As a parent, you often find yourself juggling a multitude of tasks, right? One of which is ensuring our home and garden remain pest-free. Sure, you don’t inherently think about it every day, but when you see a pest, you immediately want to take care of it, right? While hiring a professional pest control service is the most effective way to tackle any pest issues, it’s also valuable to teach our kids some simple steps they can take to help prevent pests from becoming a problem.
Plus, they’re an animal lover, right? So you can see this as a lesson and a great way to get them involved in caring for their surroundings!
It All Starts with Cleanliness
One of the easiest ways to keep pests at bay is maintaining a clean environment- yep, it’s as simple as that! So, you’ll need to explain to your kids that pests are often attracted to food crumbs and spills. It might help to make tidying up a fun activity by turning it into a game.
Perhaps you can challenge them to see who can pick up the most crumbs after dinner or who can find the most creative way to organize the pantry. But overall, just remind them that by keeping their rooms and play areas clean, they’re helping to prevent pests from wanting to move in.
Seal Up the Entrances
As you already know, children love a good adventure, so turn checking for gaps and cracks around the house into a treasure hunt. So you’re going to want to show them how to look for potential entry points where pests might sneak in.
Once you’ve identified these areas, you can teach them the importance of sealing these gaps. While some fixes might require a bit of DIY or calling in a professional, smaller gaps can be filled with easy-to-use materials. This not only keeps pests out but also provides a fun learning experience. You could even do it and just let them watch (it actually might be better to do this).
Let Them Get Active in the Garden
Hands down, gardening is a fantastic way to get kids involved in nature while teaching them about pest prevention. So, you’re going to want to explain to your little ones that certain plants can attract pests while others can help repel them. How about you let them help you plant pest-repellent herbs like mint, lavender, and rosemary? These herbs are easy to grow and have the added benefit of making your garden smell lovely.
But of course, watering the garden is another task kids usually enjoy. So, you can teach them that overwatering can create a haven for pests like mosquitoes. But obviously, you’re going to want to show them the right amount of water each plant needs, turning it into a science experiment. At the end of the day, they’ll learn valuable lessons about responsibility and plant care while contributing to pest control efforts.
Look Into Pet Care
Some of the sweetest childhood memories involve your child and your pet bonding through cuddles and taking care of them the right way—and yes, that goes for grooming, too! But here’s another thing: if you have pets, they can sometimes unwittingly bring pests into the home.
So, you’re going to want to teach your kids about the importance of keeping pets clean and regularly checking them for fleas and ticks. Explain how these pests can hitch a ride into the house and cause problems for everyone. Grooming pets together can be a bonding activity that also helps keep pests at bay.
