This planet is full of wonders and mysteries, but when it comes to pest control, knowing whats true and what's not can make a huge difference. Some of these may seem like common sense, but as they're told to us as young as children, it may be time to make sure we know what's what.
From Lake Norman Pest: 5 Pest Myths Busted!
1- This is more of a saying than a myth, but it perpetuates a myth that is completely backwards. The idea of this phrase is that you'll find people like it when you're nice, rather than when you're mean. Honey = Nice, Vinegar = Mean.
However, flies don't work that way. They are attracted to your garbage, so they actually like the smell of rotten foods, stinky leftovers, and whatever nonsense gets tossed. Leave the sweeteners for the bees, flies will taken vinegar over honey any day.
2. So this is true, but only of the honey bee. There are several kinds of bees out there, and if you get stung by any other than the honey bee, get ready for seconds. The stinger on several types of bees and wasps don't even fall off after using their stinger, and can be ready to continue the fight they're involved with. If this wasn't the case, Killer Bees and Japanese/Asian Hornets would not have as nearly of a haunting reputation. Honey bee stingers should be removed as soon as possible, they detach with venom sacs still stuck in their stingers, so it will continue to pump poison into you. The reason Honey Bees die is because along with their stinger, their abdomen gets pulled off their body. It's gross, but basically their insides get ripped out during the process.
3. Entirely false: the truth is bed bugs are present anywhere there is blood! Bed bugs are most attracted to human blood, as compared to the flea that prefers mammals with fur. They have been evolving and adapting over the years, and so the rates of Bed Bug presences have only increased. Always be careful when you're traveling, check hotel mattresses and bed sheets- regardless of how nice the hotel is!!! Be aware that bed bugs use airplanes as a way to travel as much as humans, jumping from suitcases and luggage, so after any flights wash all your clothes and leave shoes or items in sealed containers for a few days. Monitor for any activity before putting these items to use again, it's easier to stop an infestation than to fight one.
4. Rodents are attracted to several types of leftover food, but they're much more prone to foods high in carbohydrates or fruits rather than cheese. In fact there are several things mice will eat before resorting to cheese, and have been found to outright reject cheese for it's odor! They're overall indiscriminate in times of hunger, so it's not impossible to see a mouse eating cheese if it's hungry enough, but it's not what you want to use if you're trying to catch one. The most appealing foods to rodents are biscuit bread, cereal, or anything high in carbohydrates.
5. Untrue! That doesn't mean go out and get grabby hands with baby birds, but it does mean don't be worried to pick a baby bird without fledgling feathers up and put it back in an empty nest (this is important). Birds don't use scent as a primary function, their nostrils are small and too weak to pick up varying scents. In fact birds are extremely aware and careful in raising their young. It's important to them, and touching their babies isn't going to drive them away.
What drives parents away is messing with their nests. Messing with occupied nests, or putting a baby bird back into a nest that has not been abandoned you may inadvertently drive the parents away. They're suspicious creatures, becoming concerned when they can visually see something else was present. It's also important that if you find a baby bird on the ground, it's quite likely it's parents are watching from afar. If they have feathers, they're likely trying to learn how to fly. Without feathers: that's when you can get involved.