The Best Ways to Get Rid of House Bugs
Household pests appear at any time of the year, but I am especially concerned about spring and summer. Constantly going in and out of the house and leaving windows open leads to house flies and mosquitoes, and the part of the country I live in is under constant attack from sugar ants that get into your home absolutely everywhere. Foods and fruits that are available in abundance and tend to sit on your counter can often lead to fruit flies. Controlling all these pests without using a lot of chemicals has become a summer obsession. I recently tested a whole bunch of products, and although I was skeptical, it turns out that many of them actually work.
For houseflies, purchase a sticky trap.
Damn, do flies bother me? There’s something about them that screams, “The house is dirty.” For years I thought that swatting them down was the best, albeit most time-consuming, solution. Hanging fly traps has always seemed like a terrible solution for flies. a slightly less disgusting problem. However, last summer I found these clear fly traps that you attach to the window. They are invisible (until covered in bugs) but can be easily removed and hidden behind a window curtain. my bathroom mirror when I got a stubborn fly that refused to leave the light fixture, I change them every few days and they eliminate the fly problem.
Ultraviolet light traps help control other flying insects.
Zevo sent me a few products to try earlier this year and these UV light traps have become the workhorses of my home care routine. It’s not rocket science, it’s a purple-hued UV light plug surrounded by a replaceable sticky trap. The upside is that the traps it catches are well hidden from view, and the trap softens the purple color of the light so it’s really just a harmless light that you don’t really notice. At the same time, it is great for flying insects. Every few years they miss mosquito spraying here, and last year was particularly bad. Zevo’s traps really helped with the internal problem, getting most of the work done overnight.
Instant help from ants
If I had to guess, 80% of Terros sold in the US are in the PNW. Ants are everywhere. Terro is a clear gel that can be applied directly to areas that ants might encounter (along the floor, under a cabinet, etc.) or filled into ant traps. This is a sticky gel and you don’t want children or pets eating it, so using traps is recommended. This is a good way to get long-term relief if you are consistent, but it takes time. The ants overrun Terro and then return it to their queen, and then the poison takes effect and they all die. But if you want immediate relief, Zevo Flying Bug Spray is amazingly effective. It is safe for pets and children and smells like mint. While it’s technically designed to control flies, cockroaches and ants, I’ve never tried it on anything other than ants, and a light spray will kill ants on contact and give you a day or two of no return. Specifically, I use it near where my dog is fed and near the sink.
Upgrade your DIY fruit fly traps.
Everyone knows that you can simply wrap a plate of vinegar in plastic wrap, poke a few small holes with a skewer, and wait for the fruit flies to fly in and drown in the vinegar. The system is flawed because you may see dead fruit flies and if you make the holes too big they may just fly back out. Last year I tried these commercial fruit fly traps , which are simply a manufactured version of a DIY homemade trap. They look like little red plastic apples. They come in two parts so you can pour and refill the vinegar every few days, and they’re small and unobtrusive. The holes are the perfect size and the plastic hides the puddle of death inside. Throw them in the dishwasher when the problem goes away.