Inviting Pest Problem with Home & Décor Choices

Beauty and aesthetics, let’s face it, who doesn’t favor them? As home owners are swarmed with creative design palettes that inject modern, lifestyle and thematic décor, we end up choosing looks over practicality and home safety. A potential pest problem trigger, find out which unwanted guests favor your home interior choices and come knocking at your door!

You may also like: Why Should I Care for Pest Control at Home when it’s Clean

Sprucing your front yard with loads of greens

Garden beds, flora-inviting shrubs, tree shades and tropical greens elevates the sanctuary experience, but before you turn your front yard into a magical garden, think again how this may elevate your pests’ woes.

Pest Problem 1: Mosquitoes
Carbon dioxide which is produced by plants is one example of mosquito magnet. To make matters worse, our body generates more carbon dioxide as we breathe harder during exercises, and the perspiration and release of lactic acid means elevating the mosquito magnet level, putting us at risks of mosquito bites.

Solution:

1. Ensure Adult Mosquito population are controlled through fogging treatment 
2. Protect yourself from bitten by adopting some easy DIY habits 
3. Make sure your front yard does not provide any possible chance of mosquitoes to breed

Read more here on Top 5 Reasons Why Mosquitoes Bite

Pest Problem 2: Snakes
Unkempt tall grasses and shady shrubs are snakes favorite hide and seek, especially in the hot afternoon, snakes will not only hide from getting noticed but to keep cool from the heat. In fact, the front yard is just like a typical snake habitat, especially after watering the garden lawn, the mulched green areas are ideal cooling hideouts for these snakes.

Solution:

Read here on 5 Ways to Keep Snakes out of Your Home

Using dark-colour home themes

For some personal presence, dark-colour themes incorporating matt black finishes, earthy dark brown tones or fiery red are often applied into the home décor. Do reconsider again! Introducing them too much to your home certainly raises some pest risks: For example, mosquitoes are attracted to black, brown and dark blue while bed bugs are a fan of red and black.

Solution:

1. Try introducing light or white color to your home. Not only it helps deter these pests’ attraction but also giving the home a cozy feel of airy, spacious and inviting mood.
2. Install mosquito trap in the living hall area, especially if your home has open concepts such as balcony, patio or ventilation elements 
3. Learn how to identify bed bug signs or engage professional detection help

Too much wood in your home design

We all know termites are home’s best friend. However, some home designs might heighten termite invasions such as the Scandinavian or Industrial concepts. For such themes, furniture with wood features, wooden flooring or door frames, walls with timber or white bricks fittings, raw unfinished look and fixtures or any other wood accents are largely applied to the interior.

Termites such as subterranean termites can make their way in to your home very easily so long as there is any contact between soil (the earth) and wood and over time, with moisture (which is no. 1 termite attractant), a termite infestation will arise. Hence, door frames, pillars, stairs/steps are not spared Due to space constraints or storage convenience, build-in furniture such as wardrobes, cabinets, kitchen fixtures and functional wooden dining table and chairs are used. Drywood termites lived in these features!

Solution:

1. If you are constructing your landed home from scratch, consider building a protective layer before full erection of the property.
2. Adopt a termite protection program that prevents further damage to your home (because termite infestation spreads quite quickly and damages can be costly)
3. Ensure you carry out diligent housekeeping and home maintenance, removing any possible moisture. Find out the useful termite prevention checklist here.

Read also: How to Protect Your Furniture from Termites

Introduce open concept home design

Open concept homes are nice, modern and close to nature and outdoor environment. However, while it may exude a contemporary lifestyle, open concept homes may introduce some pest concerns as it allow opportunities for them to enter. Homes within dengue clusters are at risk of dengue diseases as Aedes Mosquitoes are often outdoor-driven. They are attracted to greeneries enter into homes for blood host targets. Finally, cross infestation can take place, where your neighbours pest infestation may spread to your home, and matters are worse if there are ample openings.

Identify the early signs of a pest infestation

So what if your home has been fully renovated with these home concepts? Fret not. The critical key to minimise any further damage is detection. Self-inspection may not be as easy if we are not familiar with identifying these early signs. Let the experts help you.

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