No matter what the season, pests and wildlife need food and water to survive. With that being said, pests are attracted to our homes by several different things. One of those major things being food. Rodents like mice or rats will eat anything in sight and smell. Crawling insects like cockroaches and ants surely love a good snack like cookies and crumbs. Raccoons love garbage and pet food. Here Local Exterminator takes a deeper look at the many foods in your home that could attract pests and wildlife.

Rodents and cockroaches will eat just about anything humans eat. One of the more natural foods these pests feed off of are grains and seeds, whether they have been stored for later use or remain attached to a plant in your garden. Rodents are attracted to boxes of grain and farm fields prior to harvest. In more suburban areas, they may scavenge for seeds or grains from your pantry or garden. They may also raid bird seed containers, sneak into sheds where you have stored grass seed or find their way into your cabinet for unprotected cooking and baking ingredients.

Out of all the foods rodents consume, they generally love fresh fruits and produce. Therefore, raspberry and blackberry bushes, as well as apple and pear trees, can serve as magnets for these pests. When unconsumed fruits and produce are left to rot on bushes/trees or left in uncovered trash cans, these rodents are drawn by the smell and sweetness. This can ultimately lead to infestations of residential properties.

Rodents love nuts, from peanuts/peanut butter to walnut and everything else. In fact, just about any nut can serve as sufficient nourishment for rodents and wildlife. These serve as high-protein energy sources and rodents are very attracted to them. With that being said, you can use this desire against them as well. Use the love of peanut butter against rodents with a peanut butter scented glue trap.

Never underestimate the power of food crumbs. The smallest food crumbs on the floor can be enough to feed a tiny pest living in your home. Leaving any crumbs on the floor opens up your house to a potential infestation of pests. Another major attraction to your home is left garbage. Food of any kinds are key targets of wildlife dumpster diving. Raccoons, rodents and other wildlife will always find exposed food when it is available.

If it’s good enough for your dog or cat, it’s good enough for the rodents, raccoons and wildlife in your neighborhood. Anything from grains, seed, hay, fish food and so on are of interest to pests and wildlife. Be sure to not leave food out as this can be a major attraction to these pests.

Here at Local Exterminator, Inc . we combine the highest quality work with the best customer service available in the industry. We have been protecting residential properties for nearly three decades with our residential pest control services. Our process includes: