Rains and heat usually bring a lot of insects; but we don’t talk about bees or butterflies – we’re talking about flies, spiders, rodents, ants, but also sneaky creatures like mice or lizards. In addition to the disgust they produce, these animals are a threat to the health of the family, as they’re often transmitters of a long list of dangerous and serious diseases. Wondering how to make them leave forever? Keep reading.
First of All – How Can We Prevent It?
1. Keeping your house neat as a pin
The disorder, layers of dust and accumulated garbage not only cause allergic reactions in humans – that’s also the ideal medium for all kinds of bugs to proliferate. So well, the house must be perfectly clean.
Sweep the floors, even under tables, chairs and carpets – wherever your broom or vacuum cleaner can go – and then mop them thoroughly. Beat your carpets regularly and, if you have pets, keep this area untouched. In order to avoid bad odors, you need to be strict and review the inside of the drawers, the microwave, toasters and, of course, the fridge.
It’s also recommendable not to keep the rubbish in the house for more than a couple of hours. The mess and the piles of papers or boxes become pest palaces, and a dirty kitchen and the exposed foods become bug buffets.
2. Close all the places where pests could enter the house
Insects and mice will use even the smallest opening to enter your warm, cozy home. That’s exactly why you should clog all the cracks and holes in the house.
Pay special attention to windows, door frames and ventilation, or simply any other pipes through which they could make their way inside. Fill every crack inside each cabinet, on both sides of the floor, doors and windows, as well as any holes around the pipes in the bathroom and kitchen. This will bring about a significant change and make the whole house look cleaner, but also safer and pests-free. Yay!
But they’re already here – what should I do now?
Oh well, the damage is already done and those little, tedious vermin are just on their way. As we previously said, it’s particularly important to take measures to prevent their spread and eliminate these insects from homes. But in case this happens though, you can turn to some rather effective means to get rid of the creatures.
1. Electric fly swatters
In case you’re having a specific problem with flying insects, these could show the greatest effectiveness against them and make your life easier. The electric fly swatter has proven to be the most effectual way to eliminate flies or mosquitoes in a hygienic, fast and simple way. The insect dies when it comes close to its filaments which give it an electric shock. In the market there’s the sale of a great variety of this class of devices and its choice depends mainly on the space in which it will be used.
However, experts don’t recommend using this in places where food is handled as the electric shock received by flying insects can give off small fragments of killed insects around the device.
2. Adhesive film fly swatters
These swatters are another type of electrical device that are recommended for use in bars, restaurants and places where you work with food. They are composed of sheets impregnated with pheromones that attract insects, together with fluorescent tubes of UV light. There are modalities of these very decorative fly swatters, keeping the adhesive foil hidden.
3. Old, good insecticides
Insecticides represent one of the most traditional methods to kill insects, although they have evolved a lot in recent years, being today safer and with little smell. Its effectiveness is also increasing with the emergence of insecticides whose effect lasts for more than a year.
Repellents are one of the most used methods when it comes to finding a safe system to use with children and the elderly at home. Its formula contains natural herbs and can even be used by people with skin irritation problems. We could also mention citronella, one of the most common natural components with a lemon-like smell, and spray repellents.
What if I don’t want to use those? How about some DIY ways?
Sure! There might be some situations when you prefer taking care of these things by yourself and, if so, you’re free to use a wide range of DIY or natural means to remove different kinds of pests. Let’s see what works best for some of them:
1. Cockroaches
- Borax (or boric acid) or a mixture of powdered yeast and sugar sprinkled along the floorboards in the rooms where cockroaches appear.
- Bay leaves, cucumber, garlic and catnip – you just need to leave small bags or pieces in the areas where cockroaches appear.
- Soap and water mixture in a spray bottle to spray directly on them.
- Mint leaves – they contain nepetalactone, an active ingredient that isn’t harmful to humans but to cockroaches.
2. Fruit Flies
- An inch of vinegar plus a little bit of soap (or a piece of rotten fruit) in a plastic cup, glass or bottle and covered with transparent film – secure the film with an elastic band and make some fine holes where the curious fruit flies will enter the container, but the lid and adhesive dish soap will prevent them from coming out.
3. Spiders
- Eucalyptus, garlic, coriander, and Osage oranges or monkey balls can be grown or placed outdoors to protect the household spiders economically.
- Putting chestnuts near windows and doors
- To kill a spider immediately, try an atomizer with some cloves of garlic and water or peppermint oil and water, or essential oil of choice with soap and water.
- Citronella candles
- A refrigerated mixture of tomato leaves and water in a spray bottle
- A lemon dish soap mixed with water and five drops of citronella.
4. Bed bugs
- Scrubbing floors with a solution of alcohol and water
- Warm ironing all clothes and bedding.
- Soaking clothes in ice water to kill these nasty types, since these can’t survive extreme cold or heat.
- A mixture of tea tree oil, Indian lilac leaves, lavender oil or black walnut leaves to eliminate the infestation.
5. Ants
- Eliminate skipped foods, waste from inadvertent spills, crumbs or stickiness.
- Cucumber, mint, cinnamon, cloves, cayenne pepper, ground coffee and juice of a lemon – just spray the area with a mixture of water and a natural repellent from the list
- Cotton balls soaked in a mixture of 1 liter of water, 1 teaspoon of borax and 1 cup of sugar inside an empty yogurt cup with holes on the lid – similar to the fruit flies trap.
- Soapy water
- Teabags of dried mint or clove.
6. Mice
- Plant mint and arrange pots around the house or apartment.
- Mint essential oil to pour into a steam cleaner.
- 3 – 5 drops of mint essential oil in two tablespoons of jojoba oil and mix well.
- A mixture of cocoa and gypsum powder as a trap, or
- A mixture of baking soda and flour.
They’re still here!
Well, if none of these means worked, the best thing to do is to confide your worries to a professional, as they always have the solution for all kinds of situations similar to yours – it’s their job. Every city has its own pests control service (like Sydney has Expert Pests Control!), so make sure you contact the nearest one and explain what type of permits make you be a bundle of nerves – they’ll provide you with the best solution and make those unwanted guests go away forever.