Now that the days are getting longer and warmer, this means that insects are also waking up en masse and are more than happy to visit us. Wasps, flies and especially mosquitoes are showing up more and more often. And that’s good, because we need it. But preferably outdoors! You can read how best to do this in this article.
Blocking instead of hitting
In the past 27 years, 75% of flying insects have disappeared due to an accumulation of various causes, according to research by Radboud University Nijmegen. And that is precisely why it is important to leave insects – no matter how annoying we sometimes find them – alone as much as possible.
Because it can be difficult to remove insects from your home in an animal-friendly manner, it is better to prevent them from entering in the first place. We will explain how best to do this below.
| Why insects are so important Insects make up a large part of biodiversity worldwide. They have an extremely important function and are also called nature’s cleaners. They are also food for many other animals. In addition, some species are also essential for the pollination of our fruit and vegetable crops. In short: they are an important link in all kinds of food chains. It is therefore very important to leave insects alone, to keep them out and, above all, to let them live instead of killing them. |
Mosquitoes in your bedroom
You probably know it. Are you just lying in bed and just before you fall asleep you hear that frustrating sound: the buzzing of a mosquito. When it comes to mosquitoes, we Dutch are particularly at a loss in the bedroom. As many as 61% of mosquito and insect bites occur in the bedroom. The garden is number 2 with 17%, and finally the terrace is number 3 with 5%. Since no one wants to lie awake at night, here are a few helpful tips:
- The easiest and perhaps most effective way to ensure that you can sleep undisturbed is to install one mosquito net. Make sure that the mosquito net is closed properly and there are no holes in it, then the chance of you being stung is nil.
- It is recommended to always sleep with the window open, but this is especially nice during warm summer nights. By placing a screen door or a screen at the window you get fresh air, but at the same time you keep insects out of your bedroom.
- Mosquitoes are attracted to stagnant water. So make sure that there are no puddles of water in and around your house. Also consider your dog’s water bowl or the shelter above your front door.
- Another way to repel mosquitoes is through certain plants to place in your room. Lemon geranium, lemongrass, lemon balm and lemon thyme, among others, scare away mosquitoes. The lavender plant has the same effect as the lemon plants.
- It also helps you room to cool with air conditioning or a fan. The mosquitoes do not like cool spaces and cannot fly up against the wind, so they will leave quickly.
Smooth and silent screen doors
A screen door can provide the solution not only for mosquitoes, but also for keeping out flies, wasps and other insects. It is important to protect insects because they do a lot of good for nature. But let’s be honest: we’d rather not have them in our house. A screen door can prevent insects from entering. Unilux offers durable screen doors made from recyclable aluminum. A big plus of the Plisséfit screen door is that it makes no noise when opening and closing. In other words: a silent transition without rattling.
Do not let insects eat with you
One of the biggest reasons bugs enter your home is because of food. Just think of ants, they are mainly attracted to food scraps such as sugar and jam and even the smallest crumbs or splashes. So be extra attentive to cleaning up and storing food scraps during the summer months.
Grab the radar
In addition to all the above tips, there is also a useful tool to keep a close eye on: the mosquito radar. This radar actually works the same as Rain Radar, but it does not indicate the weather forecast but rather the prediction of insect activity. This allows you to clearly see when and how many mosquitoes will be active in which area, now and in the next five days. This allows you to time it well when you need to air out your room or use the screen door.
Tags: insects outdoors animalfriendly
