Some Helpful Tips to Keeps Pests Out of Your Apartment

Kevyn Juneau, IPM Florida

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You can reduce the number of pests in your apartment by following these simple tips:

• Store your food in airtight glass, metal, or plastic containers: You can re-use empty food jars for storage. You can also keep food in zip-up plastic storage bags. Remove items from paper or cardboard boxes (sugar and pasta) and place the food into containers. Insects cannot get into sealed food. Make sure any screw-top containers have a rubber seal in the lid. Small ants can crawl into containers that do not have the rubber seal, such as peanut butter. Place these containers into zip-up plastic bags and stored in the cabinet. You can store dried goods, like beans and flour, in the freezer.
• Place your fruit into the refrigerator or eat it immediately: Fruit flies, ants, and roaches can feed on fruit and vegetables left out on the counter, but they cannot get to it in the refrigerator.
• Clean up all spills: It is essential that you clean any food and beverage spilled in the apartment immediately. Spills provide pests with the food and water on which they need to live.
• Wipe out cabinets: Cabinets are often overlooked during routine cleaning. Spices, rice, sugar, or pasta spilled in cabinets can provide food for hiding pests.
• Clean counters, stove, and floor regularly: Keeping your kitchen clean prevents grease and food from building up. Pests eat this build up if it is not removed. Keeping your floor swept and mopped removes any spilled food, beverage, and hair that pests like to eat.
• Clean dishes in a timely manner: Clean your dishes often. If you do leave dishes in the sink, rinse them. Pests will eat any food left on your dishes. Also, do not let water pool in dishes. This serves as a water source for pests and promotes mold and bacterial growth.
• Wipe up any water and check for water leaks: Wipe up any water splashed around the sinks after you clean dishes or brush your teeth. Also, look for water leaks under the sinks and behind the toilet or bathtub. Immediately notify maintenance if you have any water leaks or dripping faucets.
• Take out the trash:  Do not let food rot in the trash. Rotting food not only stinks, but also it is food for pests. Rinse out your trash can often. Clean spills around the floor and the walls near your trashcans.
• Vacuum: Vacuuming both your floor and furniture will remove spilled food and any pests that you may not see. Vacuuming also gets rid of dust and allergens present in your apartment.
• Pick up any clutter: Clutter provides harborage for pests and makes it harder to control them. Excessive clutter is a fire hazard, will not be tolerated, and may result in referral through the student judicial process.
• Run your air conditioner: This will reduce humidity and temperature making your apartment less attractive to insects. If you choose not to run your air conditioner, open windows so your apartment can air out.
• Check your door sweep and door seal: If you can see light coming in from under doors, the seal needs to be fixed. The same goes for windows and screens. Any openings will allow pests to enter the apartment. Contact maintenance and they will fix the problem for free.
• Do not store items in cardboard boxes: Remove cardboard boxes once they are unpacked because they are both harborage and a food source for pests. We recommend that you store your possessions in plastic tubs, which can be purchased inexpensively at any store with a home care section.
• Do not line stoves or the areas above the stove with aluminum foil: Grease can get underneath the foil or buildup in the folds. It also provides a place for insects to hide. Metal drip pans for stove burners are available at the housing office.

Remember: Maintenance is available to fix any issues with the apartment for free. They will fix leaking faucets and plumbing, seal cracks and crevasses, fix the door sweeps and window seals, and repair most other problems.

Report any insect or maintenance problems to the Department of Housing and Residence Education by sending an electronic H.A.W.K. request online at www.housing.ufl.edu or fill out a work order and drop it off at the office.

Violations of the Department of Housing and Residence Life Community Standards may result in referral through the student judicial process. Visit http://www.housing.ufl.edu for
up-to-date Community Standards.

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