Think like a bug and win the battle against household insect pests


Spring clean, anyone?
Historically, most of our houses would have been closed at some point in the year, usually in the winter. House staff would have used this as an opportunity to strip rooms down and give them a thorough clean. They’d also be on the lookout for insect pests or damage.
This is still the case in some of our houses today, so on top of your general housekeeping, consider giving each space a really good spring clean every year.
Use a soft rubber pet brush and your vacuum crevice tool for reaching tight, carpeted corners and skirting boards. Try to vacuum busy hallways and stairways regularly to remove the dirt, dust and debris that can also act as insect food. Plump up cushions and try to vacuum underneath furniture from time to time.
Insects like to be safe and undisturbed, so think like an insect and try and see your living space with their buggy eyes!
Five most common insect pests in 2019
Last year National Trust staff identified and logged more than 45,000 insects!
The five most common insect pests reported were :
- Silverfish (Lepisma saccharina)
- Webbing clothes moth (Tinneola bisselliella)
- Woolly bear (a generic term for various carpet beetle larvae)
- Australian spider beetle (Ptinus tectus)
- Common booklouse (Liposcelis bostrychophila)
2019 was a year of very changeable weather and some notable extremes. Warmer winters and hotter summers are probably supporting pest cycles, making diligent housekeeping more crucial then ever.