Category: Tips and Tricks

It seems like flies are everywhere and multiply by the second during the summer. Once you think you’ve gotten them all, another one shows up and it almost seems never-ending! At times it can seem hopeless trying to get all of the flies out of your space. Lucky for you, there are quite a few different ways that you can repel and/or prevent flies from invading the inside and outside of your home! Today, we’re here to help you with 4 ways you can keep the flies away during the summer. 

Hang Up A Bag Of Water

This method is one of the old-fashioned ways of repelling flies. By hanging a bag of water up in the area that you’re trying to keep them out of most (usually in an outdoor area), light reflects off of the water in the bag and throws off the flies. Unfortunately, this method isn’t as effective with more than just a few flies. It only temporarily shoos the flies away until they are ready to come back for more.

Flytraps

A more obvious and easy way out is to purchase and use fly traps. There are many different kinds of fly traps you can find in-store or even online. The point of fly traps is to attract the flies and ultimately get them stuck in the trap. Since the trap is so attractive to them, it’s smart to put the flytrap as far away from where you don’t want the flies to be. Whether these fly traps are store-bought or DIY-ed, they can be pretty effective depending on the number of flies you’re dealing with!

Citronella Candles

Citronella candles are very popular outdoor fly repellents. They don’t work to trap the flies and kill them, but they are effective at keeping them away because of the smell they give off. Although they are very popular outdoor repellents, you can also purchase citronella candles that are safe for inside use as well. Since the smell of citronella candles is what overwhelms and causes the flies to stay away, these are only effective at repelling the flies for as long as the candles are burning. 

Keep The Area Clean

This method is more of a method to practice over time. Flies are attracted to all kinds of smells. Whether it’s sweet or stinky, they’ll be there to take it all in. So, just like the sweet smells of the DIY traps you set attract them, the stinky smells from the pet feces or garbage cans will attract them as well. To minimize the swarms of flies that could potentially visit your home, try to keep the areas in and around your home clean! Make sure all of the pet feces is cleaned up. Garbage cans should be shut completely when they’re filled with garbage. Simple practices like keeping your area clean will help to minimize the flies. 

Contact A Professional

Apple Pest Control is here to help you get rid of the critters that are out of control. Contact us today to handle the problem!

Do your kids love little creepy-crawlies? Or maybe they are scared of little critters. It’s important for kids to be knowledgeable of the pests that they may stumble across in the home. But it’s also important to teach them not to be afraid of any bugs they may find. Whether it be scorpions, spiders, or fire ants, Apple Pest Control wants to help you teach your kid how to be safe around pests.

It’s no secret that some critters sting or bite. But it’s also important to note that there are helpful critters that are often hanging around the house.

One fun way to teach kids about bugs and pests is to look them up when you come across them. If your child finds a spider in the mouse, sit down with them and research that spider. It allows for an engaging way for your child to learn about common bugs found in the house and can help them identify that spider in the future.

A Friend or Foe?

One of the first things you’ll want to teach your kids is to identify the pest. They will not know every single pest they come across. But with some guidance, they can learn to recognize some of the common ones in your home.

Like kids, bugs behave differently from each other. It’s important that kids learn to stop and look when they find a critter. Some pests look very similar to each other but are very different.

For example, the Coral Snake and Scarlet King Snake are two very different snakes but they look very similar. The Coral snake is dangerous with its lethal venom, whereas the Scarlet Kingsnake is harmless. The difference between the two is that a Coral snake has red and yellow patterns that touch. A Scarlet King has red and black patterns that touch. One way to help your child remember this is the nursery rhyme, “Red and yellow, kill a fellow. Red and black, a friend of Jack!”

There are other pests that are actually helpful to the environment. It’s important your kid doesn’t try to squish these friends, such as bees or butterflies. If you want to know more beneficial pests in Texas, Apple Pest Control has a blog all about some of the common pests that help their ecosystem.

Do Pests Bite?

Some do. Some sting! Some do nothing at all.

Fascination can sometimes lead to fear if your kid gets stung or bitten. Pests can carry diseases that can transmit through bites. Diseases such as the Zika virus, Lyme disease, and rabies can all carry and spread by vectors. Some disease vectors include mosquitos, ticks, and rodents. These are just a few diseases and vectors so it’s important to instill caution in your kids.

Talk to your kid about some of the critters that sting or bite. Try to avoid phrasing these things in a fearful way so your child doesn’t become scared of pests.

One good lesson is to stay away from any pests they may find or to grab an adult if the pest inside. If they don’t know what the bug is, they should keep their distance. Staying away from the pests means they will stay away from you.

Contact a Professional

If the critters around the house have gotten out of control, contact your local pest control company to come to handle the problem. Depending on the pest, some places move the critter or exterminate.

Apple Pest Control is dedicated to handling pests in San Antonio. Contact us today!

It is true…not all insects are bad. In fact, there are some that we want to attract like. As 2019 rolls in and our minds focus on the new year and the spring season that lies ahead of us, gardening can be the perfect breath of fresh air (literally). More specifically, butterfly gardens are designed to attract butterflies as an organic way to pollinate your garden – not to mention their beauty. Here are a few tips to attract butterflies to your garden.
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