Ecofriendly fall pest control tips: Cockroaches and Spiders
Fall is the time of year to get ready for the cool winter months. Humans are not the only creatures seeking a warm and safe winter haven. Insects, snakes, rodents, and other critters want to be your housemates. Here are some ecofriendly insect control tips, some courtesy of Planet Natural.
Seal up your home as much as possible by checking doors, windows, pipe and wire entrances, foundations, siding and gutters. Many critters need only a pinhole opening to enter. Caulk, insulate, weather strip, etc. to keep you warm and critters out. Expandable foam insulation works well but use sparingly since it expands rapidly. Contact a professional if you aren’t sure of the best solution for your situation.
Remove any items near your house’s foundation, especially wood piles, boards, and anything that will contribute to a damp environment. Many insects (and other critters) love damp and wood. Wood should be stored at least 20 feet from structures. Clean up debris from around the foundation. Trim landscaping. Check your foundation for loose siding or boards, or cracks. Repair where needed.
There are over 3,500 species of cockroaches, and chances are some live in your location. A very common pest but do you know Cockroaches reproduce at the alarming rate and are very much capable of producing several thousand offspring in a year.
Foodstuff is mostly consumed by Cockroaches, they also contaminate this foodstuff with excrement as well as saliva. They are also responsible for transmitting various severe diseases for eg the bacteria that can result in food poisoning and are a significant source of allergies indoors, second only to house dust.
Cockroaches love the diet made up of carbohydrates over fat. They thrive in moisture. Sanitation is one of the most effective ways to get rid of cockroaches fast. Make sure to Store all of your foodstuffs in sealed containers instead of baggies. Plastic and metal are best.
Prefer to use the pesticides that are least toxic, you can try diatomaceous earth and boric acid to the places where pests are usually hidden. Also make sure to Spray the botanical insecticides in crevices, cracks and other cockroach hiding places if the level of pest become extreme.
The Citrus products repel these roaches and the best thing, they are chemical free :D Some products contain rosemary and cinnamon oil, too. Products are available in various forms like powder, bait traps and sprays Some of the form should be used only inside or outside, some are safe for both.
Some 30,000 species of spiders occur throughout the world. They have eight legs and two body segments. For most of the people, spiders are believed to be beneficial reason being they feed primarily on insect pests and other spiders. Many people are afraid of spiders and just want them out. Some spiders are poisonous and need to be eliminated from homes.
Three more prevalent types of poisonous spiders are the Black Widow, Brown Recluse, and Hobo Spider. Their bites are generally not fatal to adults, but talking about children and pets, they can be quite serious. Bites are painful and can become ulcerated and infected, especially if not medically treated promptly. Many other spider bites cause pain, swelling and itching but are not poisonous.
Females lay eggs in sacs which they carry or house in webs. Hatching usually takes about 2 weeks. Some spiders live 5 - 20 years but most 1-2 years.
Good sanitation is a good spider preventative. Boxes and items stores in dark places and rarely disturbed are places spiders like. Garages, basements, attics, and storage rooms are common spider location. Clean up around and dispose of unused equipment, boxes, piles of junk and other detritus. Also clean around trash receptacles. Repair and fix loose or open access points- spiders have very tiny bodies.
Spiders and their webs can be get ridden of using vacuum cleaner or a broom. Traps placed into small, tight corners will capture many crawling insects. If pest populations become intolerable, apply diatomaceous earth and/or botanical insecticides to cracks, crevices and other hiding places. For crawl spaces consider using a least-toxic insect fogger.
Many crawling pests dislike borax and boric acid. Consider applying inside and outside foundations. Spider control products are available in home improvement sores, big box stores, hardware stores, and online outlets. Also make sure to well research products online in order to identify which kind of chemicals they possess.
All pest control products should be kept away from pets and children. Even if they contain organic products, pest control solutions possess high concentrations of some inert ingredients or plant oils as they can poison your children and pets. In some cases, you may need a professional exterminator for pest control. Research the companies and ask questions about the contents of the products they use.
