What’s in your nursery? Pests that may be bugging your baby
By : Rita Stadler
While we all like to think that our baby’s room is the safest in the house. But even I, the mom that’s supposed to be the pest detective, have had a few unexpected visitors. Just the other day, I was catching up on chores — finally getting to the baby clothes that had been sitting in a pile — when I almost jumped through the ceiling. I picked up a onesie and found a large spider staring at me.
I know it’s said that spiders are more afraid of us than we are of them — but in that moment I wasn’t so sure. Unfortunately, for other bug-dreading mothers like myself, spiders are not the only pests you will find in a nursery.
Common creepy crawlers that may frequent your baby’s nursery:
Flies
Spiders
Moths
Ants
Rodents
Why are these pests attracted to your baby’s room and why should you be worried?
As any parent knows, piles of clothes and towels are easily accumulated. I mean what mom has the time to pick up extra clothes!? One more day on the floor won’t hurt anyone, right? Well, if you are like me and scared to encounter a spider, think again. Spiders and rodents are both attracted to clutter and piles of clothing on the floor. They provide the perfect hiding place.
Rodents also love a tasty treat of cereal or baby puff snacks. They have an excellent sense of smell and can sniff out a snack like a mother can identify a dirty diaper.
You might just find yourself crying over spilt milk (or formula) when you end up having to get rid of an ant infestation. Ants like the sweetness of baby formula or breast milk and will come running when they catch the scent of it.
The odor of a dirty diaper will just not go away. Whether you have a sealed garbage can or a diaper genie, once you open the lid — the scent is released again. Flies like anything that they find to be delightfully stinky, and dirty diapers are very inviting to them.
If your nursery is anything like mine, you probably have a dresser full of clothes just waiting patiently to be grown into. While it’s nice to be prepared, by stockpiling, you may be providing a hiding place for moths. Moths like anything made of cloth and the more you’ve got, the more they’ll see your child’s bureau as a comfy home.
It’s not just that pests can be annoying, it’s important to remember that many of them carry diseases that can be harmful to humans. While you can’t place a bubble around your baby — there are some quick and easy ways that you can make your baby’s nursery a little less welcoming to pests.
Simple tips that will help you keep your baby’s nursery bug free
Clean up. Catch spills as quickly as you can and make sure there aren’t any sweet scents left behind. Vinegar and Baking Soda are great to use to mask smells and clean carpet stains—sprinkle the spill with baking soda and then apply 1-2 tablespoons of vinegar on top. Wipe and vacuum and for an odorless and stainless carpet.
Try to put away piles of clothes, towels, etc. as quickly as you can. If you eliminate the things rodents and insects love, they’ll be less likely to hang around.
Seal up. Place extra clothes and food items in air tight containers. You’ll lock in the scent and lock out pests. Dirty diapers should be tied up in a bag and brought out daily to avoid a fly infestation.
Pouch up. For long-lasting protection, place a pouch of Stay Away®, pest repellents by earthkind®, in your baby’s room. You’ll love the natural botanical scent, but rodents, ants, moths and spiders will be looking for a new roommate.
A mother’s number one job is to do her best to keep her children safe from harm. Chemicals are no exception and earthkind® is here to make that job easier for all of us.
