Mice, ants and mosquitoes could be particularly bad this year because of all the rain the UK has received, but infestations can be prevented...
Case Studies
They crawl, they fly, they swarm, they scurry – in short, bugs are pests.
This year is a lot worse for infestations as we've had so much rain. The ants are trying to come in so they are not drowning; and the fleas and ticks are likely to be really bad this year if the humidity starts to kick in.
Thanks to the ongoing soaking of the UK, you may have unwelcome visitors in your home or garden this year. Mice, ants and mosquitoes could be particularly bad.
There are ways to prevent or treat infestations. For instance, keeping your home and garden clean will go a long way. But you may be attracting bugs in other ways and not even know it. Here are a few tricks to send pests packing.
Ants won't eat at your home, but they are a nuisance. To prevent infestation, keep your rubbish bins clean and keep a tidy house. You shouldn't leave any sweets out and should clean countertops, mop floors and sweep up crumbs.
While you can kill ants in your house, you need to find their nest to really treat the problem. A pest control company can usually trace the ants back to their nest.
There are ways to repel ants without relying on a slew of chemicals. Essential peppermint oil can deter the bugs – Simply dilute it in water and spray it on surfaces around the outside of the house to prevent ants from coming in."
Mosquitoes lay their eggs in water. One mosquito can lay up to 200 eggs, so even a few of these pests pose a potential problem. There are several things you can do to reduce the habitat for mosquitoes:
You can also take preventive measures to prevent bites: avoid being outside at dawn and dusk when mosquitoes feed, and apply an insect repellent that contains either Deet or picaridin.
Even if you don't have pets, you may have to worry about fleas and ticks as you may be suprised to find that you yourself can carry them in on your trousers. Insect repellent can protect against fleas and ticks but if they become a problem, you should have your home and garden treated.
In addition to all these bugs, mice have been a problem. It's an odd time for mice infestation problems to occur as they usually become noticable in spring and autumn, but this change may largely be due to the amount of rain fall recently.
To ward off the rodents, keep a clean house, don't keep food out and don't store food in bottom cabinets or on top of the fridge. In addition, put steel wool around the pipes in your bathroom and kitchen and make sure there are no openings in your loft space.