Regardless of where you plan to travel or where you live, the Mediterranean sea region offers a whole new experience with bugs. It is not Australia though, so they won’t try to kill you, but many of them are annoying, frightening, or carries a disease. Let’s see what you can do against them!
The door is constantly closed, you have attached a mosquito net to every window, yet the annoying little insects get in somewhere. Unless the apartment is hermetically sealed, flies, wasps, bugs, and other beetles are likely to pay homage to you from time to time.
Tip #1 - It’s a trap!
Once the flies and beetles have entered the apartment, as a first step, grab the buzzing guests because the insect repellents placed around the doors and windows will also prevent them from making a run from it.
Open two windows to create a subtle cross-draft making the guests feel unwanted and guiding them under the open sky. If you don’t have time for politeness, or there are too many bugs to do so, set a trap for them instead. Mix 200ml of water with a tablespoon of sugar, and then pour into a thin-mouthed bottle. The sweet scent lures flies, wasps, and beetles in and the bottle will captivate them. You can also use beer or a mixture of vinegar and honey as bait.
Tip #2 - Keep them away!
If you’ve finally managed to send home - or at least liquidate - unwanted guests, make sure they don’t visit again. Luckily, some scents don’t bother people, but flies and beetles hate them.
A window garden is practical in several ways. On the one hand, you will always have freshly picked herbs and spices, and on the other hand, the scent of fresh basil keeps flies away as well. Castor and cherry tomatoes, which can also be grown in pots, work similarly, but a large bunch of mint or fresh lavender also has an effect, and they even refresh the air in the room.
Tip #3 - Eliminate them!
If nothing helps, getting rid of the bugs might be your only option. While aerosols (bug sprays) are not environmentally friendly, squashing the bugs is a messy solution, you might want to use a bug zapper. It is an instant, painless, and with it, humane way to eliminate cockroaches, beetles, or cicadas.
The Zappinator, an electric zapper, helps you to get rid of these unwanted guests easily without jeopardizing your health with bug sprays. Turn the device on, put the grid over the bug, which captures it immediately, and with a push of a button its all over. It is a faster, safer, and more effective solution - you can even use the device to scoop up the bugs and throw them into the bin.
Regardless of where you are in Portugal, the above tactics and methods will help you to repel bugs and have that good night’s sleep without hearing that noise again in the dark!
