How to Deal with Different Types of Pests

The pest season has quiet down. That doesn’t mean that you should take it easy. Here is a long and comprehensive list of common and not so common pests locally and around the world. We’ll explain how you can deal with each of them separately and visualise common places they invade your house.

Under each pest below you will find two options. One will be your typical methods that most people apply and the other will an alternate method. Alternate methods will refer to unconventional or green methods of pest prevention and management.

How to deal with most common house pests

Spiders

Typical methods: Hoovering often and keeping your house dust free and clean will help prevent spider infestations.

Alternate method: Spiders dislike peppermint oils which leave you with a natural method of prevention. It smells great

Cockroaches

Typical methods: Hoovering often, keeping your house clear of loose food, clutter and standing water will help prevent roach infestations.

Alternate methods: Make a makeshift roach trap with wet coffee grounds and a cup. Alternatively leaving fresh cucumber near entry points will drive them out.

Bed Bugs

Typical methods: If infested already, there is likely no option other than wash and hoover everything.

Alternate methods: Bed bugs can be prevented by stitching leaver to each corner of your mattress. Lavender oils also work.

Interesting fact: The number of call during 2014 was 16,569. Worryingly this has increased by 21% since 2011.

Fleas

Typical methods: If infested wash and hoover everything from carpets, furniture, bedding and especially pets!

Alternate methods: Fleas cannot tolerate brewers yeast and will leave pets alone if rubbed into their fur or ingested. It also keeps their fur healthy.

Rodents (rats and mice)

Typical methods: Typically pest control is called if rats and mice are finding their way into homes. One way doors and traps can be set.

Alternate methods: Peppermint is known to repel mice while the best way to prevent rats is to block any entrances to your house.

Interesting fact: 39% of all pest services used in the UK which are called specifically to deal with rats and mice.

Wasps

Typical methods: Wasp sprays are easy to come by a typical method of prevention for if you have already been infested with a hive.

Alternate methods: Wasps are territorial so placing a brown bag to mimic a wasp nest will likely prevent them from nesting. A makeshift bottle trap can be used to slowly get rid of large infestations over time, using sugary water.

Interesting fact: 87% increase of wasp treatments in the last 2 years after a massive decline in 2012.

Ants

Typical methods: Ant sprays or powders are commonly used to deter and prevent ants from making their way into houses.

Alternate methods: A more natural alternative is to place ground cinnamon in areas where ants can enter your home.

Interesting fact: 20,515 is the number of calls during 2014 related to ant infestations. A 10% drop to 2013.

Woodworm

Typical methods: Aerosol woodworm sprays or oil coatings are popular uses of prevention. If you have a structural infestation, however, call professionals.

Alternate methods: Simply keeping your house warm will prevent woodworm from spreading and thriving in your home.

Moths

Typical methods: Moths don’t like clean clothes and linens so keep your wardrobe and bedroom clean. Moths, particularly like sheep wool, so check your loft insulation.

Alternate methods: Like many pests, moths do not like the scents given off from essential oils such as cedar and lavender. Douse some cotton balls with these oils.

House flies

Typical methods: If you are finding swarms check the area for dead insects of animals. Blocked drains are another common reason for fly infestations.

Alternate methods: Flies dislike essential oils such as peppermint, lavender, lemongrass and eucalyptus. Spraying these oils in your home should keep them fly free.

7 of the most common garden pests

Next, are most commonly found garden pests that you should fend against. Every garden needs to be safeguarded from unwanted guests.

Slugs and snails

Typical methods: The tried and tested method of using salt on slugs and snails is effective but can be notoriously messy.

Alternate methods: Using bark mulch dries out slugs and snails helping to deter them from your plants.

Vine weevils

Typical methods: Typically found in pots and plants in containers and can be dealt with using chemical pesticides.

Alternate methods: Encouraging natural predators such as birds, frogs and hedgehogs will minimise the risk of weevils, as well as regularly re-potting plants.

Lilly beetles

Typical methods: Can be dealt with using traditional pesticides however this can cause damage to beneficial insects.

Alternative methods: Simply picking the beetles off by hand is effective, although be careful as they can fly away!

Aphids

Typical methods: Many off the shelf pesticides can deal with these sap-sucking pests.

Alternate methods: Again, encouraging natural enemies such as ladybirds, parasitic wasps and larvae is a great natural way of dealing with aphids.

Allium Leafminer (onion leafminer)

Typical methods: A very dangerous and formidable pest in the gardening world which can be avoided by heavy crop rotation.

Alternative methods: Another safer and less time-consuming option is to use a horticultural fleece or insect proof mesh.

Tortrix Caterpillar

Typical methods: Like many garden pests, these can be dealt with using pesticides before they damage crops from binding leaves.

Alternate methods: Many birds prey on insects such as caterpillars so creating a space where they can nest will help prevent infestation.

Voles

Typical methods: Voles can be dealt with using typical mice and rat preventions such as spring or humane traps.

Alternate methods: Clearing lawns of areas to shelter or hide such as leaves, branches or fallen fruit prevents voles from making home in your garden.