Nights drawing in and the weather changing can only mean one thing – Autumn is here! With this in mind, garage door specialists Garolla analysed historical search volume data to predict how many homes might be plagued by eight different pests in the coming months.
Focusing on “how to get rid of” phrases, the search volume analysis findings revealed that thousands of UK homes could be plagued by a variety of household pests this autumn:
| Range (monthly change) | Search term – “how to get rid of *” | Searches in past month | Monthly change | Quarterly change |
| 1 | spiders | 3k | +32% | +144% |
| 2 | wasps | 2k | +20% | +552% |
| 3 | silverfish | 1k | +20% | +24% |
| 4 | mice | 3k | +11% | -19% |
| 5 | rats | 2k | -7% | -31% |
| 6 | slugs | 1k | -14% | +27% |
| 7 | moths | 3k | -16% | -19% |
| 8 | ants | 6k | -79% | -8% |
*Analysis based on 12-month data, pulled from Glimpse on 05/09/2024
Garolla also collaborated with Henry Paterson Home Services Expert at Housekeep to discuss unexpected household items that may be attracting pests into your home. Paterson shared: “The drop in temperature and wetter weather conditions can contribute to insects and other pests seeking a drier, warmer environment as Autumn approaches – which unfortunately can be your home! Regular cleaning and overall household hygiene important for deterring these autumnal pests. For example, your household rubbish can attract pests as a source of potential food – rinse out cans & bottles before putting them in your recycling, and make sure that your bin has a lid on it and is changed as soon as it’s full.
“Likewise, kitchen surfaces are another prime suspect. Make sure that you’re putting any dirty dishes straight into the dishwasher and wipe down surfaces & floors right after cooking. Keep food in cupboards, rather than out on the surface. Leaks can attract some pests too. Either because they need damp, dark environments (e.g. slugs) – or because they’re looking for water (e.g. rodents)”.
If you become aware of a pest infestation in your house, you should look to take any immediate action you can – for example:
- Up your cleaning routine & general house hygiene (to remove potential food sources)
- Thoroughly & regularly clean any areas where you notice high insect/pest activity
- Ensure that all food is kept covered & away from surfaces”.
- If you think there’s a small hole or crack that pests are coming in from, seal that up
- Disinfect any areas you find droppings – particularly larger rodent droppings as these can carry harmful pathogens
- If you notice any egg sacs, larvae or similar from any insects, vacuum these up immediately
Paterson continued: “You might also consider calling a professional – if you live in rented accommodation, speak to your landlord immediately to get the ball rolling on professional help. It can also be worth addressing any damp/high humidity areas in the property”.
Clutter, perishables, pet food, and decorations are amongst some of the unexpected household items that may be attracting pests into your home during autumn. Earlier in the year, Garollacommissioned* a national survey to discover what items the nation are storing in their garages – the findings revealed that junk (36%), decorations (17%), pet food (12%) were amongst the most common items stored in UK garages – all of which can increase the risk of pest infestation.
Alastair Mayne, chief operating officer at Garolla, commented: “Your garage can so easily become a black hole – a place to hide (or hoard!) your clutter. They’re often a space to store the Christmas tree, chuck the recycling into, stack up the kids’ bikes, or cram in gardening tools. It’s all too easy to throw something in the garage and forget about it – out of sight, out of mind. However, it’s easy to forget that your garage can be a functional and versatile extension of your living space. All it takes is some decent storage solutions and a bit of de-cluttering.
“Decluttering allows easier access to your stored items, eliminates the visual jumble, and even frees up potential financial gains from selling unwanted possessions. We recently commissioned* research via a national survey which found that the average Brit stored around £10,000 worth of contents in their garage – these garage ‘gold mines’ included an array of items, such as DIY tools, gardening tools, cars, bicycles, and more – and selling off some of this could pay for your garage transformation project.
“If you have an up-and-over or sectional door then the framework will prevent you from hanging items from roof rafters (like bicycles or punch bags) or stop you from building in shelving or storage from floor to ceiling. Garolla electric roller garage doors roll up into a compact top box, meaning that they don’t require the bulky framework and internal storage that up-and-over doors require (which often eats into the storage space available to you). Our doors can provide you with 25% more space versus a traditional up-and-over door and free up more options for your storage solutions”.
