by pestrepellersguide | Jun 30, 2020
Here is how to get rid of gnats at home
Gnats are characteristically minute and long-legged insects. They are habitually weak fliers. These tiny flying insects that a lot of people call “gnats” might be fruit flies or fungus gnats.
Gnats are nuisance pests but they do not cause major harm to homes and humans. Nonetheless, gnats might threaten human wellbeing if they transport pathogens from their unhygienic development habitat. Gnats reproduce and create a contaminated environment if left unattended for long.
Gnats are attracted to humidity and organic material. Some gnats’ species hide in the soil of houseplants, whereas others seek out decaying food remains in compost or damaged and over-ripe fruits. Any dampness in the home or dirty sites could lure them indoors and once inside, gnats are able to continue with development and reproduction.
Females gnat also known as the black fly, feed on blood. These gnats are known to carry parasites and spread diseases to people and livestock. Some gnat species are excellent plant pollinators and feed on other pests such as aphids.
The main sign of gnat’s infestation is the sighting of an adult gnat as they fly about in the air.
Adult gnat varies in size but generally not longer than 33 mm. Some stages of metamorphosis of the gnat-like the larval and adult stages of the gnat are considered both advantageous and harmful to humans and the environment.
Depending on the species, gnat lay their eggs on land or water. Larvae are capable of movement by means of rocks and water plants.
The most effective control for fungus gnats is by identifying the plants that have wet soil and let them dry completely before the next wetting. This drying will help in killing the larval stages in the soil. One can also remove the adult gnat by use of a vacuum cleaner from windows and from around the plants.
The breeding sites for these small flies are diverse, but for the most part, contain habitats that stay humid and comprise of decomposing waste components. Control of gnats usually centers on the removal of their egg-laying and feeding habitats.
The gnat’s first developing stage is the egg, and succeeding developmental stages are the larvae, pupae, and lastly the adult. Gnat eggs are minute and often cannot be seen without the help of a good hand lens or dissecting microscope.
Fungus gnat females lay eggs in humid soil or moist organic remains of plant origin. Some examples of habitation where females lay eggs include
- piles of leaves
- Garden and grass debris
- compost piles and mulch
It takes approximately three days before the larval stage hatches from the eggs.
The majority of gnats and flies are attracted to certain fragrances. Most people use a wide range of personal hygiene products that are highly scented e.g. soaps, perfumes, lotions, or hair sprays. Most of these products are scented with the flower or fruit smell that lures these pests to you. The scent of washing detergent or perfumes on one’s clothing will also attract these pests. Many species of gnats and flies may also be lured by body heat. Some of these pests are in search of moisture. Not only are they attracted to sweat, but also the mucous around one’s eyes and nose can be considered a source of moisture.
How to get rid of gnats at home
- Remove their food source. Fruit flies won’t stick around if they don’t have something to feed on. By washing, storing, and sealing leftovers, fruit flies won’t find their food source anymore.”
- Lay a trap. From time to time it’s best to take instantaneous action. Make a trap with apple cider vinegar and plastic wrap. Make your own fruit fly trap by pouring a little apple cider vinegar in a glass, cover the opening with a plastic wrapper strapped with a rubber band. Poke little small holes for the fruit flies to enter.
- Set up a trap gnat with a paper cone, vinegar, and overripe fruit. Roll a piece of paper into a funnel (cone) and stick it into the jar, place the narrow opening face down. The smell of the overripe fruit will entice the fruit flies into the mixture of vinegar, but the paper cone will make it hard for them to escape. Subsequently, you can drown the flies by leaving open a bowl of vinegar and dish soap. Soap reduces the surface tension of the vinegar, consequently, the flies will sink and drown.
- Fruit flies similarly like the smell of wine or beer. Open a bottle with a little leftover liquid (beer or wine) the thin neck of the bottle will keep the flies trapped.
If you have tried all the above and still find yourself in dire need of a more serious bug killer. Insect repellent is the last resort, however, use carefully if you’ve got small children around
by pestrepellersguide | Jun 28, 2020
Here is how to get rid of odorous house ants
Odorous ants are found in homes across the world and more concentrated in America. When these ants are crushed, they release a distinctive “foul-smelling coconut” odor.
The Odorous house ants, occasionally known as odorous ants, are minute and measure 2.4 to 3.3 mm in length. Most of them have dark brown or black bodies with one lump on their petiole, which is secreted by their abdomen.
The odorous ants are attracted to areas with lots of moisture and exposed dirt. These areas include and are not limited to Outdoors, inside the homes, leaking fixtures, walls that contain hot water pipes and or under piles of firewood. Once these pests identify and invade a home they end up contaminating food and other humanitarian supplies.
Some interesting facts about the Odorous house ants
- Some of these ants have wings though for a short time.
- The odorous ants are really tiny creatures measuring up to 3.25 millimeters in length.
- The Odorous ants live in clusters, which can have two or more queens and a hundred thousand workers.
- The Odorous Ant undergoes a metamorphosis period that begins as an egg and progresses into adulthood likely to take up between 34 and 83 days
- When troubled, odorous ants move swiftly and unpredictably. Another distinctive and interesting fact is that they raise their abdomens into the air.
Odorous ants are attracted to honeydew, a sugary waste substance released by aphids and related insects. When food becomes limited outdoors, these ants try and force themselves inside homes.
Odorous house ants travel in traces, hunting day and night. In their natural habitat, they feed on anything, including insects, seeds, and plant secretions. Once inside the house, they hunt for sugary sweets, fruit juices, vegetables, dairy products, meat, and greasy foods.
The most effective way to control these ants is by eliminating the points of entry into your home. One can achieve this by;
- Cover tiny cracks and crevices where these pests can use as entry points
- Ensure Kitchen counters are thoroughly wiped clean
- Properly store pet food in tightly sealed containers.
- Store food sealed containers.
- Wash dishes after meals and cover leftovers
- Sweep and mop regularly to remove crumbs or spills that attract them.
Are house ants odorous dangerous?
Odorous house ants cannot be categorically classified as dangerous pests but they can contaminate food and hence should be avoided.
Since the pests hardly bite, contaminating food is the main issue related to the invasion. While odorous house ants aren’t branded disease carriers, finding them in food is not cool. These insects also traverse in great numbers, therefore they can destroy a large number of supplies
If ever you notice odorous ants in your homestead contact an ant pest control specialist and converse on the most appropriate measures to tackle the odorous ant menace.
Inside homes, odorous house ants will feed on sweets, grease, pastries, cooked or raw vegetables, and fruit juices. As they search for food, these ants will establish trails along with kitchen counters, cabinets, sinks, and baseboards. Because of this foraging, odorous house ants can easily contaminate human food supplies. While this species does not sting or bite, they can become persistent pests, traveling indoors in large numbers.
Odorous house ants are not hard to control but needs lots of patience and determination to eliminate.
How to Get Rid of Odorous Ants
Treat the external perimeter with a non-repellant pesticide. Spray up and out from the wall. The spray can’t be perceived by the ants, thus they crawl through it and naively track it back to the nest and queen, killing them all.
by pestrepellersguide | Jun 22, 2020
How to get rid of beetles in the house naturally
There are over 300,000 beetle species in the whole world, and more beetles yet to be discovered and in this post, I will highlight how to get rid of beetles in the house. Beetles, which originate from a species of insects known as Coleoptera, range in size from about 1/8 of an inch to 1 inch in length. They have three sets of legs and move very quickly. Another distinctive feature of beetles is that they have a flattened hard body comprising of lengthwise ridges on their wings.
The section behind their head is thinner than their abdomen and their head is even thinner than that segment. Beetles have powerful maxillae that are pointed forward from their head they use it for chewing. They can range in color from copper green to blue with red or golden markings.
Beetles can be found anywhere and everywhere. Beetles are characterized by having their primary pair of wings hardened and thickened. These hard forewings act as a protective shield for these fragile flying wings. Beetles are identified by their size and the color of its body.
The life cycle of a beetle has four very different stages: egg, larval, pupal, and adult. These stages are also known “complete metamorphosis”
Beetles habitually thrive where they feed. They work for and against the environment. Nearly all beetle species destroy the natural vegetation and property, while some other species assist in getting rid of waste, feed on dead trees, or help in the cross-pollination of flowers.
Beetles feed on small insects, plants, and animal remains. A small number of beetles can be considered as pests in vegetation and crops. Though some species may help humans by killing destructive insects. Adult beetles deposit their eggs close to the food that the larvae will eat once hatched.
Most beetles die due to ingesting pesticides and insecticides which find its way in the nervous system and disrupt the bug’s neurotransmitters and shuts it down, which is one way of getting rid of them.
A variety of beetles species do not possess developed stingers but there are some species of beetles that bite humans from time to time. A single bite from a beetle causes extreme pain and burning sensation to the human body and skin which can be quite a discomfort.
Different types of materials attract different types of beetles into homes and yards. Several species pursue stored grains and packed foods, whereas others feed on garden plants, wood, or fabric.
How to get rid of beetles naturally
I the case of a beetle infestation in your home, vacuum and clean the areas where they were located. In the event that this doesn’t work kindly consult professional treatment for beetles.
Here below are some ways of getting rid of beetles naturally
- The most effective way to get rid of beetles is by picking them off by hand. This can be done easily in the morning time. At this time they are most active, but then again they’re sluggish. Just pick them off and drown them in a bucket full of water.
- Adopt guinea fowls to your garden. They can be relatively noisy but will feed on just about any bug in existence
- Did you know that beetles love geraniums? Yes, they do. Nonetheless, once they eat the blossoms of geraniums they drop down dead. Plant a few geraniums around the edges of your garden and it will help protect the garden against these pests.
- Garlic and beetles are not friends. Plant a few garlic cloves in your kitchen garden and this plant will help repel them fairly efficiently.
- Thoroughly examine foodstuff, fabrics and wooden items before bringing them into the home to help avert future problems
by pestrepellersguide | Jun 14, 2020
Ladybugs are not toxic to humans. Nevertheless, they can have poisonous effects on some animals. Ladybugs have a very bad scent which prevents some predators from eating them, their bright colors also assist as a deterrent. In this post, we will identify how to get rid of ladybugs and also ways to identify them once they encroach your home.
Ladybugs are considered to be a beneficial bug which helps in getting rid of crop-damaging aphids and other destructive pests. The adult ladybugs feed on insects. They also lay their eggs amongst the aphids and other prey so the larvae can feed on the insects, too
What attracts ladybugs in your house?
Ladybugs just like lawings are attracted to light-colored houses. Older homes tend to experience more problems with aggregations due to a lack of suitable insulation. The ladybugs enter the houses through small cracks around windows, doorways, and cracked boards. Once ladybugs have breached the home they are hard to get rid of.
Ladybugs release a sort of like “perfume” (pheromones) that attract other ladybugs. They use this perfume as a means of communication during their mating and hibernation period. Insect pheromones are very powerful.
This perfume or scent that is released by the bugs, can be detected by other bugs and insects up to 1/4 mile away. This aids the ladybugs find each other and it lets future generations know of a good place to “camp out” for the winter. The pheromones released doesn’t go away easily. Therefore, scrubbing pheromones off a house is a huge task, if not unbearable.
The yellow stuff has seen most of the time is their blood (hemolymph). It contains pheromones and it stains. The yellow blood is released when you hold a ladybug is scared.
This is a normal response to traumatic situations as known as reflex bleeding. A ladybug releases its blood as one way the bug can protect itself. The blood smells bad and signals to the predator that the ladybug is not a good choice of prey.
To prevent ladybugs from getting into the house, make sure all cracks around windows, doors, clapboards, pipes are sealed up. Some termination companies offer this service called “inclusion”. This is no small project and may cost a fortune.
What do ladybugs eat?
Ladybugs feed on Aphids. Aphids are spineless bodied insects that extract juices out of plants. Most Aphids can be found on roses in your garden. Ladybugs also feed on scale insects and plant mites.
Are ladybugs poisonous?
Not at all. Ladybugs are not poisonous to human beings. Though, they can have lethal effects on some animals. Naturally, red and orange, are cautionary colors that indicate to another animal or insect that the potential “prey” might not be a good choice.
How can I get them ladybugs out of my house?
Ladybugs will leave on their own. Distressing them will only cause them to be anxious and leave yellow markings on house walls.
One also uses a manufactured product called a Ladybug Black Light Trap which can be purchase on online stores like Amazon, Walmart, and eBay. It uses radiating black light to attract and contain the ladybugs.
The different kinds of ladybugs
There are hundreds of different kinds all over the world. They are over 500 different kinds in the United States and nearly 5000 worldwide. They come in all different colors, too. Reds, yellows, orange, gray, black, brown, and even pink.
Some people always look for ways to attract the ladybugs so as to keep them as pests. This is a topic that we will focus on in the future. including ladybug feeders.
