The fall semester at Kenyon is full of great things: Halloween, the leaves turning on Middle Path, and warm weather (it’s nice while it lasts). Unfortunately, along with that warm weather comes a few unwelcome guests. Yes, I mean bugs. My poor room has way too many of these gross creatures. If you too find yourself living with a few extra roommates, read on for some of my tips on how to get rid of them.
Anti-Bug Spray
Your first line of defense is some good old anti-bug spray. You can easily find some at Walmart that will suit your needs. Make sure you get one specific to the bugs you’re finding, be they spiders, ants, Asian beetles, or any other bug. Then, spray away. (Just make sure the spray you buy won’t ruin anything in your room, like carpet). My recommendation is to spray any windowsill and doorway—those are the most likely places bugs will enter.
Or Try Some Natural Methods
If using chemicals isn’t your thing, or you don’t want to go out and buy something quite yet, try out a natural solution first. A quick Google search should get you some good results. Spiders are particularly a problem in my room, so my roommate did a little research and found that mint tends to ward them off. So, she got a little peppermint oil and dabbed it around to room to try to keep them away. Do your own research to see what kind of natural solution might work for your problem.
Set Traps
Once you’ve got your room sprayed, you can go ahead and set some traps for good measure. Put these in places bugs are most likely to congregate, such as dark corners or underneath your bed or desk. These can also be found pretty cheaply at Walmart, depending on what you want. Just try to avoid looking at them once you place them. Trust me, you don’t want to know what kind of bugs will be caught.
Smoosh Them With a Shoe
If bugs are only an occasional problem in your room (I envy you), you can fall back on the good old-fashioned smoosh-with-a-shoe method. Just make sure you’ve got some quick reflexes. Alternative smooshing objects include a fly swatter or tissues.
Get Creative
Having a bunch of bugs crawling around your room can make you attempt some crazy things to get rid of them, but what’s wrong with trying out some creative new methods? I found that some spiders were getting in my room because the wall between my bedroom and the basement wasn’t entirely sealed (Oh, the Aclands). In a fit of desperation, I stuffed most of that wall with tissues to try to keep them out. Who knows if it’ll work, but, hey, if something gives you some peace of mind, it’s worth a shot.
Put in a Work Order
If all else fails, my CA has told me that you can always put in a work order. I don’t know how helpful maintenance can be in getting rid of your bug problem, but they may be able to do a heavy spray-down of your room or set some ant traps. I haven’t tried this yet, but if your bug problem gets particularly bad, it’s worth a shot.
No one wants to share their room with a few extra insects. Unfortunately, given Kenyon’s rural location and older housing options, having bugs in your living space can’t be helped. But hopefully, some of these tips will help you with your bug infestation. And don’t worry, winter is coming—most of the insects should be gone soon enough (hopefully).
Image Credit: Feature, Rebecca Frank