Managing Insects in Your Park Home

Here’s a guide to help you to manage unwanted insects in your park home. This is particularly important during the summer when the heat can amplify insect issues in park homes. Especially if you are located near water or beneath trees, park homes are susceptible to infestations.

  1. Clean and Organise Your Park Home

If you maintain a clutter-free environment you may reduce hiding spots for insects. Regular cleaning allows you to detect insects early and take action against unwanted invaders. You may want to vacuum floors, wipe down surfaces and declutter areas where insects might hide, such as behind furniture or in storage spaces. Also, pay special attention to areas prone to moisture buildup, like kitchens and bathrooms, to deter pests like cockroaches and silverfish.

  1. Eliminate Food Sources for Insects

If you keep surfaces clear and store food in sealed containers, you can discourage unwanted insects like ants, flies or wasps. You may want to regularly clean up spills and crumbs, especially in areas where food is prepared or consumed. You could also consider investing in airtight containers for pantry staples like flour, sugar and cereals to prevent infestations of pantry moths or weevils. Additionally, inspecting and cleaning pet feeding areas makes them less attractive to ants or other pests.

  1. Install Barriers Against Insects Entering Your Park Home

Mesh secondary glazing or screens on windows and doors help keep flying insects out, but still allow for ventilation. In addition, regularly checking and replacing door seals can prevent damage that can lead to intrusions. If you install door sweeps to close any gaps between the bottom of doors and the floor, it can be effective, as this is a common entry point for unwanted insects. Sealing cracks and crevices around windows, doors and utility openings can help you to prevent insects from entering your park home.

  1. Manage Lighting

You may want to think about minimising outdoor lighting at night, to help reduce attraction to bugs. If you position outdoor lights away from entry points to your park home, or consider using yellow or LED lights, which are less attractive to insects than traditional incandescent bulbs, you might notice a difference. If you employ motion-activated lights or timers to reduce the amount of time lights are on during the night, you may further minimise insect attraction. In addition, you could grow some natural insect repellents like marigolds, citronella and lavender.

  1. Address Ant Invasions

You can sometimes discourage ants with mint plants or natural sprays like lemon and peppermint oil, which may be effective. You can also try other solutions like talcum powder, chalk or coffee grounds to block entry points as these don’t harm other wildlife. For severe infestations, you may need to locate and destroy ant nests using boiling water or boric acid solutions. You can also inspect the perimeter of your park home for ant trails and entry points, and apply insecticide or ant bait as needed, which may help. Consulting with a pest control professional for persistent ant problems or infestations in hard-to-reach areas is recommended.

  1. Deter Wasps from Your Park Home

If you use an artificial wasps’ nest, it can be effective. These work by convincing wasps that there is already a rival nest in place. In addition, you may want to inspect your home’s exterior regularly for signs of wasp activity, such as nesting materials or increased wasp sightings. If you discover any signs of activity you can use commercial wasp repellents to deter them. If you do discover a  wasps’ nest, avoid disturbing it, and contact a pest control expert for safe removal.

  1. Be Mindful of Pets and Visitors

Pets and visitors can inadvertently introduce unwanted insects into your park home. It’s a good idea to stay vigilant and take preventive measures against fleas, bedbugs and other pests. Regularly grooming and treating pets for fleas and ticks, and inspecting bedding and furniture for signs of infestation, can help you. Also, you can install monitors on your bed legs to specifically deter bedbugs.

You may also need to remind visitors and guests on proper food storage and waste disposal to minimise the risk of attracting insects. If you use pet-safe insect repellents and cleaning products to protect both pets and the home from pests, it can make a difference.

Remember that you should always follow instructions carefully to avoid harm to pets or wildlife. Also, keeping records of pest control treatments and inspections for future reference is a good practice.

  1. Seek Professional Help

Scheduling regular preventive maintenance visits from a pest control expert can help keep your park home insect-free year-round. In addition, collaborating with neighbours to address shared insect or pest issues and implement community-wide control measures can be helpful. Remember that early detection and intervention are key to preventing insect infestations and protecting your park home.

If DIY methods fail to manage the insects in your park home, which they may do sometimes, you can consult one of the many accredited pest control professionals. Contacting organisations such as the National Pest Technicians Association and the British Pest Control Association can help you find an accredited professional. 

  1. Protect Your Park Home with Home Emergency Cover

At Park Home Assist, we offer Home Emergency Insurance Cover for park home owners. This can provide cover for the professional removal of certain types of insect infestation, such as a wasps’ or hornets’ nest or cockroaches from your home. Subject to terms and conditions, this offers unlimited call-outs with no excess to pay and up to £1,000 per claim.

This is a marketing article from multi-award-winning Park Home Assist.

Please note that all insurance cover is subject to acceptance of terms and conditions.

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Published – 28/06/24