Are you unwillingly sharing your home with more than just your family this winter? Have various pests moved in and don't seem interested in leaving no matter what you do? Whether you're dealing with an infestation of rodents or insects, this can be an embarrassing issue. But despite what you may have heard in the past, having pests move in doesn't necessarily mean that your housekeeping is "dirty" or that you and your family are unclean. Pests move into homes for a variety of reasons, making them difficult to evict. Some things that can help with the problem include:

Call in a professional: Calling an exterminator in to assess the situation is a crucial first step to getting rid of any possible infestation. In order to accurately get rid of the pests, you need to know exactly what is bothering you. This is something that may not be possible without the assistance of a professional. For instance, field mice, house mice, and deer mice are all similar in appearance but may require somewhat different strategies. Or you may think you have brought home bedbugs but it turns out that you only have a flea problem. These are all things that a professional exterminator will investigate before recommending a course of action.

Fix leaky faucets: Rats, mice, and various insect pests all need water in order to survive. If any of your facets drip at all, even if it is only slightly, this could be a water source for your tiny invaders. Once you have fixed the faucets, you should also consider plugging any and all drains when not in use in order to restrict access to the residual water that stays in the U bend of the drain. Preventing access to water, in as much as is possible, will help your exterminator to eliminate your pests once and for all.

Avoid store-bought products: Instead of calling an exterminator in to eliminate your problem, you may be tempted to simply go to your local hardware store or similar to pick up traps or poisons for you to use yourself. Unfortunately, these traps and poisons may be species-specific or may not work at all on the insects or rodents in your home. As a result, you could waste more money buying these products than if you'd simply hired an exterminator in the first place. In addition, these store-bought products are usually not meant to be used on a long-term basis. Unlike the products used by a professional, using store-bought products more than once or twice a year or otherwise more frequently than recommended by their labeling could result in you or your family falling seriously ill as a result of the prolonged exposure.