Pests can be a huge nuisance to your home. Pests will eat away at the wood of your deck, chew through garden plants, and leave droppings everywhere. Outdoor trash cans are the most common areas for pests to make their home around. Therefore, you must take steps to keep them out of your outdoor trash area.
Storage Container
There are several storage containers available to help you keep your outdoor trash cans pest-free. The best storage containers are made from sturdy metal or plastic. These materials will keep rodents and other pests from chewing through your container. Such a container is made explicitly for storing outdoor trash cans.
If you do not have a metal or plastic container, consider placing the can inside another durable garbage bag to protect it from being chewed through by rodents and pests. A second option is to store an outdoor trash can in a secure shed or garage.
It would help if you also looked for a trash can with a zippered lid. Pests such as raccoons, rats, and other small rodents can climb into your outdoor trash cans and rip the bags open. A zippered top will keep them out of your containers. However, it would help if you used a heavier duty bag to prevent pests from chewing through it.
Clean the Trash Can
It is also essential to clean your outdoor trash can. It would help to wash out any stains and dirt left behind by previous garbage bags and spills from food or drinks. This will help keep your outdoor trash can clean and will discourage pests from moving in.
Clean the Area
You should also clean the area around your outdoor trash cans regularly. You do not want any food or crumbs left behind that can attract rats and other pests into your area. Rats love to chew through everything, so you should ensure nothing in your yard can serve as a food source for them.
Keep the Lid Closed
It is crucial to keep the lid closed on any outdoor trash cans when not in use. You do not want anything left out where animals or other pests will chew through and discover what is inside.
Place Your Dumpster on Concrete
Concrete is one of the best surfaces to place your dumpster on. Pests do not like concrete, so they will stay away from it if possible. By placing your outdoor trash can or other containers on concrete, you are less likely to attract pests into your home.
Use Repellents
Sprinkling your trash can with cayenne pepper or sprinkling coffee grounds around its exterior is an ingenious way to keep pests out. The smell is too much for them, and they will stay away from these areas. You can also place small bowls of ammonia around your outdoor trash cans as a natural repellent to rodents and pests.
Pests such as rats, mice, and other rodents may cause problems for you in your home. To prevent these pests from invading your outdoor trash can or any other container outside your home, take steps to ensure your trash cans are cleaned and stored properly.