Improve Your Pest Control

(NC)-Pests come in a variety of forms, from mice, earwigs, ants and grubs to invasive weeds. They can trigger allergies, carry disease, contaminate food and even damage our possessions. But a few simple preventative measures can stop pests before they pester.

Unfortunately, on warm, sunny fall days, the swarms of lady beetles are so thick around my house that in the afternoon, I hesitate to even go outside to get the mail. The beetles land in my hair, crawl behind my glasses and work their way down the collar of my shirt.Whether you are going to keep your ferret in one room or let him roam the house it is important to identify any places that a ferret may be able to get out of the house. Ferrets can escape through holes in screen doors or windows, dryer vents, open doors, and space around plumbing. Ferrets have been known to find ways into walls and under floors, as well.I have discovered that the beetles will avoid crawling across bug spray with pyrethrins or permethrin, or if they do crawl across it, they die in a short while. I don't particularly like to spray bug spray inside my house, but when it's a matter of spraying or letting thousands of lady bugs into the house, spraying seems like the lesser of the two evils. I don't like killing the beetles, either, and would just as soon "live and let live," but I draw the line at a house-full of beetles.Actually, they are not "true" lady bugs. They are "Multi-Colored Asian Lady Beetles." The beetles are beneficial to the environment because they control aphids. And from what I've read, the multicolored lady beetles are much better at controlling aphids than the 'real' lady bugs.This may be somewhat time-consuming but it is a non-toxic and safe method to remove the bugs. As far as I'm concerned, time-consuming doesn't seem so important when thousands of lady beetles are invading my house.

Outdoors, as with indoor bugs, prevention is always the best option. Keep your lawn healthy by mowing and fertilizing regularly. Minimize bright light sources and damp environments. And don't kill bugs that eat other bugs, like ladybirds, praying mantis, and lacewings.

Author: News Canada