Peppermint is also called Mentha Balsamea scientifically, which is a hybrid mint. It is a cross breed derived from watermint and spearmint. This peppermint is native to Europe and the Middle East but now it can be seen all over the world and it can also be seen in forests and mountains with their parent species.
There are more than 25 species in Mentha, but the most commonly used plant is peppermint because of its medical nature. These are one of the oldest herbs that can be used for both culinary and manufacturing medical products. Peppermint has many healthy chemicals and here we will discuss, Does Peppermint Oil Repel Mice.
DIY Methods to Prevent Mice
Eliminate Entry Points
These mice and rats can enter any of the holes as their body is flexible. They can enter a hole which is a quarter size of their body, it is important to inspect your property to find any holes and gaps.
Try to seal and fix all the gaps in your home, so you can avoid the entry of rats, mice, and other insects inside your property. Without any entry points, they have less chance to enter your place.
Cut the Clutter
Mice live in a place which is free from threats and predators in your home. They can stay safe inside any of your products like wardrobe, fridge, and attic so try to eliminate all the safe places for them. This will make them scared and get out of your place.
Cats
It is a global fact that cats can prevent rodents like mice, rats, and squirrels. Having a cat as a pet in your home will keep the mice away from your place. Mice always find a safe place to stay so they will not enter your home again when you have cats.
Remove Food Sources
Mice are attracted to food wates, they find a shelter which is easy to have food, so removing all your wastes immediately and regularly will prevent the presence of mice in your home. Try to store all the wastes in a closed metal trash can and store all your food products in a tightly closed container.
Mice can chew any of the materials, so it is good if you have metal containers to store food products.
Does Peppermint Oil Repel Mice?
Peppermint is a good-smelling plant, and it will keep your place always pleasant. Though it smells good, mice will not like this smell and move away from the smell. Having peppermint odour in your place will keep the mice and other pests away from your place. Yes, it is one of the effective methods to control mice in your home.
Conclusion
The above listed are some of the effective DIY methods to control the presence of mice and rats in your home. But you should follow these methods regularly, if you really want to get rid of mice for years, try to hire a professional pest control service.
All the industrial, residential, and commercial places have the trouble of rats both indoors and outdoors. There are many prevention methods to prevent rats inside your place, but what can do if you have them outside. Having rats near your place is usually a threat to your place.
Usually, the outdoor rats would be the Norway rats and they are also called Brown rats, Street rats, and Sewer rats. These rats can grow up to 16 inches and according to their size, they can enter any hole which is larger than half an inch. In this article, we will discuss, how to get rid of rats outside.
Where do rats nest outside?
Norway rats prefer to live near to the ground by digging holes and burrows near bushes and other plantations. They can burrow under 3 feet from the ground, and they can make their shelter anywhere where they can feel safe. Some of the common places are,
- Gardens
- Tree beds
- Yards near Buildings
- Empty lots and near greeneries
Signs of Rats outside your place
It is not easy to spot the Norway rats that they will stay very safe. If the rodent infestation is high then you can see a number of rats, or else you can identify with these signs,
- Active Burrows
- Fresh Tracks
- Fresh Droppings
- Gnaw Marks
- Runways
- Excessive garbage
How to Get Rid of Rats Outside?
Controlling rats outside is different from the indoor rat control. It’s not easy to catch them when outdoors and they usually move to other places if you threaten them and return after some days. It is not an easy task, you need the attention of your neighbours to catch the rats and eliminate them from your place.
Some of the controlling methods are,
- Controlling the existing population
- Get rid of their hiding and nesting places
- Eliminate all the attracting factors
Prevention Methods
- Eliminate all the clutters and debris from your yards
- Always keep your garden free from weeds and bushes
- Try to plant all the tall grasses at least 6 inches away from your building
- Use hard plastics or metal garbage bins
- Never leave your trash overnight
- Close the rat burrows
- Try to catch them using physical barriers
Note: Do not use chemicals or try to kill them, because it is offensive to kill any of the natural creatures. Try to catch and leave them away from your place. Improper use of chemicals can harm your own health.
Conclusion
The above listed are the signs, and tips to get rid of rats outside. Try to follow the non-chemical pest control methods carefully to avoid the presence of rats around your place. If you can control their presence hire a professional pest control service, the experts can identify, monitor and control the presence of all the wildlife creatures in and around your place. If you follow their instructions carefully and regularly, you can avoid the presence of rodents for years.
Solar panel installation is a renewable way to reduce your electricity bills. Though it costs high, it is a one-time investment and over 1 million homes in the UK are using solar panels. These PV cells are installed on the roof, which can attract many urban birds and especially pigeons, which can reduce the effect of PV cells and they can make a damage too. Solar panels act as the safest place for many birds to build nests and live safe, it is important to avoid them to prevent your PV cells from damage causing pest seagulls and other birds. In this article, we will discuss the solar panel bird proofing.
Why do you Need to Bird-Proof Solar Cells?
Solar panels are the perfect place for the birds to build nests, it is important to protect them from predators.
- Bird Nesting can create noise, debris, and mess
- Pigeon droppings are very dangerous when ingested or inhaled when dried because it contains pathogens and bacteria.
- Pigeon droppings are so acidic that can corrode metals and damage the connection between each panel.
- Bird nests can attract other pests like fleas, ticks, beetles, mites, ants, roaches, and cluster flies.
- Solar panel manufacture warranties do not include bird damages, and it is expensive to repair the damage.
- Bird proofing will help you to avoid regular maintenance
How do you Birdproof Solar panels?
There are many pest control companies that can provide bird proofing for solar panels, and the cost will depend on the number of panels used and how difficult the work was.
The experts will use special clips and mesh designed for the purpose of bird and pest proofing. The mesh used for solar panels can be trimmed or folded so it will not be visible after installation, and it also improves the rigidity of the panels.
The bird proofing mesh will prevent your panels from actions of pests and birds and also it helps the panels to work fine without any damage. This mesh should be installed by an experienced professional and a normal man does not have knowledge of connection and installation.
How do Professionals access Solar Panels?
One of the difficult tasks faced by pest control technicians for the solar panel bird proofing is accessing the solar panels. It is very difficult to get closer to the panels in the longest buildings, for a small building the professionals will use a long ladder, for large buildings they need a scaffolding, and the charges may be high.
Conclusion
Solar panel bird proofing will prevent your PV cells from damage and maintenance costs. Many people think that the process is costly, but it depends upon the mesh used, the number of panels in your building, and the difficulty of work.
Do not try this method by yourself, because the professional experts are well trained to climb any buildings and connect the mesh. A small mistake can damage the whole circuit and it is also dangerous to climb on tallest buildings without any knowledge and experience.
What are cluster flies?
Cluster flies (Pollenia Rudis), also known as Attic Insects, are huge, lethargic, and loud flies that congregate in large numbers around your windows during bright sunny days in the winter and spring.
The cluster fly is an earthworm parasite that breeds in fields and lawns during the spring and they are also the summer pests. Due to wider grassy areas that support higher earthworm populations, they are frequently a bigger nuisance for those who live in rural and suburban regions. Human food, rubbish, faeces, animal carcasses, livestock, and manure are not attractive to cluster flies. If you see them in your home or office, it is not a symptom of unhygienic circumstances.
The Life Cycle of a Cluster Fly
The development of a cluster fly takes an average of 27 to 39 days from egg to adult.
They are spring time pests, and they mate outside. Each egg is laid in its own soil fissure near an earthworm by the females. The egg and larva (maggots) are rarely observed since the eggs are laid in the soil, and once born, the cream-coloured parasite larva burrow into earthworms, which are their primary food storage.
For around three weeks, they will gently consume the worm from the inside. They then moult and pupate for up to two weeks in the soil before emerging as adult cluster flies. In late August and September, adult females cease laying eggs and begin looking for warm locations to hide in homes and buildings.
How to Get Rid of Cluster Flies Naturally
Vacuuming
Those who maintain their carpets and floors clean can vacuum up not only the flies but also any larvae or eggs that may be present.
Getting rid of rubbish in the yard
Cluster flies are commonly seen on the sides of buildings or within wooden structures in the yard during the winter. If you do have some old or abandoned structures on your land, as well as waste and junk in your yard, cluster flies may breed there.
Sealing up the house
Cluster fly always want to lay eggs in attics and between the walls, therefore sealing up the house is a good idea. Check the condition of the roof shingles and replace any that are broken. Fill in any holes surrounding your house, and ensure sure your windows have screens that are free of holes.
Seal up food
Cluster flies are attracted to sweet foods and will land on them. Flies will be kept at bay if these items are sealed.
Get rid of standing water
Because cluster flies need to land in still water to survive, they prefer to do so. By the way, this also keeps mosquitoes away, so any standing water surrounding your home should be removed.
Contact Pest Control for cluster flies
Contact pest control service if you have too many cluster flies around your home. We will assess your property and provide cluster fly removal solutions to eliminate the pests at all phases of their life cycle and prevent their recurrence.
Your lawn is the most beautiful place where you can enjoy your evenings and nights with your loved ones and family. Improper maintenance of the lawn will be attracted many pests, and their presence will damage the beauty of your lawn. Pests can cause several health risks and make you sick, it is important to protect your house and lawn from pest damage. In this article, we will discuss how to avoid pests on your lawn.
Common Pests in Lawn Area
- Mole crickets
- Sad webworms
- Armyworms
- Chinch bugs
- Lawn grubs
- Ticks
- Mosquitoes
- Moles
- Fire ants
- Snakes
These are the commonly found domestic pests in the lawn areas, they will hide under weeds and long grasses. These creatures can damage your health if you get a bite, and it should be treated with proper medical care.
How to Avoid Pests on your Lawn?
There are several regular practices that help you to avoid pests in your lawn area. Some of the common practices are watering and mowing, if you maintain your lawn properly, then you can avoid the pests in your lawn.
Lawn Watering Tips
How much water does your lawn need?
A lawn area needs one to one and a half inches of water to keep it healthy and green, but it’s for a week. If you need to keep your lawn free from stress, you need to water it twice a week for 45 minutes. Lack of water in the lawn makes will spoil the health of grasses and it will attract pests.
Proper Watering
Water the lawn properly till it reaches the roots of lawns, and it is important for lawns which are seeded newly. Avoid watering frequently, the excessive amount of moisture will damage the roots of plants.
Water Early
Instead of watering your lawn in your free time, try to water it in the early morning. During that time, the grasses will be wet, and it is easy for them to get enough energy for roots. If your water in the afternoon, it will not be effective due to evaporation, and watering at night is also not advisable for certain conditions.
Mowing Tips
How much you can cut the grass?
Avoid cutting the grass when wet and you can cut your grass up to one-third of its length. No matter whatever the grass may be, try to mow your lawn equally at every place. This will help you to keep your lawn healthy and dense, if the density of the grasses is high, there will be no chances of excessive weeds in your lawn.
Leave the Clippings
When mowing your lawn grasses, you can leave the clippings, many people think that clippings will affect, and damage other grasses and it will be hard to remove. The clippings will be easily decamped by microbial actions, and it will not result in any pest infestations.
Conclusion
The above listed are some of the common tips on how to avoid pests in your garden. This may be the lawn maintenance procedure, but it is the first process to keep your lawn healthy and free from any damage. Follow the instructions regularly and carefully to make your lawn healthy and beautiful.
If you cannot avoid the presence of pests with these maintenance methods, hire a professional pest control service.
Scorpions are one of the scariest pests in the world, they can inject venom into your body and their bite will cause severe pain and health risks. Though they are helpful in eliminating other litter pests, they can bite humans if they are threatened or disturbed.
It is important to prevent your family, children, and pets from scorpion attack which is harmful to health. In this article, we will discuss, what attracts these scorpions in your home and how to keep scorpions out of your home.
What Attracts Scorpions in Your Place?
- Scorpions are attracted to their prey, and the presence of domestic pests and insects will easily attract scorpions in residential areas.
- Scorpions will search for water and any leakage in your pipe will attract them.
- During winter they will search for a warm place to stay so your house will be the best place for them, they will enter your house through any gaps and holes.
How to Keep Scorpions Out of your Home Naturally?
It is not advisable to kill any creatures and it is against the law too, so you can eliminate their presence from your home with natural methods.
Natural oils like lavender, peppermint, and cinnamon are helpful in eliminating these creatures. Mix any of these oils with a carrier oil and make a pest control spray, spray around the place where you can see the signs of scorpions. This is one of the highly effective ways to eliminate scorpions naturally.
You can also make use of the moistened burlap bags that are available in pest control shops. Keep the bag open where you can see the scorpions often, the warm environment will attract them, and they love to stay inside.
Keep the bag overnight and look for the presence of scorpions inside the bag, leave the existing scorpions away from your home and reuse the same bag to repeat the process. Repeat the process until you can reduce the presence of scorpions.
Scorpion Prevention Methods
- Eliminating other home insects will avoid the presence of scorpions
- Seal all the gaps and fix the leakages to avoid the entry points
- Trim all the grasses and bushes around your home that can act as the bridge for scorpions to enter your home
- Scorpions love to stay under any stones, rocks, woodpiles, and firewood so try to reduce the usage of these items in your yard or attic.
Conclusion
The above listed are some of the natural control methods to keep scorpions out of your home. I hope that the prevention methods and the scorpion attraction content will be helpful for you to eliminate their presence.
If you cannot eliminate their presence with these DIY methods, it is important to hire a professional pest control service. The experts are well trained and knowledgeable to sweep out entire pests in your place. Follow the instructions given by the professionals carefully and regularly, so you can avoid the presence of pests in your place for years.
You can see that many people are often using the word Palmetto Bug, and do you know what they were. Different types of pests will be called by different names in different regions, and these Palmetto bugs are the types of cockroaches and some garden beetles that are often found near the Palmetto trees. In this article, we will discuss, the difference between Palmetto bugs and cockroaches and methods to avoid them in your place.
What is a Palmetto Bug?
Palmetto bugs are the insects that are a certain type of cockroach species. Not all the cockroaches are called palmetto bugs, but some species that are living in and around palmetto trees are known as palmetto bugs.
Difference between Palmetto Bugs and Cockroaches
There is no difference between the cockroaches and palmetto bugs, palmetto bug is a term mostly used in America to refer to specific types of cockroaches. There are over 4000 species of cockroaches are found all over the world and 70 species can be found in the US.
Not all the species are called palmetto bugs, the bugs that can live both indoors and outdoors at any temperature and climatic conditions are commonly referred to as palmetto bugs. American cockroaches and Smoky brown cockroaches are the common palmetto bugs.
American cockroaches are reddish-brown with a pale-yellow band that covers their head. They can be commonly found in basements, woodpiles, sewers, and landscape materials and they are very active on summer days. They can also survive at low temperatures when they are indoors.
Smoky brown cockroaches are dark mahogany in color with a shiny skin, they prefer warm and moist places like woodpiles, tree holes, and under the logs and stones.
How to Get Rid of Palmetto Bugs?
Keep Your House Clean
Cockroaches like damp and they love to stay in a warm and moist place that is messy. It is important to keep your house clean and sanitised to avoid their presence in your home. Clear all the wastes regularly and immediately and store them in a closed bin, to keep cockroaches out.
Fix leaks and cracks
If have any leaks in your plumbing system, then try to fix them immediately and seal all the cracks and gaps in your home. This will avoid the entry of palmetto bugs and other pest infestations inside your home.
Use Traps
If you are suffering from a cockroach problem and you cannot avoid them, then try to buy a cockroach trap that is available in pest shops.
Conclusion
I hope that you could understand that there is no difference between palmetto bugs and cockroaches. The above listed are some of the DIY methods to eliminate the presence of cockroaches in your home.
If they do not work, then hire a professional pest control service where the experts will be well trained and knowledgeable in eliminating all types of pests. If you follow their instructions regularly then you can avoid the presence of pests in your place for years.
Are you in the field of property development or real estate? Then this article is for you to understand how pests decrease the value of your home. Any unused or old building will be infested by pests, and they can cause severe structural damage.
A survey says that Americans are spending more than $50 million every year to compensate for the structural damage caused by termites. The presence of domestic pests and insects will not result in a hygienic environment, but if you eliminate them the value of your property will be increased.
Types of Pests that can Damage your home
There are a greater number of pests and insects that be found in human living areas, but only a few types can cause severe structural damage. Some of them are,
Rats and Mice
Rats and mice are rodents that have the habit of chewing. These rodents can chew any material including metals. These are the reason behind many short circuits that they can chew metal wire, food products, wood, paper, and even plastics.
Though they eat often, they will leave droppings often, and rat droppings contain many toxic materials that can cause health issues. Damages caused by rats and mice are different, but they can damage all the properties in your home.
Squirrels
Squirrels are the cutest creatures that you can enjoy their actions. But what happens if they infest your homes? Squirrels are also rodents that can cause damage to the properties in your home and garden.
These species also have the chewing behavior, because their teeth grow often so they need to gnaw to stop the growth of teeth. Squirrels can also chew all the materials in your homes like wood, paper, and metal wires.
They often enter your home to steal food products and to have a safe shelter. They breed often so it is difficult to stop the infestation fast.
Termites and Ants
Termites are the wood-eating insects that they love to chew wood. It is important to avoid their presence in order to prevent your home from being damaged. These termites can chew all the wood, cellulose, paper, cardboard, and even plastics.
Ants are the special species that have a number of subspecies. Not all the ant species can damage your home, but the carpenter ants can damage the wooden properties by digging holes. They will not chew wood but make a space to live safe.
Carpet Beetles
Carpet beetles can be found more in UK, they can damage all the fabric items like rugs, sofas, and clothes including your bed. Many home insurance policies will not contain carpet beetle infestation that they are hard to eliminate. They can chew all the clothes like silk, wool, leather, curtains, and even the book bindings.
Conclusion
Above listed are some of the dangerous insects that can be found in human living areas. Not only these but also there are many insects like woodworms, wasps, hornets, and some birds like pest seagulls that can reduce the value of your property.
It is important to protect your home with an insurance policy, but make sure the policy contains pest damages. It is important to hire a professional pest control service to get rid of pests permanently.
Bats are environment-friendly mammals that help in the distribution of seeds from one place to another i.e., pollination and act as natural insect repellents. They are good till they are away from your home, and they are also considered as the pest rodents.
Like other pests and creatures, bats also love to stay in a secured place that prevents them from predators and near to a food storage. They can be usually seen outside but they will also enter inside homes when they are threatened by predators or when a female bat giving birth. In this article, we will discuss, how to prevent bat problems in your attic.
Dangers caused by Bats
Bat droppings are one of the dangerous parts for humans called guana which contains fungi known as Histoplasma capsulatum. This fungal content in rodent dropping can cause a dangerous lung disease called Histoplasmosis.
When guana dries and is contaminated with air, there is a chance of breathing them and it affects your lungs, and the diseases can transfer from the lungs to the whole body. If you are bitten by an infected bat, it will cause rabies, not only their bite, if you have any direct contact with the infected bat’s guana, saliva, blood urine, or even hair.
Not only these, but the world’s also biggest disaster COVID was transferred from these species, so it is important to avoid their presence inside your home.
How to Prevent Bat Problems in your Attic?
Before getting into the control measures, you should know about the regulation that is followed to protect the species. It is not advisable to use chemicals or insecticides as it is against the rule, so we can see how to deter rodents without using chemicals.
Do not touch the bats, as they can transfer many diseases like rabies and makes you sick. It is important to maintain a distance from them to protect your health.
- Bats are the natural enemies of owls, so installing a wooden own on your roof will defend against the presence of bats near your place.
- Usually, bats do not like smells like white phenol, mothballs, cinnamon, and eucalyptus. Having these smells in your home will avoid the presence of bats.
- Remove all the food sources as these are also attracted by the food products like other pests and rodents.
- Install bright lights in your rood or attic that can avoid the presence of bats near your place.
Conclusion
There are many homeowners who suffered a lot from the action of bats, it is important to avoid them near your place to prevent the diseases. The above mentioned are some of the DIY methods to prevent bat problems in your attic.
These home methods can withstand only a few days, and you should repeat the process regularly. You can also hire a professional pest control service, where the experts are well trained to eliminate the presence of bats in any place. With the help of experts, you can avoid the presence of bats in your place for years.
Horseflies are huge, darkly colored flies with apparent compound eyes that can grow to be 1cm to 2.5cm in length. They’re particularly abundant near horse stables, animals, standing water like ponds and pools, slow-moving streams and rivers, and tall moist grass.
They are attracted to enormous dark objects, movement, and carbon dioxide as visual hunters, all of which are features shared by warm-blooded animals.
Is it true that horseflies bite?
Yes. And the bites are a nightmare. Horseflies, despite their reputation for attacking horses and livestock, will attempt to bite any large, warm-blooded mammal.
Females, on the other hand, can only bite because they need blood to produce their eggs, whilst males merely eat pollen and nectar. If you are bitten by a horsefly, you will notice it immediately because the bite is quite painful. Horseflies bite in a very horrific manner.
How to get rid of horseflies around the swimming pool?
Horseflies are aggressive spoilers of fun, but you don’t have to let them ruin your pool experience. Here are some strategies for getting rid of horseflies, which are hell spawns.
1. Flypaper that sticks to your fingers
Unroll the flypaper and hang it about the pool area. Horseflies and other flying pests will be attracted to and trapped by these hanging strips. Replace them as needed or when the paper begins to fill up. Also, avoid walking into them. Trust us when we say it’s a nasty experience.
2. Pesticides
Spray natural pest repellent including pyrethroids around the pool area and in your immediate vicinity. These pesticides are manufactured from dried chrysanthemum plants and are safe for children and pets to use.
To avoid the horseflies developing a tolerance to a certain pesticide, rotate between using organophosphate and organochlorine-based insecticides in various sections of your garden.
3. Light Traps
The light emitted by these traps was designed specifically to attract a variety of flying pests. They are zapped and, in most cases, instantly killed as soon as they come into contact with the light. To quickly kill the horseflies, place one or more of these traps around the pool area. Because they are powered by electricity, keep them out of reach of children to avoid being attracted to light.
4. Bag Traps
These traps are made up of two parts: a bag with fly food that attracts flies and a funnel that allows flies to enter but prevents them from leaving. One of the most successful ways to get rid of horseflies appears to be with this trap.
The stench of fly food and imprisoned flies, on the other hand, is quite strong and overbearing. One or more of these traps should be placed well away from the pool or any other areas where people congregate. However, don’t be concerned about its effectiveness; horseflies are unable to resist the bait.
5. Horsefly Traps
Traps for horseflies. These are big, hanging traps with moving elements that are specifically intended to draw horseflies. They’ll become stuck between the sections and murdered by the heat of the sun-warmed metal by the time they realize what they’ve landed on isn’t their prey. For best effect, hang this type of trap in an area that receives a lot of sunshine during the day.
Just remember to keep your lawn in good shape and add some fly traps to your collection. If you couldn’t control it, Seek pest control experts for help.
