Tag: pests

Why do I suddenly have ants in my house? The most common reasons

Why do I suddenly have ants in my house? The most common reasons | H is for Home

At first glance, ants don’t seem to be extremely unpleasant insects – there are certainly much more dangerous and damaging ones, for sure. But when it comes to having ants in the house, the matter becomes slightly more serious. Having bugs in the kitchen or the bathroom are not ideal, and what’s more, it’s often difficult to get rid of them. Ants are, apparently, one of the most common insects that like to ‘invade’ homes. What are the reasons for that and how to stop it?

Ants reflected on shiny surface

Reasons for ants in the house

Ants are insects which occur in more than thirteen thousand different species. They’re ubiquitous and they live in large groups – that’s why we see them in every garden, playground or woodland. But sometimes cases arise where ants don’t stay in their natural habitats and they venture indoors in search of food or other nesting opportunities. They’re not an extreme danger, but they can be annoying and disturb the usual order; often to such an extent that employing chemical repellents is needed. No matter what the reason for ants in your house is, you might have a look at ways of eradicating them from the home at https://www.369bugs.com/.

Ants are known to be very ‘clean’ creatures – they normally cooperate and clean the area around their nest. If you keep any food leftovers inside your house, for example in the kitchen, it’s more than likely that ants will come and investigate. Sometimes you may not even be aware that there’s something rotting or spilt in one of your cupboards – the presence of ants may be the indication. Also, especially if you have children or pets, ants are likely to be attracted by the food spilt or left on the floors. Kids and animals can be especially messy in this way, so if you don’t want ants in your house it’s important to keep the interior as clean as possible.

Single copper colour ant

Leaky windows or hydraulic installation

One of the most common reasons for the unexpected ants in your house may be the problems with windows or doors; when they’re leaky, they become an ideal entrance for ants. They’re so small that it’s no problem for them to sneak through. The same goes for pipes, for example, in the bathroom; ants love a wet and humid environment, so it’s not a problem for them to infiltrate through the plumbing. This can sometimes be problematic as the pipework is usually joined together, for example in block of flats, so if your neighbours have ants, you’re also likely to have them. To read more about the hydraulic installation problems, have a look here.

Ants on dog food pieces

How to get rid of the ants

There are actually a few methods of fighting ants in your house. The easiest one is to conceal all the food that may be tempting to them – ensure you don’t leave anything uncovered. Close all the cabinets and cupboards securely, keep your rubbish inside sealed dustbins. Also, fix any gaps and leaks in windows and doors, so that ants don’t have any access to the building interior. If you see ants in your bathroom, consider fixing or improving the hydraulic installation. Examples of natural insect repellents include vinegar or oxygen bleach; if you want to repel the ants, put a little of these on the floor, doors and work surfaces.

If these methods aren’t enough and you still suffer from the ants’ unwanted company, use a chemical insect repellent, but contact a specialist in extreme cases. There are some repellent substances which may not repel a specific kind of insects or may even be harmful to humans and pets. If you’re not sure what to start off with, look at the guide on this website.

7 ands on a little pile of white sugar

Ants – a continuous problem

Ants are a species that are vast and varied, they reappear in places from which they’ve previously been repelled. Even if many of the workers don’t survive, the queen is likely to send other ant-workers to the same place. As a result, you may suffer from recurring ant attacks in your house. If the problem returns systematically, it’s an idea to think about some kind of long-term disinfection solution.

Even though ants may seem innocent, they might be really problematic for our households and everyday life. In search of food or humid places, they can come indoors regularly, and once they don’t get repelled, they continue to invade on a continuous basis. First, it’s advisable to reorganise space and habits, for example, by keeping food stored properly. If this doesn’t help, using more invasive and chemical substances may be necessary. But, all in all, these are just ants – if some of them appear in your kitchen or bathroom from time to time, it’s not a reason to panic – they’re only a natural part of our ecosystem.

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Everything you ever wanted to know about aphids

Everything you ever wanted to know about aphids | H is for Home

Aphids are incredibly small insects that are from the Aphididae insect family. There are well over 5,000 different species with several hundred of them being a direct threat to gardening and agriculture. Adult aphids are less than an 1/8 of an inch and are pear-shaped. The most common to be found on house plants are the light green ones, but they can also be found in black, grey, white and pink. In addition, once an aphid colony is established, the winged adult aphids will set off to infect other plants. Juvenile aphids look very similar to the adults and are just smaller in size.

Aphids covering the young shoots of a rose

Understanding how aphids damage plants

An aphid infestation can develop rather quickly and considering the insects are rather mobile they can travel quickly from one plant to another. In an outdoor garden, aphid colonies are usually tended to by ants which will feed upon the aphid honeydew, a sugary liquid that aphids secrete as they feed upon the sap of plants. Researchers have found that ants will transport aphids to new plants and believe that the ants are, in fact, farming aphids as a source of new honeydew. Aphids that are found on indoor plants tend to travel by flying or crawling to new plants.

Aphids cause considerable damage to plants by sucking the sap from new growth on plants. They’ll generally cluster around these fresh shoots, attaching themselves to the softer, young green stems. When this happens, the new foliage tends to look stunted or crinkled. Taking a closer look, one can visibly see aphids around the stem. If the infestation is severe enough, eventually the plant will begin to lose its leaves. Similar to mealy bugs, the honeydew that is secreted from the aphids will eventually encourage the growth of fungus and mould.

Illustration of the lifecycle of aphids

Understanding the aphid lifecycle

Aphid eggs that are found in the outdoors will generally survive through the winter by being attached to woodsy growth. When spring arrives the eggs will hatch into females. These females will give birth to nymphs without the process of mating in these nymphs have the ability to mature into adults in the matter of 10 days. The males will be born in the fall and mate with females in an effort to produce eggs in preparation for the long winter ahead. However, for aphids living indoors there is no winter season to slow their reproduction, which allows female aphids to continually produce nymphs all year long. One can easily see how quickly an aphid population can flourish out of control indoors.

Yellow aphids on a shrub

Dealing with and preventing aphids

Like many indoor and outdoor pests, defensive methods will usually work best. Having healthy plants is one of the best ways to combat an infestation as opposed to those that are weak and stressed. A general rule of thumb is to ensure that all of your plants are as healthy as possible to avoid a serious infestation.

However, if you do find aphids on your indoor plants, there are several control options that you can try with many of them being non-chemical:

  • Wash them away
  • Flick them off with a cotton swab or your finger

However, one of the best methods to fight light infestations is to simply dip them in water. If you have a plant that features delicate foliage, it is best to simply dip the entire plant in water to remove the aphids. Simply turn the plant upside down and dip the foliage into a bucket of room temperature water for best results.

Aphid on a person's thumb

Insecticidal soap

There are many insecticidal soaps that are available on the market or you can even create your own by using dish detergent. It is best to find a product that is going to be free of additives and perfumes that may be harmful to your plants. Slowly mix the soap into a week concentration with water. Simply take the mixture and spray onto plants, ensuring that the underside of the leaves are sprayed.

Aphid giving birth to live offspring

Applying neem oil

Neem trees provide this particular oil making it an entirely organic compound for your plants. However, it is still wise to use it according to its specific instructions. In addition to insecticidal properties, neem oil is absorbed directly into the plant to help control insects without any direct contact involved. The Environmental Protection Association has stated that neem oil is safe to use on food plants and ornamental plants.

Aphids on a stem

Home-made insects sprays

Organic Gardening magazine developed this all-purpose insect spray that has also been described in Rodale’s Organic Gardener’s Handbook of Natural Insect and Disease Control. To create a batch of this spray you’ll need to combine one garlic bulb, a small onion and 1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper in a blender and process it into a paste. Then mix in 1 quart of water and steep for at least one hour. Strain the mixture through a cheesecloth and add a tablespoon of liquid dish soap and mix well. This mixture can be stored in the refrigerator for at least one week.

Aphids on a green stem

Rubbing alcohol

This is perhaps one of the more time-consuming methods, however, the aphids will die once they’re coated with rubbing alcohol.

Aphids on a plant with yellow leaves with pink edges

Removal of damaged plants

For indoor plants, it’s best to simply cut away any damaged sections of the plan that have been heavily infested and throw them away outdoors.

Pink aphids on a rose bud

Sticky traps

It’s possible to purchase strips of sticky paper that you can hang near your plants which will trap any insect as they stop by for a visit. These simple sticky traps are available from online retailers and local garden centres.

Aphids on a rose bud and stems

Chemical sprays

While it’s always best to avoid resorting to any type of chemical solution, a severe infestation may require the use of a spray. It’s best to look for sprays that are safe and contain a low toxicity level.

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5 ways to keep pests away as the summer heat rolls in

5 ways to keep pests away as the summer heat rolls in

Whilst spring has (supposedly) sprung, summer will be here before you know it. However, with the arrival of the summer season comes all of the dreaded summer pests. Even though a professional pest inspection is undoubtedly a good idea to give yourself the peace of mind that comes with knowing your home is already pest free, it’s a good idea to take steps to get ahead of a problem before you have one. Here are five ways to keep pests from becoming a problem this summer.

Dead cockroach on its back

  1. Check usual points of entry

Before the summer heat comes sweltering in, perform a thorough inspection of your home to see if there are any potential points of entry pests can use. Specifically, check screens, windows, doors and your foundation for signs of weakening or holes. Take care of them yourself, or have a professional do the job for you.

Group of ants

  1. Store food correctly

One of the reasons ants and roaches might make themselves at home with you is because you roll out the welcome mat. Put food in sealed containers, including cereal, snacks, sugar and the like that you might commonly leave out on your counters. This might feel like a bit of a hassle, but you’ll thank yourself when you don’t see a line of ants, buzzing house flies or skittering roaches in the middle of the night.

Bedbugs magnified under a microscope

  1. Change and check the bedding

To keep bed bugs and mites at bay ensure that you wash sheets & pillowcases on a regular basis. And don’t forget about your mattress. Fit washable protectors and also vacuum the mattress from time to time. If you plan on going away on holiday in the coming months, consider doing a bit of research into hotels or motels you plan on staying at – check if any reports of bed bugs have been flagged up in reviews. Even if they don’t, you should still visually inspect the beds and floors of your room before settling in if you have concerns. And keep your luggage elevated – you don’t want an unwanted holiday souvenir for your journey home! Despite taking precautions, infestation might still occur, so an effective bed bug treatment can sometimes still be necessary to counter persistent problems.

Fly paper with flies stuck to it

  1. Keep your kitchen clean

Besides properly sealing and storing food, it’s also best that you clean your kitchen as thoroughly as possible. Do a deep clean now that spring cleaning time is here, and get into the habit of sweeping or vacuuming, mopping and wiping down worktops regularly. Also, empty rubbish and recycling bins regularly – giving them a clean and disinfect inside and out each time.

Mouse with nuts in narrow gap between walls

  1. Keep your garden in good order

Do you have a compost heap in your garden? Although you can add your food waste to it, it’s wise not to include items such as meat, fish, oil and dairy products. These types of food encourage vermin – particularly rats. Rats are notorious for their breeding habits and, before you know it, you’ll have an extended family of rodents residing in your garden… or even worse, your house!

Need help keeping pests away throughout the year? Contact Terminix for professional help and to schedule an inspection this spring season.

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How to keep your home free from termites

How to keep your home free from termites

You may be surprised at just how much damage to your property termites can cause. It may take time for the damage to be done but the problem with termites is that you do not always know they are around until the damage begins to show. This is why it’s so important to keep a check on termites and try and prevent them from invading your property.

One of the most important things you can do to keep termites away is have regular inspections carried out by a Lexington exterminator. This is especially important if you live in an area where there is a high incidence of termite infestation. Early identification of a termite problem can be a very important step in getting rid of the problem before too much damage is caused. There are also some actions you can take to make termite infestation less likely; let’s take a look at some of them.

termite traincredit

Eradicate warm and damp areas

Termites enjoy a warm and damp environment so you should not give them one. You should keep leaves and other debris away from the side of your home to prevent water from gathering. You should also ensure that gutters and drainpipes are intact and clear. This stops water from overflowing and leaking into your home. If you have crawlspaces in your home you need to make sure that air circulates so that moisture does not build up.

Detailed view of termitescredit

Keep wood away from your home

If you store wood outside of your home you should make sure that it is not stored close to the exterior walls of your property. You should also make sure that it is stored off the ground. This helps to prevent it becoming an access point for termites.

Door frame destroyed by termite infestationcredit

Make sure any possible entry points are filled in

You may be surprised at how easy it is for termites to gain entry to your home through cracks and gaps in the exterior. These potential access points can be tiny and pests will still get in. you need to examine the exterior of your home and identify any cracks that may be present. You then need to fill in the gaps to help prevent termites from getting in.

Remember that it is not always obvious if termites are present in and around your property; you may notice tell-tale signs such as termite tubes, but this is not always the case. This is why it’s so important to take preventative measures to try and stop a problem from occurring. If you pay attention to the tips we’ve provided you can hopefully ward off a termite infestation.

This isn’t a forgone conclusion though, and it’s always a good idea to have professional inspections carried out on a regular basis. If you have this work completed, you have the peace of mind of knowing that your home is free from the potential devastation that a termite infestation can cause.

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