Spring weather has finally arrived, but unfortunately the sun brings with it unwanted visitors.
Wasps, ants, fruit flies and more will be ravaging houses as temperatures rise.
But fear not, as Natalie Bungay from the British Pest Control Association is here to tell you how to keep spring pests from their homes.
Natalie says: “Prevention is always the best approach and there is a lot you can do to help protect your home.”
She tells Nikki Watkins how to keep the bugs at bay, while we share some top self-help tips.
- You can find a list of professional pest controllers at bpca.org.uk/find.
WASPS
Natalie says: “Queen wasps emerge and start working on new nests in the spring – and you don’t want your home to become a wasp headquarters.
“Open bins will attract them, so make sure bin lids are secure.
“Inspect sheds, outbuildings and attics for wasp nests, as the largest the nest succeed, the more problems you will have.
“Never be tempted to take care of a nest alone, even if it is only the size of a golf ball, as wasp stings can be dangerous. Always call a professional.
ERROR QUOTE: When it comes to deterring wasps, peppermint oil£1.40, Asda, is your friend as wasps don’t like the smell of mint.
Soak an old cloth or cotton balls in it and place them where wasps can enter your home. This will prevent them from building nests.
ANTS
Natalie says: “Ants are often found indoors in the warmer months as they look for sweet foods to feed their larvae and the Queen.
“Cleaning behind large appliances in your kitchen and cleaning the inside of all cabinets will discourage ants from feeding on your leftovers.
“To get rid of them, you will need to find the entrance to their nest. Look for small piles of Earthor you can follow the ants and see where they take the food.
“Pouring a kettle of boiling water over the nest site will eliminate them – but prevention is better.”
ERROR QUOTE: Chances are you have an ant deterrent in your kitchen cupboard in the form of black pepper.
Ants aren’t a fan of this (or cayenne pepper), so sprinkle some around the problem area or mix some with water and spray.
This won’t kill them, but it may stop them from returning.
SILVER FISH
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Natalie says: “Silverfish are carrot-shaped insects – not fish – and are around 12mm long.
“They are nocturnal and feed on starchy substances, such as wallpaper paste and food scraps.
“So keep your cupboards free of any spilled food.”
ERROR QUOTE: Paper is one of the silverfish’s favorite foods. Before bed, take an old newspaper, roll it lengthwise, secure it with rubber bands and wet it with water until it is damp but not soft.
Leave some of these “traps” around your home in places where you have seen silver fish.
Insects will be attracted to the traps and must take refuge in them at night.
In the morning, discard the newspapers and repeat the process until you get rid of them.
FRUIT FLIES
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Natalie says: “These pests are attracted to ripe fruit and vegetables. To prevent fruit flies from taking an interest in your home, keep dustbin lids closed, clean up sugar residue, clean rotten fruit from trees in your garden and don’t leave food out.
“Placing an insect screen, such as Flyzzz Mesh Insect Nets, £6.99, Amazon, on your windows and doors will also prevent flying insects from entering your home.”
ERROR QUOTE: If there is a red drop wine left at the bottom of the bottle from the night before, pour it into an empty container with a little dish soap.
Stir and cover the container with plastic wrap film and make small holes in it.
The smell will attract fruit flies to the container. The holes in the cling film will allow them to get in, but it will be difficult to get out again.
MOTHS
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Natalie says: “Before putting away your winter clothes, make sure anything made from natural fibers is washed, as moth larvae are attracted to sweat and food stains.
“If you have clothes that have been affected by moths, place them in a plastic bag and keep them in the freezer at -18ºC for at least two weeks to kill the eggs.”
ERROR QUOTE: Place dried rosemary, thyme, cloves, lavender or bay leaves in a small cloth bag (a clean sock will do) and hang in the closet to keep moths away as they hate the smell.
Alternatively, parasitic trichogramma wasps, available to buy from websites such as dragonfli.co.uk (£14.99), kill clothes moth eggs.
These wasps, which are small parasites that attack moth eggs, are harmless to humans and only remain as long as there are moth eggs present.
INJURIES
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Natalie says: “It’s peak slug season and the slimy pests can end up inside your home, often in moisture-rich areas such as hallways. If your home is damp, treat it to stop slugs from spreading.
“And getting rid of any plants or debris near the affected area will also help.”
ERROR QUOTE: Slugs love Weetabix, so crumble up cheaper own-brand Weetabix cereals, such as Aldi’s Wheat Bisks, £1.99, and place between the place where you saw the slugs coming in from outside and the place where you want to stop the slug from getting in. , for example, the back door step.
Slugs love this cereal so much that it will distract them and prevent them from entering your home.
You can also try sprinkling eggshells or crumbled walnuts around your plants.
The shells act like shards of glass, which keeps slugs away.
BED BUGS
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Natalie says: “It’s almost impossible to prevent bed bugs, but the sooner you act when you spot one, the less serious the outbreak will be.
“Check regularly for signs of bed bugs by examining the edges of your mattress and headboard.
“If you find evidence, wash everything at at least 60C, dry on warm for at least 30 minutes, dry clean everything or place in a bag and then in the freezer for at least three days.”
BUDGET BUSTER: Poundland has a £1 product that can help get rid of bed bugs in the form of tea tree oil, which not only kills them but also masks the human smells that attract them.
Dilute twenty drops of the oil in 200ml of water and spray on the affected areas.
RATS
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NATALIE SAYS: “Rats only need a 6mm space to enter your home, so if you have an infestation, look for entry points and seal them with wire wool and quick-drying cement.
“Only store food in airtight containers to prevent rats from reaching it.
“If you find evidence of a rat infestation, you can place humane traps at right angles to the walls so the lever can be activated in any direction.
“However, be sure to keep the traps out of the reach of children and pets.”
ERROR QUOTE: People on Internet forums are finding that plug-in air purifiers work well at preventing rats.
Rats hate the smell of cinnamon and peppermint, so scents that include these may discourage them.
This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
