How To Deal With Common Pests in Your Home & Garden
As soon as the weather warms up in the spring, bugs and other common pests start to find their way into your home and garden. They can take the fun out of backyard grilling and ruin your garden before it even has a chance to bloom. Thankfully, there are ways you can deal with these common pests before they get too annoying. One of the best ways to take care of pests is to enhance your cleaning habits. However, the most popular solution is seeking professional help. An exterminator is well-trained to know which chemical is most effective for resolving different infestations. As you read further, you will gain insight into the varieties of pests that can cause havoc in your home and garden.
Ants
Ants can seemingly show up overnight and these common pests can be a real pain. There are several ways you can deal with ants, depending on how bad the problem is. The first step is to erase the scent from where you’ve seen them travel.
Just wiping or mopping is not enough to erase the scent. To get rid of ants that are coming into your home, mix one-part vinegar with three parts water in a spray bottle and then spray wherever you’ve seen ants. To get rid of ant nests, use ant bait, or call a pest control company.
Yellowjackets
Yellowjackets, wasps and hornets are really common pests that can ruin your backyard fun in a hurry. They can also be dangerous. To help keep them away, always clean any bits of meat off of your grill. Leftover meat will attract yellow jackets.
You can also use yellow jacket traps that have a little meat inside a container. These traps will attract and trap yellow jackets. Make sure to keep the traps away from doors and patios. And never leave an open soda or beer around; yellow jackets love to crawl inside the container and could sting you in the mouth.
Yellowjackets, hornets, and wasps can be aggressive and dangerous. If you have a nest in your yard, it’s probably best to call a professional company like Moxie Pest Control to deal with the problem.
Cockroaches
A clean home is the best way to deal with cockroaches. Cockroaches like grease, so make sure to always clean under and around the stove. Roaches live off of the food you leave behind. Clean under and behind the refrigerator, microwave, toaster and dishwasher, and make sure all food is kept in closed containers.
Catnip is a natural repellent to cockroaches. Put small sachets with catnip around areas where cockroaches might be. If the problem is getting worse, you might have to use cockroach bait.
Spiders
Spiders can be very annoying, especially if you don’t like them in your home. Vacuuming often is one way to keep spiders away. Vacuum the corners and the ceilings to get rid of any webs.
Keeping the area around your home free of debris is a good way to keep spiders from entering your home. If you have a fireplace, keep wood outside, away from your home. Trim overgrown bushes and evergreens around your home. This will not only keep spider populations down but can also improve your home’s curb appeal.
Spiders don’t like the smell of peppermint. Mix water with 25 drops of peppermint oil and spray the areas where spiders might be hiding. You can also soak cotton balls with peppermint oil and leave them in areas of your home. We also really like Stay Away Spiders from EarthKind. It’s all-natural, environmentally friendly, and safe to use around kids and pets.
EarthKind also has products for getting rid of moths, rodents, ants, and more! Their chemical-free products are made from plant based ingredients from family farms that lets you protect your home safely.
Fleas
The most common pests to have if you own animals is fleas. Make sure you get a flea collar for your dogs and cats. Vacuum everything in your house, including mattresses and furniture, and dump the vacuum bag outside.
Wash all sheets in hot water and dry on high heat, or just get new sheets and a new dog bed. Use a steam cleaner to clean all areas, especially areas where your pet likes to sleep. The heat and soap of a steam cleaner will kill the fleas and their eggs.
Sprinkle food-grade diatomaceous earth on dog beds, carpets, furniture cushions, and other places you suspect fleas. Make sure it’s food-grade and not the type used in pools and charcoal filters.
Slugs
If you find slugs are destroying your garden plants, you can circle the plants with coffee grounds, copper tape, or diatomaceous earth. This will keep the slugs away from your garden plants.
Slugs are also attracted to the yeast in beer. Make a slug trap using a small container, like a tuna can, and pour some beer in the can. Put the cans around the garden with the opening at ground level. The slugs will be attracted and fall in.
Mosquitoes
What are the most common pests of all? Mosquitoes of course. The best way to keep mosquitoes out of your yard and home is to make sure all windows have screens on them and there are no holes in the screens. Outdoors, make sure you don’t have standing water around your yard. You can also spray your house and yard with Wondercide Outdoor Pest Control spray.
Catnip can also repel mosquitoes. One study found that catnip is 10 times more potent at repelling mosquitoes than DEET (the main ingredient in many commercial insecticides). You can grow catnip around your yard or in pots. Catnip essential oil can also keep mosquitoes away so you can make your own DIY bug spray!