Main Attraction: 10 Random Home Fixtures that Attract Pests

Main Attraction: 10 Random Home Fixtures that Attract Pests

At this point in the modern world, we know about the most common reasons why pests are drawn to our homes or yards. Every blog about pest control, including our own, has reiterated time and again the importance of cleaning up crumbs and spills, closing outside doors when not in use, and fixing any leaks under sinks. Ant and rodent traps are commonplace in the corners of garages and in the back of pantries, and many homes have a can of roach repellent on standby. But what about the materials and places that we don’t always think about? Pests still seem to make it through our homemade defenses, so there’s clearly something that they like beyond the obvious food and shelter. While there can be a million and one objects attracting pests in the world, let’s focus on some of the most common yet often ignored elements of a home that draw in unwanted critters. 

Produce on the Counter

As appealing as a bowl of fresh apples or grapes are as edible decorations, they are not the most protected from pests. It’s not as much of a problem when the fruit is ripe and residents of the house can grab a healthy snack as they walk into the kitchen. The main crisis occurs when the fruit sits out a little too long and becomes overripe. This is the stage in fruit that small pests love, since the fermentation and fragrance draw them in to this new treat. Fruit flies are the most common fruit invaders, since they also lay their eggs in overripe fruit (gross!). But just like many scenarios involving open food, ants invite themselves to the party and will gladly partake in overripe fruit. There is also the disturbing problem of pests attaching themselves to fruit while it’s still in a field or orchard, and somehow making it all the way to your home. Even if they don’t survive, predatory pests like spiders may find them before you do. It’s okay to leave “enclosed” fruits, like oranges and bananas, on the counter while they’re still ripe, as long as you keep an eye on the ones that sit for too long. But produce like berries and grapes may be best kept in the fridge or freezer for maximum protection and freshness. 

Firewood

This may be common knowledge for those who have been stacking firewood for years, but it’s just helpful to note. A pile of wood that goes untouched for long periods of time and comes with shady corners is a perfect hiding spot for all kinds of pests, including in the freezing winter. Rodents especially like to hide in firewood since the crevices and holes are usually large enough for them to comfortably fit in. And any kind of wood-boring pests, like termites and carpenter ants, naturally love the seemingly unlimited pile of fresh wood. Of course, you can’t go without stacking firewood if your fireplace uses the real deal. But there are strategic ways to do it so that your collection doesn’t become infested before the next snowfall. Keep the stack above ground and away from the house in general. This prevents ground-dwelling pests from easily making their way up the stack. It also keeps any kind of pest from making a right turn into your warm home. Also, covering the firewood with a sturdy tarp is a great way to protect it from the outdoor elements and the lurking pests. 

Cardboard

One of the best parts of the aesthetic-organization craze from the last couple of decades is the abundance of snappable and tightly-sealed containers. This makes it easier to store anything from books to childhood mementos to socks. Even if organization isn’t your thing, it’s still a good idea to swap out any of those old cardboard boxes in your garage for those big plastic tubs. Cardboard is a major favorite across the pest population because it provides safe shelter and a form of food in the cellulose content. Roaches, rodents, and termites all enjoy cardboard more than anyone we know, and none of these creatures are anything you want near your home. When possible, opt for a container with a lid that creates a reliable seal to store anything you would normally use a cardboard box for. This is especially helpful in the garage or attic, but it is also a great idea to use inside the home. It may be time to brave the garage and help your grandparents or parents move their impressive collection of “stuff” from cardboard boxes to plastic containers in order to protect the valuable possessions. 

Untouched Books

A bookshelf full of books both new and old is a beautiful sight. It’s so easy to pick the title off the shelf that you’ve been meaning to read, or for your kids to sit and admire the rows of mixed hardcovers and paperbacks that have been there longer than they’ve been alive. But if the books sit for weeks or months without being moved around, there are other beings who will find the titles intriguing for a much more destructive reason. Earwigs, silverfish, and carpet beetles are some of the most common pests that love older books, mainly for the same reason as the previous cardboard issue. Book pages contain cellulose and are basically organic, so they are a perfect meal for a tiny pest. They won’t consume an entire book overnight (wouldn’t that be something!), but the tiny holes and tears in the pages will get annoying very fast. There are a few ways to prevent pests from ruining your personal library. The easiest is just to shuffle the books around ever once in a while. You can rearrange them in a new way or organize them by color, author, title, date, subject, or whether you’ve read it yet. Similarly, dusting the tops of books will prevent any kind of organic debris from collecting and attracting pests in the first place. And if you look at your collection and feel that you could do without a few books, donating or selling is always a great way to share these stories with someone who will enjoy them.

Pets

Our beloved furry friends bring so much love into our lives, but they can also carry some very annoying pests. Fleas and ticks are the first that come to mind, but mosquitoes also love cats and dogs for their warm blood. If your pet spends most of its time outside, it has more of a risk of attracting common backyard pests looking for shelter or a host. It may seem like the opposite of this would be true, since dogs and cats are descendants of very successful hunters and carry some of those same traits today. But while they may chomp or swat at a pesky fly, they likely won’t hunt every spider or beetle that comes into their yard. As a bonus worry, pet food attracts all kinds of pests if it’s left unsealed or outside for long enough. Roaches, rats, and ants are some of the most common visitors of the pet food dish. The easiest way to solve this specific issue is to seal all pet food when not in use and remove the food bowl immediately when your pet is finished eating. But in general, check your pet once in a while for any sort of hitchhiking pest and keep an eye out for any adverse symptoms. 

Piles of Dirty Clothes

As if household chores weren’t overwhelming enough, there is an added risk of pests if the laundry pile goes untouched for too long. This is especially true if the dirty clothes have any kind of food or drink residue on them that will be “dealt with” later. The pests that seem to love our food just as much as we do, like ants, roaches, rodents, and flies, still like the food even if it’s a stain on a shirt. Mice also love any kind of warm safe area that they can use as a nest in the winter, and a laundry pile that sits untouched for a long time could be the home they were looking for. Clothes moths and carpet beetles like to munch on clothes in general, so a laundry pile is an easy target for them. You don’t have to do laundry every day, or even every other day, to prevent pests from making their home in the stacks. Just don’t let it sit for weeks without any sort of movement or shuffling, and you should be fine. Also, try to treat stains sooner rather than later. This will save both the clothing itself and you from a pest-centered headache later.

Opened Cereal Bags

You likely read this title and thought, “That’s oddly specific.” Indeed it is! But that’s because it is a randomly strong attractor for food-seeking pests. While any boxed food in general is appealing to creatures other than humans, cereal seems to be a classic among the pest world. The boxes that fall victim to a pest invasion are the ones that have the cereal bag stuffed haphazardly inside without a chip clip or zip-top bag for extra protection. Which is to say, the cereal boxes in many of our pantries. There are many nightmare tales of someone trying to enjoy a nice bowl of cereal in the morning, only to find that the brightly-colored box is covered in tiny black ants. Sugar and starch are some of the most popular ingredients in processed cereals, and they also happen to be part of the limited criteria ants have for food. You don’t have to give up your favorite cereal; just make sure to completely seal the bag with a chip clip or put in a sealed container to prevent ants from invading and mimicking certain cartoon cereal mascots who steal bowls of cereal in the commercials.

Excess Water in the Bathtub

This may seem like an impossible one to eliminate, especially if your tub is frequented by energetic children or adults who just want twenty minutes to relax. Even if the water drains perfectly fine, the scattered leftover puddles are very appealing to nomadic pests looking for the “watering hole” like in an old western. And while not every bathtub is the target for pests, it could be an explanation for the increased population in the bathroom. If you find that small pests, like earwigs, roaches, and spiders, seem to gather in the tub, you might want to pay special attention to any leftover water. Wipe up random puddles with a rag or large towel, and make sure to move the shower curtain around so that pests don’t think it’s an idle place to lay low until the next bath. Also, make sure to soak up any excess water around the tub or sink. Insects don’t discriminate against a water source, so random puddles like these are just fine for their needs. If you think you may have a leak or a plumbing issue, make sure to get it repaired as soon as possible to prevent pests and save money in the long run.

Sandbox

Sandboxes may not be a backyard staple as much as they were even twenty years ago, but maybe it’s for the best. There are too many instances where the sandbox is a fun place to dig and play one day, and is a life-size ant farm the next. Since ant hills are made of dirt or sand, it makes sense that they would gravitate toward a literal collection of nice sand. Plus, any leftover snacks or sticky juice spills from the children who frequent the sandbox just adds to the appeal for the ants. An appropriately-named wasp, the sand wasp, makes its nest in sand. This is even worse than a swarm of ants, since wasps are territorial and will sting anyone who dares to go near their home. Spiders are another pest that come around the sandbox, likely for the safety of the wood and the abundance of food with other insects. The easiest way to have a pest-free sandbox is to just not have a sandbox at all, but that may not be in the cards for your possible-future-archaeologist of a child. Keep the box tightly sealed when not in use, use bug spray around the area, and move the sand around often so it doesn’t become the ideal building material for pests.

Other Insects

Yes, unfortunately, an already bad situation can turn worse very quickly when the predator finds the prey. Even if the insects in question are so small that they seem inconsequential for the most part, their predators don’t think so – and some of them are much scarier! The most common examples we see are spiders, praying mantids, ladybugs, and dragonflies. Even if whatever pest control method you use is working for the smaller insects, it’s important to clean up the dead insects as soon as possible. This not only makes for a cleaner space, it also prevents the aforementioned predators from finding a buffet that they never want to leave. The tricky part of these carnivorous beings is that they are considered beneficial, since they eat pests that can harm our plants or us. So it’s not that they serve no purpose, it’s just that the idea of a house overrun with pests sounds like the opposite of a good time. The easiest way to prevent this scenario is to simply cut off the food supply. Take care of the smaller pests and remove the dead insects, and there won’t be a good reason for the predatory pests to come around. 

Pest Control Will Outsmart the Smartest Pests

Pests may crawl into the deepest corners and darkest parts of any room and yard, but the experts know where to find them and how to make sure they never return. Our trained and experienced pest control technicians know all of the tricks of the most common pests. We also only use eco-friendly treatments so that you don’t have to worry about harmful chemicals while you enjoy your pest-free home. Contact us to learn more about how we will get rid of the peskiest of pests and leave no stone unturned in our dedication to provide you with a space finally free of pests!