I hate my house because there’s so many fucking bugs

[roastchicken4]

I bought my first house at the end of last year, a little bungalow. I’ve never seen a house with so many bugs, and it’s driving me nuts!

It all started with spiderlings. One morning, I walked into the spare room, and the whole ceiling was just covered in them. Then, for a couple of days, there were swarms of ants by the front door, plus the occasional slug. For the past few weeks, I’ve been dealing with flies on and off (either fruit flies or gnats, I can’t tell)

I don’t have OCD, but I like things to be clean, and seeing these bugs makes me feel dirty, which in turn heightens my stress and anxiety. I hadn’t seen any bugs for the last few days, but suddenly this evening, I’ve spotted several flies. They’re tiny and don’t resemble fruit flies or gnats, so it must be something different, once again!

Before moving here, I rented two other houses, and I can honestly say I never had this issue anywhere else. Usually just the odd spider. What the hell is wrong with my house? Is this normal? When I bought the house, I had no idea I’d be sharing it with the cast of Bug's Life!

It's OK OP , it's absolutely normal!
It's been a really hot summer which has substantially increased the bug population. The ants are easily dealt with by sprays, spiders can washed away ( although I prefer to catch them and evict them, they are very clean bugs! ) . The flies are slightly more persistent, but give it a couple of weeks till the temperature drops and you'll see much less of them.

SidenoteOCD is not about liking things clean. It's a serious mental illness where sufferers are bombarded by distressing intrusive thoughts which compel them to perform compulsions ..often mental compulsions that cannot be seen but are extremely debilitating.

Lean into it, OP. Bugs are good for the world. Do you have pot plants? You could try watering them from underneath, that helps minimise those little gnat type things.

How old is the bungalow and what state of repair is it in?

Im an estate agent and most of the bungalows that we market are probate sales and in disrepair or just in real need of a complete refresh as they’re bit damp and musty.

Of course if your property is pristine and redecorated, it could just be one of those things

Have you tried a fogger for the flies. Amazon

Just get a pest controller in to spray. Or buy some spray and do it yourself.

Just vacuum and don’t leave food and fruit out. You will minimise the fruit flies and spiders then as the spiders although ‘clean’ breed and you get cobwebs everywhere.

Do you have lots of greenery compared to previous houses? We were in a flat with lots of bushes and trees and the number of spiders and moths was ridiculous. I named some spiders😂

I sprayed some diluted softener mixed with lavender oil at our curtains and blinds and it helped as a repellent. Voile curtains help too.
Tiny flies might be coming from house plants or sink etc. Clean drains, check all house plants water from underneath. You can get small sticky plastic sheets which go into house plants or near sinks.

There is now lots more insect than it was in years. People even talk about having to clean windshields again! Which is actually really, really good news for* the *nature. They had good weather for them and as I under some pesticide has been banned few years back. We need the bugs.

This has been our first full summer in our house....my god the bloody flies!!! I assume it has just been the weather and we would have had them in our old house but they have been driving me mad.
I have pets so I tried the sticky fly straps but they didn't catch much and looked awful! I have resorted to traditional fly spray and am finally on top of the buggers.
I have also informed the (multiple) spiders that they better improve their performance or I will be charging them rent going forward 🤣

Agree it could be that you have more greenery around? I live in the middle of nowhere sbd the insect population is bonkers.

What is a fogger?

Check for any gaps in the walls and doors that ants may be coming in from and seal them up. Unless there's a food source normally they'll disappear quickly.

You can get smoke bombs, but I would only use these if you have something really invasive and problematic like cockroaches. Spiders will eat the flies, so if you bomb them you're potentially killing off a natural predator as well. I'd get fly papers and use peppermint/lemon essential oils to deter them. Citronella candles or incense would also work.

Was the house empty before you moved in? My house had no one in for a year before we moved in and apparently the spiders, flies and assorted other beasties felt that this gave them the right to take over. It took a couple of years to get them all to leave.

Insects are now seen as the enemy yet without them there would be no world.
Mira depressing how disconnected people are from nature.