Household Pests: A Short Guide on How to Deal with Them

For most people reading this article right now, we’re sure that you can attest that one of life’s small pleasures is the maintenance of our households and the pride that doing so brings us. Generally, most household maintenance stems from our everyday lives and completing daily tasks. However, our homes can sometimes be subjected to unwanted visitors that we often have to clean up after. The discovery of which can be an unsettling and potentially expensive affair.

Not only will you have to investigate the root of the problem, but you’ll also have to ensure that it hasn’t spread to other areas of the house or affected neighbouring properties if you live in semi-detached housing. Plus, the costs of hiring a professional to remedy the situation can be extensive and ensure that the removal is done in a safe, controlled, humane way. No matter how large your property is, it would help if you didn’t have to put up with unwanted visitors, so here’s a short guide on household pests and how to deal with them to prevent future visits.

Termites, Ants And Spiders

Suppose that your property is in a rural area with many wood sources or fallen trees. In this case, your home may be prone to visits from woodland critters such as termites, ants and even spiders from time to time. Countryside, rural properties are attractive to woodland insects like termites as they live in warm, moist environments. Due to their minuscule size, they can quickly access your home and target furniture made of wood such as shelving, doors, window ledges, cabinets, etc. To avoid these pests, you could consider applying soil or wood treatments to the areas of your home that could be vulnerable or purchasing specialist bait systems.

Although much less damaging than termites, spiders and ants can still be an unpleasant shock for a homeowner; however, infestations by the latter can be even more so. You can deter woodland critters such as spiders and ants with home remedies and improvements, such as making sure that all small holes are blocked up, using natural insect repellents such as essential oils or citronella candles and regular cleaning, decluttering and tidying.

Mice

Arguably one of the most feared species of pests, mice are a typical unwanted visitor within households and can prove challenging for homeowners to evict humanely. Although mice can be a problem all year round, the colder months is when homeowners are more likely to find tell-tale signs of mouse activity in their homes. The presence of a mouse is quite easily identified by droppings, a strong smell of ammonia, evidence of food in cupboards being tampered with and the appearance of gnaw marks on furniture.

You can prevent mice from entering your home by implementing good hygiene practices such as storing food out of reach in airtight containers, sealing up any low-level gaps, then focusing on higher ones if necessary, installing door brush strips on doors with holes, tidying up after mealtimes and ensuring that the rubbish is taken out often. Alternatively, you could consider purchasing humane mouse traps if you want to be a little more proactive in your approach, have a look at this list of leading humane mouse traps for more inspiration. If all else fails, hire a mice exterminator in London to get rid of the problem once and for all.

Bats

Although not pests per se, bats are another familiar occupant in both new and old houses. Even though various pieces of legislation protect these animals, you are not required to co-exist with bats

in your living areas, and you can seek professional advice to prevent them from entering your home. Commonly bats will enter your home by accident; this could be because an entryway elsewhere in the property has been blocked, like the loft etc.; or they could enter through an open window and could even be brought into the house by your pet. You can manage bats entering your living areas by keeping windows closed, or if ventilation is required, you could install insect mesh netting or net curtains, look out for any internal access points (but make sure to check relevant legislation before attempting to seal any), install valves or bat-doors on entry points, install a bat house and many more ways.

Since bats are of ecological importance, they are protected by law. Before developing your property, a habitat regulations assessment would have been carried out to determine whether the development would significantly affect their habitat. Likewise, suppose you planned to develop your property, you’d have to enlist the services of an environmental consultancy company like Ecology Surveys, who would be able to assist you with the necessary surveys required to obtain planning permission, such as ecological or arboriculture surveys and even a preliminary ecological appraisal.

Flies

Especially troublesome in warmer weather, flies are another typical pest that homeowners may encounter. Although these winged critters may be challenging to get rid of completely, you can try a few homemade remedies to keep their presence at bay. For instance, you could use known natural fly deterrents such as orange peel, mint and eucalyptus oil and spread the scents around the perimeters of your property to naturally keep flies out of your house.

Alternatively, you could review the hygiene practices around your home and ensure that they are followed strictly, especially during the warmer months. Some good hygiene practices include cleaning up any food or drink spillages as soon as they occur, keeping food on your plate or countertops covered with mesh domes, running an electric fan, making sure all food wastage is disposed of correctly, keeping outside bins always covered and position them away from the entry points to your home.

Mosquitoes

Mosquitoes can also annoy homeowners, especially when warm and humid weather. These pests can be worrisome for individuals, especially those with smaller children because they can transfer life-threatening diseases such as the West Nile virus, malaria and dengue between humans and other animals retrospectively.

Much like flies, the presence of mosquitoes in your home cannot be wholly prevented, but you can reduce the risk of them using store-bought and home remedies. Some of the best ways to deter these pests are purchasing or making a natural repellent, getting rid of standing water near your property and keeping grass trimmed back.