Will a Cat Keep Bugs Away? The Surprising Answer!
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If you have a bug problem in your home that you can’t get under control, it’s natural to start looking outside the box for potential solutions. But while cats can hunt and eat bugs, they’re not the best bug control method out there.
In fact, if you don’t take the proper precautions, your cat might bring in more bugs than they kill! Here, we break down everything that you need to know and even give you a few helpful tips to get your bug problem under control.
Will Cats Keep Bugs Away?
If you expect your cat to be an excellent bug deterrent, there’s a good chance that they’re going to disappoint you. It’s not that cats won’t catch and kill bugs — they likely will — but most insects simply don’t care if you have a cat or not.
Even worse for you, while cats will often catch and kill insects, they usually don’t do it at a rate high enough to help with real bug problems. If you only have the occasional insect in your home, they might be able to help, but if you have an actual infestation in your home, a few cats aren’t the solution.
Can Cats Attract Bugs?
For the most part, cats don’t attract bugs, but there are a few exceptions to this. For instance, while cats won’t attract bugs like ants or cockroaches, they can attract fleas and ticks.
You can treat your cat to prevent them from bringing these pests into your home, but if you don’t treat them, they may attract more bugs than they deter.
Do Cats Eat Bugs?
It’s part of a cat’s natural instincts to capture and eat bugs. Feral cats often eat bugs as a part of their diet. However, many indoor cats simply choose to play with bugs or ignore them altogether.
It all comes down to your specific cat, but don’t be surprised if you catch your cat chowing down on a bug after they catch it!
Other Tips for Keeping Bugs Away
While a few cats won’t solve your insect problems, you don’t need to resign yourself to having bugs in the house. Here are five different tips that you can use to help keep bugs out of your home.
1. Block Entry Points
If bugs can’t get in your house, you won’t have to deal with them in the first place! Install screens on windows, sweeps on the bottom of doors, and plug any other holes where the bugs might be able to find their way in.
2. Clean Up
Bugs love trash and clutter. It gives them safe places to hide, and they’ll often find food and lay their eggs there. Cleaning up your home is one of the most effective ways to keep bugs from overrunning your home.
3. Avoid Standing Water
The most popular bug breeding ground is any kind of standing water. Whether it’s in a sink, a bathtub, or anywhere else, if there’s standing water around, it’s only a matter of time until you get bugs. Drain the water and dry out the container, and that’ll go a long way in keeping bugs out of your home.
4. Take Out the Trash
Anybody who’s been around a full trash can long enough knows that they attract bugs. It’s their food source and gives them plenty of places to hide. If you’re having a bug problem in your home, increase the frequency that you take out the trash and cover all trash cans.
5. Use a Bug Spray
If the bugs are already in your home, you might need to invest in something like a bug spray to deter and potentially kill them. While it’s not always the most effective method of keeping bugs out of the house, bug sprays should at least help you take care of the bugs that have already found their way inside.
Final Thoughts
If you’ve already tried all these tips and tricks to get rid of bugs in your home, it might be time to call in a professional pest control team. While cats might be a cute solution, they’re not going to act as much of a bug deterrent. You’ll just have a new furry friend to take care of while you try to sort everything out.
Featured Image Credit: RonBerg, Pixabay
