5 Tips For Keeping Your Los Angeles Home Free of Pests

Every Angeleno gets bugged by pests that invade when the summer simmers in the Southland. But don't fret. Before you go buggy over the situation, consider the following five ways to keep you Los Angeles home pest free.

1. Put Out A Stink

If you see a tiny black object skittering across the bathroom floor, chances are you have an infestation of stink bugs. If you witness more and more of this kind of situation, you will probably need to call an exterminator, but before you do, get your pets out of the house and clean out your cabinets, making it easier to nail these suckers once the professional comes to call.

2. Ticked Off

As any animal owner who has ever hiked Griffith Park and brought back a pet wearing a tick will know, these hard-shelled insects feed on blood. Once infiltrated, not only will your best friend on four legs suffer, but so will your home. Ticks carry Lyme disease, making them a dangerous addition to your house. To keep ticks outside in the wooded areas of Los Angeles where they belong, make sure to check your pet after a hike before letting him into the house and, if needed, administer tick medication acquired on the advice of your vet. Also take care that you dress to discourage ticks when you go out in the wild by wearing long sleeves and pants and by tucking your pant legs into your socks. If a tick attacks anyway, seek medical attention. This is not a DIY job.

3. Out of My Bed

Bed bugs don't run rampant in Los Angeles, but there are cases when these pesks make an appearance. In fact, in 2010, the Bed Bug registry put the City of Angels at number 10 on the list of cities nationwide that suffered this problem, especially since pesticides containing DDT have been banned here. Indications that these critters have come to call include dried blood spots and fecal matter stains in and around your bed. Once there, these determined creatures will want to stay, and getting rid of them yourself will prove fruitless. The best and safest way to properly rid yourself of bed bugs is to hire an exterminator.

4. Terminating Termites

These determined critters are prevalent in Southern California homes, particularly in the hills of Los Angeles. To help combat the problem, keep your home's foundation dry. Also get rid of any lumber or tree stumps that have taken up space in or around your abode, since these items are food for termites.

5. Ant Farming

Ants come in and out of Los Angeles homes more than your kids walk through the door and then exit again. How they get in depends on where these little devils can find a water supply. One way to quickly discourage a pack of these peaks is to spray perfume or a scented air freshener into the army's path and then spray more outside to lead these guys in the opposite direction and out of your abode.

Los Angeles is abound with pest control experts that can help rid your home of any uninvited guests.

Abolish Pest Control
(877) 4-ABOLISH
www.abolishpestcontrol.com

Abolish Pest Control serves Los Angeles, Ventura and Orange counties and can help rid your home of anything from bees, fleas, spiders and ants to cockroaches, rats and bats. The experts can also decontaminate your home after an infestation so ensure the problem doesn't return.

ECOLA Termite & Pest Management
(800) 332-BUGS (2847)
www.ecolatermite.com

ECOLA specializes in ridding homes with active termites, and they do it all with minimal or no use of chemicals that can be harmful for those with health problems like asthma.

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For more great tricks, tips and advice about your home, visit CBSLosAngeles.com/YourHome.

Los Angeles freelance travel writer Jane Lasky, contributes to publications such as Travel + Leisure, Vogue and Esquire. Her weekly sojourning column ran in 40 newspapers for 20 years. Jane is anything but an accidental tourist. Check out her articles on Examiner.com.