While you welcome your pets into your home, you certainly do not want other animals, like rats and cockroaches, to take up residence in your abode. As a pet owner, however, you’ll have to adhere to some specific tips and guidelines if you want to keep pests at bay while also keeping your own pets safe and happy.

1. Choose Your Dog Door Carefully

Having a dog door can make caring for your dog so much easier, but you don’t want rats or raccoons to follow your dog in at night. Thankfully, you can easily prevent this. Choose a dog door that seals tightly. This will prevent scents from leaking outside around the flap, so rodents won’t be attracted to it. Also, choose a flap made from an opaque material so the light does not shine through it. This will keep bugs, which are notorious for loving light, from entering through the dog door.

2. Keep Pet Food Cleaned Up

Especially in areas where cockroaches and rodents are common, make sure you feed your pet meals instead of just leaving food out all of the time. Left unattended, a bowl of uneaten dog food can be very appealing to pests. Pick up anything your pet does not eat within an hour. Also, make sure you sweep up any fallen food bits around the bowl.

3. Don’t Feed Your Pets Outside

Avoid feeding cats and dogs outside, as any food left behind may attract pests. Once the pests have settled in your yard, they do not have to travel far to enter your actual home. If you notice strays around your home, contact your local shelter rather than feeding them — and potential pests — yourself.

4. Let Professionals Handle the Pesticides

Applying pesticides is tricky when you have a pet. You need to choose pesticides that are safe for your animals or make absolutely certain that the chemicals are not in areas your pet may come into contact with. The best way to handle this is to leave it to the professionals. Knowledgeable pest control experts know how and where to apply pesticides without putting your pets at risk. They may request that you temporarily remove your pets from the home, and they’ll tell you when it is safe to return.

5. Give Your Pet Regular Flea Treatments

Fleas are a nightmare to get rid of once they enter your home. Their eggs and larvae can linger in the carpet for months, hatching and re-infesting your animals. It’s far easier to prevent a flea infestation in the first place. Ask your vet to recommend a good flea-prevention treatment. These include both topical and oral options. Many repel ticks as well as fleas. Since fleas spread tapeworm, regular flea treatments will also protect your pets from worms.

6. Wash Pet Bedding Often

The odor of unwashed pet bedding may attract roaches and other insects. Pets may also hide pieces of food or treats in their bed, which is attractive to pests of all types. You should launder your pet’s bedding once a week. If your pet has sensitive skin, use a scent-free laundry detergent to reduce flare-ups. If you notice any bugs in or around the pet bed, clean the area well. If the problem persists, contact a pest control company — and also your vet if you suspect the bugs are fleas. It is possible to keep your home pest-free when you have pets; you just have to pay attention to details. Contact Jones Bros Pest Control, Inc., for all of your pest control needs. We’re experts at dealing with rats, ants, and other pests.