Apartment living offers a few additional challenges when it comes to pests. It is no secret that unsanitary conditions can attract bugs. Food left out or crumbs give them something to eat and neglecting to clean gives them places to hide without being disturbed.

The difficulty when you live in an apartment is that you are surrounded by neighbors with different cleaning habits than you. Even if you keep your apartment spotless, your neighbors might not. When your neighbors have bugs, pipes, vents, gaps in walls and molding, and doorways make it easy for the bugs to move from another unit to your apartment, giving you your own infestation to deal with.

Practice Preventative Pest Control in Your Own Unit

The best first step to take against pests is to make your apartment less appealing to pests. If you are not offering bugs food and water, they are less likely to travel over from neighboring units. You can eliminate the things that draw pests when you:

• Clean Regularly – Wipe down counters, wash dishes, sweep, mop, vacuum, do laundry, and dust frequently. This removes any crumbs or food residue that bugs might smell.
• Remove Sources of Moisture – Cockroaches and other urban pests need moisture to survive. Have your landlord fix any leaks as soon as you notice them, and do not leave standing water in your kitchen or bathroom.
• Pick Up Clutter – Excessive clutter gives bugs a place to hide, making them more difficult to spot and remove. Try to avoid leaving items on the floor that might provide shelter for pests.

In addition to making your apartment less attractive for pests, you can also take steps to prevent pests from entering. Search out any cracks around doors, windows, walls, and ceilings. Depending on their size, you can seal them yourself, apply a preventative treatment to them, or have your building maintenance team fix them.

Other Steps You Can Take

Because bugs can travel between apartments in the same building, taking exceptional care of your apartment may not be enough. What happens next will depend on whether or not your landlord handles pest control.

When the landlord manages the hiring of a pest control company, report the issue to them and make sure you are coordinating any steps you have taken on your own or need to take to avoid over-application of pest treatments. At properties where the landlord will not assist, contact a local pest control company experienced in treating pests at apartment complexes.

If you are a tenant or a property manager looking for professional pest control for apartments, ExtermPRO can help. We are experienced in exterminating pests in multi-family housing, adapting our approach to larger properties where pests can move between units. With both one time and ongoing pest control, we can customize a treatment plan that will get rid of pests and reduce the risk of them coming back. Call us today to learn more about our apartment pest control.