Do you ever watch Animal Planet? Notice that all the animals go to one spot in their environment to nourish themselves; do you know what that spot is called? That’s right, it’s the oasis, or watering hole, if you want to get technical. Now, imagine your home as an African savanna, and the animals are the pests roaming about your territory. Is your house similar to that watering hole? Are you suffering from permeable pipes, cluttered gutters, or just too many half-full cups of water? Not as known as one of the contributors to household pest infestation; moisture of any kind can cause a serious problem for your house. So, it’s time to put a drain in your oasis before your pests make a permanent savanna out of your home.

The first thing you have to do is repair any leaky faucets, appliances, pipes, and that roof you live under. Catching drops with buckets just doesn’t cut it anymore, and you’ll notice that bugs will start to accumulate if you don’t get your leaks repaired A.S.A.P.! The next thing you should do might be the most dreaded of your tasks: clean your gutters. It’s a pain to do, and heights can be dangerous, but, sometimes, a little backbreaking is needed, in order to keep your home safe from the creepy crawlers that live in those gutters. While you’re dealing with the water situation outside, you might as well direct all water away from your house. This is usually good to do before the clouds come and rain on your parade. Look around outside and in your house. Are there cups, buckets, or simply anything that has excess water just sitting in it? Dump it out! You’re creating a little home for mosquitoes and all sorts of critters that love to hang out around water.

Most of your moisture problem can be fixed by just keeping things clean enough for water to pass through them. A home isn’t designed to harbor water until mold builds up and bugs come in, so, chances are, the moisture problem you are experiencing is due to negligence on the home owner’s part. Do yourself a favor, and sap your oasis before you have to unleash metaphorical lions on your pests!