Insects in my house!

Charliezoo

Is there any way I can prevent nasty bugs from getting in my house? I'm not sure if the recent wet weather has driven them indoors but I keep finding big spiders and earwigs (haven't seen earwigs for years until recently)

I'm going to try the old conker trick to keep the spiders out but its too early for them at the moment so is there anything I can try until then?

jee

I've been using cironella oil to get rid of annoying flies and bugs around the house. I either mix a few drops with water in a spray bottle or use it on one of those essential oil/candle holders.

Where are earwigs? Is there a damp area they're coming from?

Charliezoo

I'll try citronella oil, thanks for that tip and it smells nice too:D.

I think the earwigs are out in the garden but there's loads of them for some reason and some are finding their way into the house. The house itself is modern with no damp so I don't think they're actually living in here, just making unwanted visits!

Leif

I would have thought that spiders were a feature of all houses. Anyway, they are your friends. They catch and eat flies and other bugs, and they spend most of their time sitting still waiting for a meal.

Jake'sGran

Leif wrote: »

I would have thought that spiders were a feature of all houses. Anyway, they are your friends. They catch and eat flies and other bugs, and they spend most of their time sitting still waiting for a meal.

That's what I was thinking but they are usually in the bath which is on the ground floor. I have a chat with them before trying to remove them carefully.

I sleep downstairs too (health) and I sometimes see woodlice which I find repulsive. They are very slow so I can't figure out how they get in
but we put a specific powder in the area we think they come from.

j.sprago

My little girls this woodlice are little armadillos

Woodlice like moist areas, have you got any piles of grass / compost bins or anything near the house which could attract them?

Leif

Jake'sGran wrote: »

That's what I was thinking but they are usually in the bath which is on the ground floor. I have a chat with them before trying to remove them carefully.

I sleep downstairs too (health) and I sometimes see woodlice which I find repulsive. They are very slow so I can't figure out how they get in
but we put a specific powder in the area we think they come from.

Wood lice are quite harmless, and live off dead wood and woody debris. They will not do you any harm, unlike some beetles that can give a slight nip. As far as I know they do not even carry any kind of disease, unlike some species of fly. There could well be holes behind the skirting board leading to the wall cavity.

jee

Jake'sGran wrote: »

That's what I was thinking but they are usually in the bath which is on the ground floor. I have a chat with them before trying to remove them carefully.

I sleep downstairs too (health) and I sometimes see woodlice which I find repulsive. They are very slow so I can't figure out how they get in
but we put a specific powder in the area we think they come from.

Does your bathroom steam up quite a bit? Once I lived in a place where water used to seep under the bath and you'd see loads after a shower. If I kept the window open I wouldn't see any.