Holes in your home are attracting these insects

By Julie Miller
Holes in your home are attracting these insects

The home is where the heart is. A man’s home is his castle. Many clichés describe the home, but not a home with repair issues and surely not a home with bugs. We all want our homes to look the best. They are our sanctuaries, our havens, and our places of refuge, filled with literature, good music, and maybe even a crackling fire. Repairs, whether big or small, and any bug sightings can quickly disrupt this place of tranquility and swiftly arouse us from our place of rest to one of action.

Damages to your home

Homes, whether new or old, will experience damage. Storms rage, kids are messy, and accidents happen. As life goes on, our homes will reap the years we place on them. Thus, it’s vitally important to maintain damage control and make repairs promptly. When we experience the following problems, we invite an array of insects into our homes and open the door to a number of bigger issues.

Broken windows

broken-windows-on-home

When you have a broken window, there will be no spare window laying around to replace it. A quick fix-it-until-I-purchase-a-new-window will have to do. Tape, cardboard, and plastic are all common MacGyvering ways that’ll work (for the moment!). Ensure that you seal the area to prevent unwelcome guests in your household.

Torn screens

Torn screens are another issue. If you’re fortunate, they are behind a closed window or door. You may need to rescreen the entire frame or, if the tear is small, glue and a handy replacement patch will work. If the hole is tiny, you can slather up both sides of the screen with clear nail polish, which will harden and seal up the tear and keep insects outside where they belong.

Gaps around vents and other piping

These are often unseen areas that contractors leave uncompleted. Sometimes the gaps are needed; other times, it is just sheer laziness on their part. If it is the latter, you will need to purchase caulk or insulation to place around the gaping to keep bugs and other creepy crawlers from entering your precious abode.

Gaps around doors and windows

This can be from installation misalignment, natural disaster damage, or weathering damage due to stripping around the door or window. These repairs are a bit more difficult, but must be done for multiple reasons: keeping those pesky critters out, protecting your home from losing the cold air-conditioned air in the summer and the escape of warm air in the winter weather, and preventing an electricity bill (from all of the vanishing cold or warm air) from skyrocketing. You may need mortar, decorators chalk, frame sealant, or expanding foam to get the job done.

Damage to siding

There are five primary causes to siding damage: improper installation, pest activity, excessive moisture, inclement weather, and lack of maintenance. These types of repairs can, unfortunately, get costly. It’s no wonder they often sit undone for so long. Your siding (and your roof) are your best defenses against the elements and don’t last forever. Prioritize regular inspections of your home. Think of it as an investment for your peace of mind.

Cracks in foundation

Some foundational cracks are serious and some aren’t. There’s no need to worry, unless the cracks are larger than 1/10 of an inch, wider on one end, or getting bigger. If you see a crack in your drywall (or plaster), there’s no need for shortness of breath. These cracks do not threaten the structural integrity of your home. But, unfortunately, cracks and gaps provide the opportunity for intruders, namely pill bugs, carpenter ants, termites, and carpenter bees.

Insects that are attracted to your home

You should view holes as welcome or enter signs for these small trespassers. Bugs don’t need much space to crawl through. Even mice, though much larger (and not an insect), can fit through a crack that is only one-fourth of an inch wide. That’s the width of a pencil!

Ants

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Watch ants as they travel along their scent trail to identify a point of entry. Also, consider our blog post on how to get rid of ants to liberate your sanctuary from these small but mighty insects.

Flies

These winged invaders, with large movable heads and compound eyes, enter anyway they can: open doors or windows, damaged screens, or cracks in your foundation. Does “SHUT THE DOOR” sound familiar? Equip yourself with Dr. Killigan’s Leather Fly Swatter—the last fly swatter you will ever need—to gain an edge over flies.

Mosquitoes

Buzzzzzz. We’ve all heard (and detested) this pestering obnoxious noise. If you hear a mosquito, you’re liable to get bitten. Beware: They’ll inject their saliva into your skin, thus numbing the area, so that you don’t feel their probing about. And why are they buzzing around our heads? They—the females, specifically—are attracted to the carbon dioxide expelling from our breathing. Skeeters also carry the West Nile and Zika viruses, among others. Learn how to keep mosquitoes away away from your home here.

Moths

Though inoffensive (no biting or stinging here), moths can cause heaps of damage in your home—primarily to your food and your clothing. Be mindful that they may be attracted to your porch lights (and then stealthily sneak in when you quickly open the door).

Roaches

German cockroaches, American cockroaches, and other roaches are flexible, speedy, and pervasive. They can go without food, water, (and their heads!), and can hold their breath. They also love chocolate.  Common entry points include drains, and gaps around door and window frames. Together, let’s keep these fast, potentially headless creatures out of our homes. Dr. Killigan’s Six Feet Under®—a non-toxic insect spray—can help you do just that.

Bees

If you have bees in your home, they’re probably getting in through the chimney or a vent—a stove vent, a bathroom vent, or even a dryer vent, though they could also come in through gaps, cracks, and holes in the wall. In the United States, there are thousands of species of bees, commonly including honey and bumble bees. Grab a pair of binoculars and do a perimeter check of your home to find those short, hairy, stinging insects!

How to keep insects away from your home

Home repairs are a crucial part of keeping bugs away from the home. When you have done your part and still find your home as the unwilling host to a slew of unwanted guests, then you need to rely on bug experts. Dr. Killigan’s has created a line of highly rated non-toxic pest control products that effectively dispose of bugs, both indoors and out:

Dr. Killigan’s Six Feet Under Toxic-Free Insect Spray is our popular on-contact spray that will dispose of most insects. It is a combination of soybean, castor, and clove essential oil and is safe to use around pets, children, and food. Six Feet Under works on spiders, fleas, ticks, bed bugs, roaches, ants, fruit flies, moths, earwigs, silverfish, mosquitoes, and more.

Dr. Killigan’s Premium Pantry Moth Traps® are exclusively designed for pantry moths. The non-toxic pheromone is mixed into the glue, so you do not have to deal with a separate wafer, like many moth traps on the market. It is a simple trifold design, and you never have to touch the glue. To top it off, it’s presented in a stylish design, disguising that it is a moth trap. You fold it, place it, and moths are attracted to the pheromone.

minimal-risk-pest-control

Dr. Killigan’s Premium Clothes Moth Traps® are specially designed for clothing moths. Just like our Premium Pantry Moth Trap, the pheromone is mixed directly into the glue. These traps, though, have a hook built into the trap for convenient hanging from the bar in your closet. They are also a simple trifold design and are equally as stylish, hiding the fact that they are moth traps. You fold it, hang it, and moths will fly into it and be trapped.

Dr. Killigan’s The Fly Inn functions like a fly ribbon, but with Dr. Killigan’s touch of class. It works by attaching The Inn to a window, affixing it to the glass via suction cups. Flies are naturally attracted to sunlight UVA rays. They fly to the window, then to the Fly Inn, and the non-toxic glue inside the trap does the rest. The beautiful lattice style of The Inn leaves your guests clueless that you have an insect control product on display.

Dr. Killigan’s Insect Buster® is a bulb that is designed to disperse diatomaceous earth or Dust to Dust. Dust to Dust is a superb non-toxic safe powder alternative to diatomaceous earth. It is known to be safe for humans, has a kill time of up to 50% faster than diatomaceous earth and is effective against ants, cockroaches, ticks, fleas, silverfish and more. Diatomaceous earth is effective against wasps, yellow jackets and bees. Dr. Killigan’s Insect Buster bulb is sturdy, easy to aim, and safe to store with either powder inside of it. Our bulb, with its attachments, fits into cracks and crevices where sprays can’t reach.

The best non-toxic solution for pest control

Our team of professionals is dedicated to perfecting the art of Killing Them Softly®. Dr. Killigan’s has designed 100% toxin-free products that are not only safe to use around pets and children, but are also created with style. We aim to help you rid your home of intruders and restore your peace of mind. Our dream is life without bugs: safely, peacefully, and with serious class.

We are continually raising the bar to produce the best non-toxic solutions for pest control. All our products come in a design that is pleasing to the eye and carries a 100% satisfaction guarantee. If you are not 100% satisfied for any reason, contact us, and we will not hesitate to make things right.


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