How to Let In Fresh Air Without Welcoming Pests

Studies show that most homes need a “breath of fresh air”–and so do their occupants. According to the EPA, concentrations of pollutants are often two to five times higher indoors than outdoors. With quarantine and other restrictions in place, many Americans are spending more time at home in 2020 than in previous years. Unsurprisingly, indoor air quality has become a growing concern.

For healthier indoor air, your home needs improved ventilation: airflow that lets fresh air in and pushes polluted air out. While it’s essential to allow fresh air into your home, you also don’t want an army of pests flying in with it.

For this reason, we’ve put together some pro tips below for bringing fresh air into your home without allowing bugs in as well.

1. Repair your window and door screens.

By opening windows or doors at opposite ends of your home, you can create a cross breeze to push out harmful pollutants accumulating indoors, including dust, mold spores, VOCs, and trace amounts of carbon monoxide from your combustion appliances. However, holey screens are literally open invitations for bugs to fly in.

Establish a habit of checking your screens for gaps, tears, and holes, and make sure they aren’t popping out of their frames. If you don’t have the budget to install doors with built-in screens presently, you can try a mosquito door net like this one from Amazon (less than 50 dollars and rated 4.5 stars).

2. Put box fans in your repellent-treated windows.

There are a few tricks to utilizing box fans in windows, particularly when it comes to repelling insects.

• Use more than one fan because you need some air blowing into your home and some air blowing out.

• Use an odd number of fans. The majority of your fans should blow into your home while the minority blow outward. This will create a slight positive pressure inside your home that will discourage bugs from entering.

If your windows aren’t equipped with fitted window fans, insects might try to get in through the gaps on the sides of your box fans. Combine 2.5 teaspoons of lemongrass essential oil with 1 cup of grain alcohol (like vodka) to create a homemade bug repellent. Using a spray bottle, mist this around the gaps in the windows (and even throughout your home, if you like) to ward off mosquitoes, ticks, chiggers, fleas, and flies.

3. Plant pest-repellent landscaping.

Some plants can function as natural pest repellents against mosquitoes and other insects. Famous examples include marigolds, citronella, catnip, horsemint, basil, and rosemary. To get the most benefit from these plants, you’ll need to position them next to your home’s doors and under the windows.

More Ways to Keep Your Home Healthy

Along with improving your home’s indoor air quality, cleaning and disinfecting is an essential part of safeguarding your household against germs and contaminants. Visit the CDC’s website for the latest guidelines from disease experts on how to keep your home free of COVID-19 and other dangerous pathogens.

At Greenix Pest Control, we believe in delivering our customers more than a quick pest control treatment. Our solutions offer customers security and peace of mind while upholding our commitment to sustainability and environmental responsibility. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to us today to learn more about how we can help your house feel like home again: (888) 800-7181.