Pest management in New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and other New England states can be quite the hassle, and a somewhat unpredictable challenge. With so many different types of communities, a wide array of pests could pop up all year and vary from season to season, place to place. From the mountainous settings to the coastal shoreline towns, to inner cities and rural suburbs, New England pest management always keeps you on your toes.
With that in mind, here’s a few popular pest management solutions commonly found online that don’t actually work.
Bug Bombs
Bug bombs are always going to be front and center in any store where you’re hoping to find pest management solutions, and they advertise a quick and easy solution to killing whatever pests are invading your home.
The problem, however, comes when these pests have truly invaded and made a nest, or multiple nests, in and around your home. So why is that an issue? Because bug bombs are essentially a spray can of insecticide, so if there aren’t any bugs out in the open – or if there are, but there are hundreds or even thousands more away from the surface in the nest – they won’t be affected.
In addition to only covering open surface areas, it only covers one room. Plus, they’re typically not safe around children and pets, so it’s a big risk to take for a minimal solution.
Osage Oranges For Spider Prevention
Apparently the Osage oranges are supposed to repel spiders, and so they are commonly stored in garages, basements, and other common spider areas.
However, according to a study conducted by research entomologists at Iowa State University, it seems the fruit itself did not repel spiders. Instead, the essential oils of the Osage trees contained three components that were identified as repellents.
So unless you’re growing a tree in your basement (and even if you are), this isn’t going to make a difference.
Lemon Half with Cloves for Ant Prevention
Ants will generally just march right past the lemon with no regard, and the open lemon can actually attract fruit flies, which means you’ll have an extra pest problem on your hands.
Cayenne Pepper Plus Water Spray Mixture
The idea is to spray this mixture on the path where the ants are coming from, which poses a problem itself: If you’ve ever walked into the kitchen only to find what seems like hundreds of ants scattering all at once upon your arrival, you don’t exactly know where they’re headed.
However, ants will often just ignore this spray as well. Some internet goers recommend simply sprinkling the cayenne pepper in the path where the ants walk, but even this isn’t a sure thing and assumes the ants won’t find another way in or around your blockade. The determined little buggers probably will.
Plus, using this mixture can actually stain your counter tops, cabinets and other furniture, so it’s best to leave this one alone.
Covering Garden Plants in Nylon Pantyhose
They aren’t exactly difficult to break through, and once an outdoor critter attacks the nylon covering, you’ll have to pick it up all over your yard.
From birds to mice and other nuisance wildlife that infest your lawn and gardens, most will find a way around this classic trick.
Dryer Sheets to Prevent Mosquitoes
There’s nothing quite like that clean laundry smell … to humans. Mosquitoes, on the other hand, allegedly hate it – or so says the popular myth about mosquito prevention, which claims that by rubbing dryer sheets all over your exposed body, mosquitoes will ignore you and not stop in for a snack.
Some people swear by the trick, but ultimately you’ll probably just end up smelling like dryer sheets (for better or worse) and having a bunch of preventable mosquito bites. Instead of this trick, try using some of these proven mosquito prevention tactics.
Instead of wasting time with old wives tales like these, why not call the experts and get straight to a solution? At Bain Pest Control, we’ve been serving the greater New England region for over 90 years and have become staples in our communities, giving residential and commercial building owners the peace of mind they need.
Ultimately, the best thing to do about your pest management woes is to call your trusted pest management professionals at Bain Pest Control. We’ve been serving the New England region for nearly a century, and we’re happy to add you to our list of satisfied, pest-free customers. For more information, contact us today.