Part 2 of a series on what you can do to keep spiders, insects, and rodents out of your home.
Tip #2: By reducing common household odors, you can substantially reduce populations of insects and spiders in and around your home.
You probably didn’t need to read this blog to know this universal truth: Bad smells stink! Unfortunately in the pest world, they do more than just stink; odors attract some pests as well.
Fruit flies, filth flies (house flies, blow flies, stable flies, etc.), mice, and even ants have a keen sense of smell.
Fruit flies are attracted to rotting or over-ripe produce. Filth flies are attracted to rotted organic material, animal feces, and garbage. Spiders follow the flies, like we talked about in last week’s blog. Mice are after most anything. Ants are after whatever smells like it has fat, protein, or sweets, and according to this article from Vanderbilt, barbeque beef or pork. All of them need and can smell water.
With all of these wonderful aromas dancing on the air in and around our homes, together with abundant water sources (lawn irrigation, wet floors, and leaky faucets/drains), its little wonder that pests like us so much.
Here are a few tips on how to reduce these odors:
- Pick up your dog’s poo. Or cats. Or whatever. Flies love this stuff! Make it part of your daily routine. Or, better yet, make it your kid’s daily routine.
- Make sure your indoor garbage cans are emptied regularly. There are all kind of good smells coming out of these bad boys. Tie up your bags tightly to eliminate odors from seeping out.
- Dispose of fruit quickly when it begins to turn. I know you like to make banana bread out of those black bananas, but…..really?
- If you have trees that drop any sort of fruit, clean them up immediately. Dropped fruit can be a tremendous food source for flies.
- Ensure your outdoor garbage can has a snug lid, and a clean exterior. This will keep flies from feeding and having a potential breeding ground. Place the can as far away from your house as possible. Every so often, request from your garbage company a clean can, as there tends to be smelly build-up over time.
- Rinse your recyclables before putting them in the bin. Sugars from cans, etc., are a food source.
- Clean up spilt food or water, dog food, bird seed, etc., quickly. Rodents and ants are quick to smell and capitalize on any of these food sources.
It is our wish that you, by following these simple tips, have a less smelly home: A home where Scentsy candles rule the air, a home where bugs don’t think of coming to, because it just smells so darn good. A pest-free home!
