The 5 Most Common Pest Myths
So, we’ve all heard of several ways to get rid of bugs to avoid having to spend a ton of money on pest control and chemicals. How many of those are actually true? Here are the 5 most common pest myths that aren’t actually true.
Grits or oatmeal can get rid of ants. This myth originated because water causes grits and oatmeal to expand. It is believed that the ants will consume the food and then drink water. This supposedly causes the food to expand to a size bigger than the ants, causing them to die. However, this is not true because ants cannot digest solid food. The best way to get rid of ants is to use insecticide or soap and water.
Dryer sheets keep insects and rodents away. This is one of the 5 most common pest myths because using dryer sheets to keep the pests away actually just removes food and other particles that can attract these pests. However, this is not entirely effective. There is no evidence that anything found in dryer sheets repels pests. Instead, you should use insect repellent with DEET, seal doors and windows, and avoid letting food lay around.
Rubbing alcohol to repel mosquitos. This one of the 5 most common pest myths is bunk because alcohol evaporates so fast that any effect it may have on mosquitos and other insects would be null within seconds. Instead, use repellent with DEET.
Borax and sugar to kill roaches. The sugar will attract the roaches and the borax will kill them. At least that’s how the old wives’ tale goes. While borax is effective at killing ants, roaches are much more resilient. It’s often said that roaches could survive a nuclear war. While that may not be necessarily true, they can survive quite a bit, including borax. Your best bet here is to install roach traps and keep your home clean.
Salt can kill bed bugs. You may have heard that salt can kill bed bugs by drying them out. It may sound like a good idea, but there is no evidence that this works. There is, however, evidence that it does not work: salt cannot penetrate through their exoskeleton. If you want to get rid of bed bugs, use an EPA-approved bed bug repellant or call a pest control company.
So, there you have it: The 5 most common pest myths. People believe many of these because they feel that calling a pest control company is too expensive and chemicals found in repellents and insecticides can be harmful. These factors can appeal to many people. While there are many natural remedies for pests, these 5 most common pest myths are entirely false.
If you’re having a problem with pests that you can’t control on your own, then give us here at Absolute Pest Control a call at (615)220-1933 or click here today!