South African provinces with the most species of home-invading insects
Are you struggling with insects in your home?
Cleanipedia analysed the data of more than 430,000 pest observations from biodiversity database, iNaturalist, to find out the most commonly reported insects across South Africa that are known to cause damage to clothes, fabric, surfaces, and structures of homes.
Through this analysis, they found that Western Cape is the province in South Africa which saw the most different species of insects, with 124 different types of home invading insects being reported.
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185 different species of insects were identified in South Africa that are known for invading the home and causing damage to clothes, fabrics or certain surfaces and structures of the home.
Moths, carpet beetles, cockroaches, silverfish, firebrats, and house crickets are the most destructive types of home-invading insects.
Cleanipedia's head of content, Alice Shaw-Beckett, says: "When it comes to any form of insect infestation, you will want to get rid of them as soon as possible. Insects can get into your home through numerous entry points, so blocking their entrances is the best place to start. Food is usually the main reason insects invade our homes, so storing food securely can solve the problem. Maintaining a clean kitchen will also get rid of insects; you can do this by simply using dishwashing liquid and warm water on surfaces, as well as adding the mixture to a spray bottle to target areas where insects are getting in."
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