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This $6 Amazon Find Helped Me Beat My Fruit Fly Battle — and It’s Just So Darned Cute!
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There are some things I take pleasure in knowing a lot about — Travel! Crossword puzzles! French fries! — and others where I’m a reluctant expert. Insect control, though undoubtedly important, falls into the latter category. After years of combatting everything from mosquitos to moths with lots of so-called “solutions,” only a handful have actually worked. So, when I recently found myself fighting a fruit fly issue, I set out on the hunt for a simple, effective answer.
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Terro is one of our absolute favorite brands for fighting off unwanted creepy crawlies, so I was thrilled to see that they make a trap specifically for fruit flies. Then, I noticed that it had more than 30,000 (!!) five-star reviews, and I added it to my cart right away. The result? Not only are fruit flies no match for this Terro trap, but it also has tons of additional features that I absolutely adore.
The first thing you’ll notice when you look at these traps is how darned cute they are — so much so that I don’t even feel embarrassed keeping them out in full view when I have guests over. They’re shaped like little red apples and definitely do not scream “I have bugs!” The traps are super easy to put together, too: Just empty the included fly-luring liquid into the apple and set it down (yup, that’s all). The substance inside is non-toxic to humans, yet both irresistible and deadly to fruit flies. These pesky bugs make their way into the top of the trap … and never get out. In a matter of days, I not only noticed a severe drop-off in fruit flies flitting around my space, but via a window built into the side of the apple, I could actually see dozens of little dead flies floating around (gross, I know, but oh-so-satisfying).
Each trap lasts for 45 days, at which point you just throw it away. That’s right — there’s no chance that you’ll ever touch the dead bugs (ew!) or spill the liquid. In that way, these traps feel much more sanitary than others I’ve tried. They also don’t plug into the wall and add to my power bill, a growing concern these days. In fact, two-packs are on sale on Amazon for just $6. Personally, I’m stocking up so that I have new ones ready to go when my current ones hit their expiration date. If you’re battling fruit flies like I was, I can’t recommend these easy-peasy traps highly enough. With a 90-days supply of fruit-fly-fighting power per two-pack, it’ll be the best six bucks you’ve ever spent.
Buy: Terro Fruit Fly Trap, 2-pack, $5.89 (normally $8.49)
Pest Control Company Wants to Release 100 Roaches in Your Home And Pay You
If you’re looking for a roommate, and can tolerate ones who are a bit pesky, then you might be open to this unique offer.
North Carolina-based pest control company The Pest Informer is in search of homeowners who are willing to welcome 100 cockroaches in their homes to test the effectiveness of various treatment methods. In exchange, the firm will pay them $2,000.
“As technology advances, we’re always looking for the newest and greatest ways to get rid of pests (cockroaches specifically),” The Pest Informer posted.
The experiment will try 10 new treatments, which will be made from easily-accessible DIY materials, and said to be safe for family and pets. Don’t get attached to your new friends, though, because the study will only last a month. And if the cockroaches have not vacated by then, the company says it will use traditional methods instead, “at no cost to you.”
According to David Floyd, the founder of The Pest Informer, they have already received over 2,200 applications, NBC News reports.
Other important details you need to remember: applicants must be homeowners or have written consent from the homeowner, and must reside in the continental United States. The company’s application page will remain open until July 31.
If sharing a place with a hundred creepy crawlies doesn’t bug you (pun intended), you can find out more about the experiment here.
Mosquitoes Swarm Around These Four Colors the Most
The colors in your outdoor patio might be attractive to guests, but according to science, it could also be attractive to unwanted visitors: mosquitoes.
A recent study from the University of Washington has found that, in addition to the odor of carbon dioxide, colors can also be inviting to swarms of mosquitoes. The research, published in the journal Nature Communications, involved an experiment wherein the pests were introduced to a room with CO2 and various colored dots. Using 3D-tracking technology, the scientists were able to tell which colors the mosquitoes hung around the most.
The result? The notorious yellow fever mosquitoes (Aedes aegypti) flew faster and lingered longer around colors like red, orange, black, and cyan, while they didn’t respond as much to colors such as green, purple, blue, and white.
The researchers also conducted the same test on other mosquito species, namely, An. stephensi and Cx. quinquefasciatus. They found that the insects were drawn to orange and red, with purple a third favorite.
Why do they swarm around these particular colors? It could be that mosquitoes associate orange and red hues with human skin and blood. But it’s important to note that they’ll only react to these visual cues if they smell carbon dioxide, which is their signal that mammals are around.
“Mosquitoes appear to use odors to help them distinguish what is nearby, like a host to bite,” researcher Jeffrey Riffell told Sci-News. “When they smell specific compounds, like CO2 from our breath, that scent stimulates the eyes to scan for specific colors and other visual patterns, which are associated with a potential host, and head to them.”
The study’s findings add to the belief that the color of clothes can attract mosquitoes. A black shirt, for instance, can invite more insects than a light-colored one. As for the color of your decor, it’s unknown if there’s enough CO2 around these areas to trigger the visual cues. But, to be on the safe side, maybe don’t bring an orange blanket and red pillows while wearing a cyan sweater the next time you lounge around the patio at night.
7 Super Easy Ways to Fight Off Pests This Spring (Before They Take Over)
Spring is officially here, and with it comes a whole horde of pests that can quietly invade your home if you’re not careful. From rogue ants on your kitchen counter to gnats swarming your houseplants to mice running amok in your basement, any type of pest infestation can make your life at home difficult. But rather than trying to find reactionary solutions on how to get rid of them, we can take steps to prevent them from coming in in the first place. Here are some easy things to do right now to prevent pests from taking over.
Put cinnamon on your plants
My grandmother grew up on a farm and knew everything there was to know about plants. And when it came to spider mites, gnats, whiteflies, and other common pests, her go-to preventative measure was sprinkling the soil with cinnamon. Not only does it repel them, but it can also act as an insecticide if you already have a small infestation. (And bonus: it also helps curb fungus and mildew on plants!) Simply sprinkle cinnamon on the soil and leaves, and rest easy you won’t ever have to battle an infestation.
Plant basil to get rid of flies
Do you constantly have to chase flies out of your house? Whether you have a window screen with a hole in it or they sneak into open doors, no one likes their incessant buzzing inside. Plant basil on your windowsills to create a natural force field around your home. Flies are repelled by their scent, so plant them in spots where they usually sneak in to deter them from hovering. The good news: Basil is non-toxic to cats and dogs.
While deer are cute to look at, they can also wreak havoc on gardens and landscaping. If you’re tired of seeing your vegetable garden or hydrangea bushes pillaged, a good way to deter them is with a bar of soap, like Irish Spring. The scent is said to deter them from grazing. While some people recommend adding soap shavings to the ground, that can get messy once it rains and could potentially harm your plants. Instead, you can nail a bar of soap onto a stake next to your garden or hang it from a mesh bag to get the same effect.
Repel mice with steel wool
Sure, no one likes to see rodents lurking around their basements or baseboards, but many people also prefer not to harm them either. If you have a mice problem, deter these critters from entering your home in the first place with some carefully placed steel wool. Pack medium-grade steel wool pads in holes along your foundation where mice are prone to sneak through. They won’t like the bristly feeling when they try to chew through it and may go somewhere else altogether.
Deter fruit flies with scent
Fruit flies are annoying, but you can keep them from sticking around with the power of scent. They are said to be deterred by the smell of basil, peppermint, cloves, eucalyptus, and lavender, so you can easily bag these herbs into satchels and leave them around your home. If you don’t want sacks of herbs lying around your windowsills or tables, you can also use essential peppermint oils in a diffuser, which is scientifically proven to be effective.
Keep ants away with vinegar
A great way to keep ants at bay is by wiping down your kitchen after eating so you don’t have any crumbs waiting to entice them, but sometimes they’re persistent and scout ants come around anyway and make scent trails for other ants to follow to food, so you want to disrupt those on the spot. In that case, seal any cracks near windows and doors with caulk, so they don’t have an easy way in. If you already notice them milling about, destroy ant trails with a 1:1 ratio of water and vinegar.
Repel dust mites with essential oils
Whether you have an allergy or just want to ensure you don’t have microscopic bugs on your mattress, you can keep the dust mite population to a minimum and deter them with a non-toxic DIY repellent spray. Create a 1:1 ratio of vinegar and water, and then add in a few drops of lavender, peppermint, and eucalyptus essential oils, which are said to repulse these pesky bugs. Shake it up and spray it on everything from your mattress to your couch to your curtains to get the best results.
Turn away cockroaches with fabric softener
Cockroaches don’t like the smell of fabric softener, so create a repellant spray by mixing fabric softener with water in a spray bottle, using three parts softener and one part water. Spray it daily in places you traditionally battle with cockroaches (like kitchen cabinets and trash cans), and you might not have any more sightings this season.