Hitting the Lottery on Pest Control
The Powerball is up to $1.3 billion this week. You can bet that everyone and their mothers will be playing to get their share of the billion dollar pie. While you may have a better chance of being struck by lightning on a submarine than winning the Powerball this week, there’s other ways you can be a winner. You can win the drawing of the pest lottery! No, seriously, you can. You can be lucky enough to have pests in your home that will weed out other pests. If you see any of these pests in your home, don’t reach for that boot right away, for these little critters can keep out much nastier pests.
The Ladybug. Who knew these cute little bugs can be so useful? While they’re friendly towards humans, they can also prey on pests that we consider bothersome. Some of these pests include aphids (which are a fancy term for greenflies and blackflies), and soft-bodied insects such as mites and whiteflies. Ladybugs are often called a “gardener’s best friend”, so if you have any, encourage them to stick around.
The Praying Mantis. Not only do these guys look cool, they are also a vigilant guardian of your home. Mantises will eat just about anything, ranging from crickets and mosquitos, to small frogs and even other praying mantises. Don’t worry, these guys won’t do anything to harm you, as they tend to keep to themselves. Keep them around, and they’re sure to thin out any pest problem. Did we mention that they look really cool?
The Bumble Bee. If you’ve seen Jerry Seinfeld in Bee Movie, then you know how important bees are to the ecosystem. Bees are a natural pollinator of flowers, and once spring rolls around, you’ll want these guys around all the time. Give them a few days, and they’ll bring the flowers on your exterior to life in no time.
While you may not win the $1.3 billion this week, there is a very good chance you can win the pest lottery. By keeping those “pests” we mentioned around, you can easily decrease the number of real pests in your home. And think of it this way: If you win the pest lottery, at least your third cousin, twice removed, won’t miracously come back into your life. It’s a win-win all the way around.
