If your Northern Territory home is being plagued by bugs, it’s time to fight back. Heat driven bugs are prolific breeders, given the right conditions. As a homeowner you can eliminate many of the conditions which allow these pests to thrive.
However, nature will always find away. You can go to great lengths to prevent bugs from breeding in and around your property, but that is not enough to keep bugs out of your home. Combating heat driven bugs is a complex task.
Bug Free Zones
Just like humans, pests have preferences for the environments that they inhabit. In order to combat pests you will need to first create bug free zones in your home and property. Consider this the first battle against the invasion of mosquitoes and heat driven bugs. You will not totally eradicate the enemy, but you will significant reduce their numbers.
Standing water is a breeding ground for mosquitoes. If you want to reduce the mosquito population on your property, you will need to eliminate or cover any standing water. Even the smallest puddle of water will provide mosquitoes with the perfect environment to lay eggs.
Locate areas on your property where water is allowed to stand and take steps to rectify the situation. Standing water at ground level is usually a result of inadequate drainage. If water is allowed to settle with nowhere else to go, mosquitoes will take full advantage. You can either fill in dips to allow water to run off, or improve the drainage on your property.
Bugs are relatively small compared to human. That means they don’t need that much space to breed and can hide in the most unlikely places. Keeping your home and property pristine clean is an essential step towards combating most bugs.
While it is important to keep visible surfaces clean and ensure that trash is disposed of frequently, you should also focus on the areas that you can’t see. Pests love to hide in dark, dirty places. For your average Australian pest, a home is where the most dirt and food debris is found.
Keep cabinets, corners, recesses, and storage areas dirt free. Bugs can cover a large amount of ground, so they won’t settle for an unsuitable environment in their pursuit of a new home. However, you are not out of the woods yet. Mosquitoes and other pests will likely find a home on a nearby property or land that is not inhabited by humans.
Additional Protection Against Bugs
It is important to identify the areas where bugs are able to enter your home. Windows and doors can be protected by bug screens. If there are other entry points, however, bugs have an extraordinary knack for finding them.
Ensure that any entry points from plumbing or caballing are sealed. Screened vents allow adequate airflow without providing bugs with an entry point to your home. If you prefer open vents, keep them tilted so that they are not as much of an inviting opening to bugs.
Deet is one of the most effective pest repellents against biting insects. The effectiveness of repellents that contain deet is typically measured by how the product is applied and the percentage of the chemical in the repellent.
A repellent that contains 75% deet is much more effective as a repellent; however, repellents with a higher percentage may damage clothing and surfaces. Numerous studies have been conducted on the effectiveness of mosquito repellents. This study outlines the effectiveness of deet and other pesticide ingredients in great detail.
In worst case scenarios you may want to employ a pest exterminator. A serious infestation could cause significant damage to the structure of your home. At the very least, a pest inspection will help you identify areas of concern so that you can better protect your home from unwanted infiltrators.
