Flies, beetles, ants, bees, and butterflies will belly up to the bar. Alcohol and fermented substances attract them, especially fruity drinks, wine, and beer. Furthermore, they get intoxicated and are prone to having persistent cravings for alcohol, just like humans.

Mosquitoes have a foot fetish. Yup, mosquitoes like feet. According to scientific studies, certain strains of bacteria grow on your feet that are a particular lure. Those toes of yours become positively irresistible if you happen to be someone with a high level of staphylococcus bacteria on your feet. That attraction can even transfer to your shoes and stockings along with the bacteria. 

Cockroaches enjoy your laundry as much as your leftovers. Believe it or not, cockroaches have a thing for clothes. Dirty clothes attract them because they like the smell of our body fluids and food stains on our clothing. Even stranger than that, studies show that cockroaches also like the smell of laundry detergent, so not even your clean clothes are immune to their attention. However, studies also indicate that cockroaches hate the scent of lavender, so opting for a lavender-scented soap or fabric softener may be smart.

It's often said that ants love sugar, almost to the point of it being a cliché. While ants generally eat almost anything, sugary foods are favored by many species, as those high levels of carbohydrates (sugar is all carbohydrate) help to fuel their typically high metabolisms. Even Carpenter Ants love sugar which may surprise you since they are usually associated with wood. However, they don't eat the wood, they only nest in it. On the flip side, other species of ants prefer fats and proteins, and some that even prefer salty foods.

Bees love lemons, literally. Interestingly, bees are sexually attracted to the scent of lemons and lemongrass. They contain a chemical compound called Cymbopogon citratus, which mimics the sex pheromone that queen bees give off to attract drones to her. 

Bright colors have been scientifically shown to attract more insects than pale shades. Because insects only see color in the UV spectrum, vivid colors are more noticeable to them and will draw them in, especially yellows, oranges, and reds. Conversely, white houses, as well as pastels and cool shades of blue and green, are much less attractive to bugs. Light blue paint has been shown to discourage wasps and spiders from nesting. Keep that in mind when choosing your clothes during the summertime.

Termites like ballpoint pen ink, specifically blue ink, which contains a chemical compound called 2-phenoxyethanol. That chemical smells like the pheromone termites give off when laying down a trail to their nests and food sources. Studies show that termites will even follow lines that were drawn with a blue ballpoint pen.

While avoiding all the things we know will attract bugs may help us to a certain extent, sometimes there is not much we can do. Bugs find us and invade our living spaces anyway. When insects have taken up residence in our home or business, or have a thriving population nearby, they can be a real challenge to get rid of. Over-the-counter pesticides are rarely an effective solution, as most of those products cannot penetrate the nest. Plus, many insects have become overly exposed to those products—even DDT—to the point that they've developed an immunity.  The best solution is to contact a professional pest control company.

If you live in Savannah or the surrounding areas, you can do no better than with Littoral Pest Solutions. We are five-star-rated, locally owned and operated pest control company with the highest level of expertise when it comes to dealing with bugs. Our customer service is second to none. No matter what your pest issue is, we have the solution. Give us a call today and let us know how we can help.