humans or human concerns
Here are the few precautions you can try:
Build a Barrier
Having an insecticide barrier restrains pests from making themselves comfortable in your home.
If your home often experiences some sort of floods or leaks, having an insecticide barrier can be highly beneficial. The barrier keeps insects out and keeps them from escaping when your home is flooded.
Keep Your Basement Moisture-Free
Moist basements are excellent places for bugs and pests. Insects such as cockroaches and termites love wet and damp environments.
So, to keep your basement pest-free, you must keep it moisture-free. This means that you must eliminate any sources of moisture and keep humidity levels as low as possible.
Regularly Clean Your Basement
Rubbish attracts roaches.
“So, keep your basement neat and tidy to reduce the chances of a cockroach infestation and insects in general,” comment professionals Rubbish Begone. “This means that you must make time to tidy up your basement, throw out rubbish, and keep a close eye on any critters roaming about,” experts add.
Also, keep in mind to remove all traces of food to prevent insects from getting too comfy in your basement.
Bugs and pests aren’t something you want to be dealing with. Although they may seem small, they can cause unimaginable damage and are difficult to remove.
Pests, if left unchecked, can run amok and continue to spread.
Leaving your pest problems untreated can create more significant problems for your home and household. Pest issues should never be ignored and should be handled immediately and properly. If you’re unsure what steps to take, getting professional help and setting preventive measures is the best way to tackle bugs and pests in your home.