Yes, living in a house with a garden, despite its many wonderful advantages, also has its downsides. One of them is small animals trying to live in your dream home with you.
We provide tips on how to protect yourself from ants, wasps, or moths, as well as how to exterminate them before they settle in for good.
Ants
Ants are attracted to food scraps, not only sweets like spilled juice or scattered sugar but also fried meat or bread crumbs.
The basic preventive action is to maintain cleanliness, especially around the trash can, bread containers, or the barbecue area in the garden.
If you notice a few ants in your home or garden, before using poisons, try to deter them with natural methods first.
Ants dislike the smell of citrus, mint, basil, pepper, cloves, or garlic, as well as baking soda, salt, and baking powder.
You can prepare a solution of mint, lemon peels, and water and spray it on walls, along baseboards, or in the most exposed cabinets.
If you can identify the paths ants travel, thoroughly clean the surfaces along their routes.
Ants leave pheromones on their way to food so that others can follow. In this case, it is important to remove the scent.
Clean countertops with a disinfectant and the aforementioned citrus mixture.
On ant trails and in places where they come out (if you can find such spots), sprinkle baking soda or baking powder.
This should effectively deter them from continuing to search for food in your home.
Unfortunately, gentle natural methods do not always work (especially if there is already a nest in your home or garden).
This is the time to use poison that will eliminate the entire colony.
You can prepare a bait with borax and a lure (e.g., honey or fruit syrup) and leave such a mixture in a place frequented by ants.
If you are not sure about the location, make bait a few days in advance and leave just the syrup.
This will attract ants, which will create a pheromone trail for others to follow.
Then, replace the bait with poison, and the ants will take it to the nest to feed the queen.
There are many ready-made poison options on the market that will effectively get rid of insects and eliminate the entire nest.
When using them (and borax), make sure that pets or children do not consume the mixtures.
Moths
Our pantries can become “infected” with moths by bringing products from the store, so apart from tightly sealing loose products and checking packages immediately after bringing them home, there’s little more we can do for prevention.
Food moths lay eggs in food packages, such as grains or flour, and the larvae that hatch feed in the same place.
A characteristic feature of infested products is a web, known as a cocoon, in which grains are entangled.
Unfortunately, when we notice larvae in one of the products, it will be necessary to inspect all cabinets, as the larvae are most likely already in several places.
This often involves discarding most products and thoroughly disinfecting all storage spaces.
If we do this thoroughly and don’t overlook any product, the moths will disappear for good.
To further protect food, you can place cotton balls soaked in eucalyptus or mint oil in the cabinets or make herbal sachets (with juniper, cloves, or bay leaves).
Moths often enter through open windows. In this case, a special trap (glue-based or electric) emitting scents that attract adult moths can be effective, catching them and preventing them from laying eggs in our pantry.
Wasps
Wasps make nests in gaps in the facade, starting to search for new places as early as spring.
Therefore, if you notice wasps around your terrace, balcony, or garden, carefully inspect the walls or wooden railings and seal any holes.
The smaller the nest, the easier it is to remove.
If you find it only in the fall, it will already house several thousand individuals, which are particularly aggressive around September.
Wasps are attracted to everything sweet, such as chocolate, fruits, and even cosmetics. However, they do not like the smell of garlic, clove oil, tea tree oil, or burning coffee.
Therefore, it’s worth preparing a special solution of water and your chosen oil and regularly spraying it in critical areas.
Additionally, wasps cannot stand the smell of mint, basil, marigold, or wormwood, so consider planting these on your balcony or terrace.
The market offers many ready-made repellents and wasp control products that you can use to protect your windows or facade.
If you find a wasp nest, it is best to consult a professional company that will perform pest control.
Have you decided to remove the nest yourself?
Exercise extreme caution and remember to wear protective clothing.
Wasps are least active in the evening and are exceptionally patient, so hiding indoors for a few hours from an enraged nest may not yield the desired result.
You now know how to protect your future home from unwanted guests.
So, it’s time to make your dreams come true – visit our website and choose the perfect house with a garden for yourself and your family – CHECK DETAILS
