Whether you like it or not, pests will be around for as long as we are. Yes, they’re the bane of our busy lives, and it often seems that for as many pests you manage to get rid of, there’s double the amount to come back and plague us still. It’s an infuriating problem, but it needn’t be if you know how to eradicate them effectively. Pests take many shapes and forms, from aphids and ants to mice and rats. Knowing how to keep each at bay will serve you well, saving you time, money, and resources. It’s time to tighten up your act and eradicate any unwelcome guests from your home.
Wash Your Pets
Your pets can be the worst offenders for bringing the outside in; small lice and fleas can make your pet’s fur their home and can soon become a problem. Fleas are capable of jumping long distances, so can jump from your dog or cat and around your home. It’s very important to remain proactive in the face of fleas, they breed and spread quickly, getting into the fibres of your dog’s bed and blankets. Fleas need a host, and they need to feed off the warm blood of the said host. In pursuit of a host, fleas can transfer to your family members. Flea bites in humans appear as small, red, and itchy marks.The best form of attack is defense, so with this in mind, be sure to keep your pets clean and treated for fleas. Check your dog regularly, for both fleas and ticks, especially if you’ve been walking near sheep fields. Keep on top of applying flea control treatment to your pet, get them flea repellent collars, and conduct regular bathing and grooming.
Mosquitoes And Wasps
Mosquitoes and wasps are more of a problem during the summer months, as both of these pests thrive in the warmer weather. Mosquitoes and wasps are especially problematic since they bite and sting, respectively. Wasps stings are excruciatingly painful, while mosquito bites swell up to become large and itchy, and, if not monitored, can become infected. Use mosquito repellent sprays where you can, and treat any bites with topical medications to relieve the itch, and antihistamines to reduce the swelling and keep you from further scratching at the area. It’s long been favourable to trap wasps using a large jar without an exit filled with sugared water. While this technique can significantly reduce the number of wasps flying about, without destroying the nest you’re not eradicating the pest. Despite your best efforts, you can’t always eradicate pests from your home single-handedly. In the case of this, it’s time to call someone who knows more about pests than you do. Solve the problem and contact the professionals. Natura Pest Control offers effective critter control, eradicating ants, spiders, earwigs, rats, fleas, cockroaches and wasps.
Flies
Set up a series of sticky fly catching strips around your home, replace these regularly, both when they’ve successfully trapped flies and when the strip has lost its full stickiness. These work well for smaller flies, such as fruit flies, however, for larger house flies consider installing a commercial/domestic fly killer. These devices commonly attach to the wall, attracting small bugs and flies with the help of the UV light-bulbs that run along the length of the contraption. These electric fly killers are a food hygiene legal requirement in restaurants and other food vending establishments.
Silverfish
Although these small insects are relatively harmless, you don’t want them in your home. They scurry quickly away once unearthed and can sting on occasion; although perhaps the most unsettling fact about these creatures is how they reproduce. Silverfish reproduction and fertilization don’t require both the male and female to come together physically; meaning, their population can increase at a startling rate. Since silverfish favour damp and dark spaces in your home, start by making their route into these areas more difficult, for example, seal up cracks and small crevices in your home, in the walls of your kitchen, in window frames, and in tiling. Silverfish favour starchy foods, so be careful not to leave open packets of biscuits inside your cupboards, and bags of flour sat around in your kitchen; instead, transfer the flour into a large sealed container and remember always to place the lid back on.
Greenfly And Blackfly
Aphid infestations can take over and kill plants and flowers quickly if left untreated. Roses often fall victim to greenfly, and without removal and eradication of the pest, the foliage of your flower will be damaged and destroyed. Being careful not to damage the delicate rose flower, start by removing aphids with a gentle shake of the body of the flower, or bush. This causes the greenfly to simply drop to the floor, however, this method does not always kill the pests. It’s advisable to use a spray with some essential oils, such as orange oil, will do the trick. Mix the oil with a small amount of water into a spray bottle and directly apply the mixture to the stems and leaves of the affected plants.
Mice And Rats
If you suspect your home or garden shed has mice or rats nesting it in, then you need to act fast. This is a critical step to the prevention of rodents and halting an inevitable infestation. Both mice and rats infamously breed fast, so seeing that they’re eradicated from your property as quickly as possible is paramount to keeping them at bay. These creatures look for places where they are guaranteed a meal, so by leaving scraps of foods on the floor of your home and in easy-to-get-in-to plastic bags outside your porch or driveway you’re as good as inviting these pests into your home. Ensure your household waste is placed into bags, and into impenetrable bins. Thick high-top plastic bins or even smaller metal ones with a tight fitting lid can be deterrent enough to keep the rats and mice from making your home their home.