How to Prevent Pests in Apartments

July 1st, 2024 by pest expert Matthew S. Hess

Apartment living is becoming increasingly popular each year. As more people move into apartments, however, pest problems will follow. Because apartments often share hallways, utilities, entryways, and more, pests may also be unknowingly shared, especially German Cockroaches.

Besides cockroaches, apartment complexes often deal with ants, bed bugs, flies, rodents, spiders, wasps, and more. Although bed bugs are probably the most feared pest, that does not discount the nuisance caused by other pests, and apartment living could mean that someone else’s pest becomes yours too!

Since apartment living is increasing in popularity and living so closely with others often causes pest populations to rapidly spread, pest control companies are getting more and more calls from people just like you seeking relief from pests in their apartments. Let’s explore a few steps that YOU can take to help reduce the likelihood of getting a pest infestation in your apartment.

What YOU Can Do To Help Prevent Pests In Your Apartment

Practice Good Sanitation

Perhaps nothing is more effective at preventing pests than good sanitation practices. Keeping a kitchen free of food particles, garbage, and dirty dishes not only makes for a much more appealing and happier place but also prevents pests from finding easy food sources. This same practice works in any indoor or outdoor space. Reducing clutter, removing garbage, and keeping your area clean will help prevent pests. Don’t underestimate a clean environment when it comes to pest prevention!

Inspect All Deliveries

Sometimes, pests can be transferred in boxes and other packages. Those that contain food or food-related products may especially harbor German Cockroaches. Additionally, Brown Recluse Spiders can be shipped within boxes containing previously stored items like furniture, electronics, parts, medical supplies, and more. Bed bugs are more likely to be shipped with personal items and used furniture pieces. When unboxing items, inspect carefully for pests and dispose of the box and packaging right away.

Avoid Neighbors With Known Pest Infestations

Although this is not always as easy to do as it is to say, it is certainly an important step in reducing and even eliminating the chances of pest infestation. When a neighboring apartment is known to be harboring bed bugs or cockroaches, visiting that apartment or allowing its inhabitants to visit yours, makes your apartment much more vulnerable to pest infestation.

Travel With Caution

Bed bugs are the most common pests to bring home when traveling. Checking furniture is not always a good indicator that bed bugs are present. When staying in other sleeping quarters, it’s best to store your luggage in the bathtub or the furthest place from the beds. Once home, unload luggage to launder right away and store it in the garage, a storage shed, or another place away from the living quarters.

Avoid Secondhand Furniture

Secondhand furniture may be one of the most common ways that apartments and other homes get bed bugs. It may harbor live bed bug adults, nymphs, or eggs. It’s best when at all possible to completely avoid secondhand furniture. The number of apartments that become infested due to secondhand furniture purchases or reception is astronomically high. It’s much better to purchase cheap furniture that’s bed bug-free than to purchase expensive furniture cheaply just to end up with bed bugs.  If you must accept secondhand furniture, be sure to first ask if there’s any infestation and subsequently inspect the furniture before bringing it into your apartment. Remember to be respectful enough not to look the “gift horse” in the mouth while it’s in the giver’s barn!

With these few precautionary steps, you can ensure that your apartment will be less likely to become infested with unwanted pests. If you are already experiencing pests in your apartment be sure to contact your facilities management team to enquire about provided pest control. If pest control is not provided under your lease, you’re free to choose any company you want, and Four Seasons Pest Solutions is here to help. We provide pest control to thousands of apartments across Kentucky, Tennessee, and Virginia. Our technicians are skilled in their trade and ready to eliminate your pest problems.