Is your home under attack by an invading force of insects? Does it feel like there are creepy-crawlies wherever you turn? If so, you're not alone in this regard. As insect population numbers swell every spring, it can sometimes feel like you're fighting a losing battle to keep your home free of various insect pests. Thankfully, although insects outnumber people, people are still smarter and can do a variety of things to eliminate troublesome insect populations. A few of the things that you should have done or that you should be doing to get rid of these pests are as follows:

Hire professional help

When dealing with any sort of pests, it's essential that your first step be to call in a professional for guidance and help. An exterminator will often be able to identify the species that you're facing and will be able to reliably estimate just how many pests you're actually dealing with. You might think that you've just got a small issue with one type of insect, only for it to turn out to be a much larger issue being caused by a different species. If you don't fully know what you're dealing with, it can be nearly impossible to completely handle the situation.

Deep clean your home

Although pests will move into a home that is clean when all they're looking for is shelter, finding any bits of food around is going to be a bonus for them. Strip the cushions off of your couch and vacuum out any crumbs within. Move your fridge and/or stove and clean the dust bunnies out from underneath these appliances. The less food that there is for the insects to find in your home, the easier it will be for the exterminator to do his or her job. A clean home may not keep pests away, but it can certainly make the environment more hostile so that they're more likely to move on quickly.

Fix screens and weatherstripping

If you have any holes in your window screens, this can allow insects to enter with relative ease. While screens won't keep 100% of insects out, a fully intact screen door or window screen will be more likely to keep pests from entering your home. Another means of entry is via gaps in the weatherstripping around your doors and windows. As these strips of rubber or rubberized plastic age, they become brittle and break apart. When this happens, it's easier for insects to enter your home and take up residence. Although an exterminator can put a barrier of product around your home to help prevent insects from entering, the lack of weatherstripping in various areas will make it harder for this product to do its job.