Every year, warm weather prompts us to open our windows and enjoy our outdoor spaces. However, this often leads to a losing battle against ants, flies, and wasps in the home.
Well, it seems the nation is currently grappling with an insect invasion, with searches for ‘how to get rid of flies’ and ‘how to get rid of ants’ increasing by 421% and 311%, over the last three months, respectively.
And while it’s easy to blame the season, the real issue could be much closer to home, Kester Rudd at Gtech explains:
“It’s incredibly frustrating when you feel as though you’re keeping your home tidy, yet still finding ants, flies, and other pests inside.
“The truth is that simple mistakes in our cleaning routines can create an open invitation for these unwanted guests.
“However, the key to a bug-free home isn’t harsh chemicals or electric zappers but removing their reasons for visiting in the first place.”
So, to help you win the war against household pests, Kester Rudd, insights manager at Gtech, has shared three common habits you’ll want to break:
- Only doing a quick wipe down of surfaces
While wiping down the kitchen worktop after making a sandwich seems sufficient, it often just pushes tiny, unseen crumbs onto the floor or into crevices. These crumbs might be invisible to us, but insects can detect them from a surprising distance.
So, to really get rid of the problem, after wiping the sides, use a handheld vacuum to quickly clear any fallen debris from floors, skirting boards, and even dining chairs. This simple addition to your routine completely removes the food source, making your kitchen far less attractive to foraging ants and flies.
- Vacuuming only the high-traffic areas
A weekly vacuum of the main floor is a good start, but insects rarely live in high-traffic areas. They thrive in undisturbed spots, like under the sofa or behind the TV cabinet, where dust, skin cells and food particles accumulate.
To have a pest-free home, it’s vital to target these often-forgotten zones. Use your vacuum’s attachments to clean along skirting boards, under sofa cushions, and behind furniture. A machine with powerful suction is essential to lift the hidden dirt that insects feed on.
3. Not discouraging other insects at the source of the entry
Spotting a trail of ants from a crack near the back door is a common frustration, but simply blocking the gap won’t solve the problem long-term, as pests leave behind pheromone trails that act as a signpost for others to follow.
For a more effective solution, you must also remove this invisible trail by applying natural deterrents like peppermint oil or lemon juice to the gaps. This eliminates the pheromone trail, stopping new pests from following the path inside.
For more information on how to get rid of insects in your home, or to shop cordless vacuums, visit theGtech blog.
