Pesky House Pests

PESKY HOUSE PESTS Whether you're out in your vegetable garden or sitting down to a nice dinner, nothing ruins a pleasant day like a critter dropping in uninvited. Pests aren't just annoying: they can carry diseases, cause health issues, and damage plants and property. Luckily, just a little bit of knowledge and prevention can go a long way toward keeping your home pest-free. Untreated house pests in the United States cause over THE BIGGEST PESTS $5,000,000,000 The most common pests in the United States are busily bothering people all across the country. You may already be familiar with these culprits, but how well do you really know them? in damage per year. Most home insurance companies do not cover any of these costs. SPIDERS MICE and RATS ANTS TERMITES APHID Almost all spiders produce Termites cause about $5 billion annually in damages A rat's teeth are harder than Ants make up about 15% of all terrestrial animal biomass Aphids often transmit viruses venom, but very few have enough potency to affect humans. steel; they're easily able to gnaw through substances like concrete and wood. and can be found nearly everywhere on earth. that can stunt plant growth as they move from ane to the next. to crops and man-made structures. INDOOR PESTS OUTDOOR PESTS BED BUGS COCKROACHES TICKS MOSQUITOES SNAILS and SLUGS Bed bugs can ingest 7 times their own weight in blood; the equivalent of an average man drinking 120 gallons. Ticks are able to simultaneously Within 6 months, a female cockroach can produce over Mosquitoes cause nearly 250 million cases of malaria Slugs can consume several times their body weight every transmit multiple diseases to 5,000 descendants. their hosts, whether human or per year worldwide, among many other diseases. day in plants of all types. animal PESTS BY REGION PEST PREVENTION MOSQUITO While the most common pests are universal, some have ideal environments. If you're headed to Texas, watch out for scorpions: in Alaska, it's the mosquitoes that you should worry about. A few pests and their favorite haunts: The best way to handle a pest problem in your home is to prevent it from happening in the first place. Just a few simple precautions can dramatically decrease your chances of infestation: CARPENTER ANT Don't store piles of wood against your house; they encourage termites SOYBEAN APHID GYPSY MOTH FIRE ANT Make sure your home is SCALE sealed with caulk on the JERUSALEM CRICKET windows and doors SCORPION BITING MIDGE FRUIT FLY Never leave trash, food, or pet food out for extended periods of time More serious infestations like termites or bed bugs might cost while cockroaches, ticks, mice, and spiders DIY PEST CONTROL $1500 $250 might only end up being Untreated pest problems, however, can end For any infestation, you should always call a professional. DIY pest control is not always safe and may leave you with a lingering pest up costing much more in damages! problem. TRAPS * TOXIC TRAPS NON-TOXIC TRAPS O DIY TRAPS Many chemical traps contain fipronil, which is a possible carcinogen and a hazard to non-target animals. Sticky strips and mouse traps are not toxic, but they're indiscriminate, so non-target animals or small children could get caught in them. Put fruit plastic wrap with a few pin pricks in it to catch fruit flies. Handmade traps like these, however, may not be very effective. beer inside a glass covered in Hydramethylnon traps are safer, but still highly toxic to other organisms. POISON MOTHBALLS e INSECTICIDE SPRAY O DIY SPRAY Mothballs kill moths and silverfish, but Disodium octaborate tetrahydrate is an A chopped garlic bulb, 1 tbsp. dish soap. they're highly toxic, and if ingested they can kill. They should never be left out in alkaline salt that can be used to prevent 1 tsp. cayenne pepper, and 1 quart of ants and termites. It has very low toxicity. but it should not be ingested. water can be strained into a spray bottle for preventing ants and termites, but it's the open, and clothes stored with them need to be thoroughly aired. best used only outdoors. REPELLENTS eO BOTANICAL INSECTICIDES Ø PREDATOR INSECTS AO DIY REPELLENTS Canola oil can be sprayed on plants that are being attacked by aphids (although this must be done constantly to work). Some repellents contain naturally Introduce completely natural elements into your garden's ecosystem by using predator insects like ladybugs to control aphids. (Professionals can also do this service, as it's fairly labor-intensive). occurring plant chemicals but are still toxic to animals, like pyrethrin and rotenone. Apply copper tape to pots to turn away slugs and snails. According to the National Pesticide Information Center, pesticide poisonings occur each 20,000 acwm.lacounty.gov flaentsoc.org cauky edu clemson edu epa gov ipm.ucdavis.edu npic.orst.edu nationalgeographic.com psmapestworld.org humanesociety.org insected arizona.edu nature.com year in the United States alone. eLocal.com ipcpest.com nepma.org Be careful and use a professional!