Whether it be an old wives tale, a post you saw on Facebook, or a rumor you heard at a pest control conference, fictional DIY pest control tips are everywhere! So before you start putting cheese in traps in every room, Command Pest wants to help you sort the facts from fiction.
Bay leaves repel pests.
FACT! The placing of bay leaves in food containers or adhered to the outside of them DO help keep pests from going on a tasting tour in your pantry. They are not an absolute deterrent but they may turn away the occasional pest looking for a tasty treat.
Grits on flat surfaces in the kitchen are a barrier for ants
FICTION! Even more than fiction, this may be a prank. Grits are food. Food attracts pests. Add some shrimp to the grits and eat in a bowl, not on the counter.
Cheese in mousetraps works more effectively
FICTION! We have no idea how this got started in the movies and cartoons. Mice are no more attracted to cheese than they are to any other food. Tom and Jerry would definitely agree.
Honey is more effective than vinegar to catch fruit flies
FICTION! They are attracted to rotting fruit and food decay that gives off a sickly sweet odor, but vinegar (especially apple cider vinegar) covered in cling wrap with tiny holes poked in works very well.
Spraying water or oil on a spider web will get rid of spiders
FACT AND FICTION! Technically, spraying anything on a spider web will get him to abandon his web, BUT he will most likely leave one web to build another in a more discreet location of your home. Pest control should eliminate spiders altogether, not relocate them.
If you have any questions about at-home remedies for Command Pest, visit our Facebook or Twitter pages and let us know!
