This is the time of year where we start to see the sun but also a lot more insects in our gardens & home. Most of these insects are welcome and a delight to see in the spring/summer season but some can be pest insects including beetles & flies.
Image Copyright: michaklootwijk / 123RF Stock Photo
If we give these pest insects the right conditions by providing them with a food source and harbourage they will produce hundreds of their offspring in as little as four to six weeks. Take one of these conditions away and you will have less pests. Remove all the conditions and they will either go away or die and your pest problem can be solved.
Food for thought
Food sources can be a dusty surface for flour beetles, paper, plastic and even foil which biscuits beetles (usually brought in with dry pet food) are more than happy to munch through. Even a little bit of spoiled food trapped in a drain pipe can cause fruit flies to reproduce at hundreds per week and cause you a pest problem.
Home sweet home
As for harbourage, insects will live both inside and out, we just don’t always notice them when inside – until they become a nuisance. Good house keeping is essential so clean up spilled food, keep food in containers rather than packets & clean out your dishwasher drain/filters or disposable units on a regular basis. It is also wise to move the fridge or cooker to remove any debris underneath which can also attract these little pest.