Summary: Pests might not sound like an interesting topic to teach your kids, but it’s important that they learn about the creepy-crawlies they see in their backyard. This blog breaks down the recommended ways to teach kids about pests and their habits. Each section focuses on a different way to teach kids about pests, including: get them outside, do fun activities, research the bugs, involve them in pest prevention, warn them about the dangers, and ask your technician. Romney Pest Control solves pest issues by providing long-term solutions.
Out of all the things to teach kids about, pests might be one of the least interesting topics — at least, on the surface. It might not sound like much fun to talk about bugs or pest control techniques, but there are many ways to make this topic more enjoyable for young kids.
The benefit of living in the modern era is that we have access to an endless catalogue of resources for every subject under the sun. Let’s dive into the best ways to teach kids about pests, from creepy-crawlies to professional pest control services.
Get Them Outside
What better way to teach your kids about pests than to bring them to the place where pests are born? You can go out in your yard, on a nature walk around the neighborhood, or to a local park to observe bugs in their natural habitats. Every type of pest you see provides a learning moment for your children. For instance, seeing a honeybee on a flower can spark a conversation about why bees need flowers to make honey.
You can make this endeavor as involved as you want it to be. If you just want to show your kids different types of bugs, you can instruct them to simply observe the bugs in action. Butterflies, ladybugs, and praying mantises are all beneficial insects that are fun to watch. But if you want to make the activity even more engaging for the kids, you can (carefully) look around plants and rocks to see if you can find some of the more common Texas pests, like ants and spiders.
Do Fun Activities
Any good teacher will tell you that kids need to be engaged to fully absorb the information you give them, and what better way to get them excited about pests than with fun activities? We recommend searching online for age-appropriate activities that play into their current interests and skillsets. These projects make the wide world of pests accessible to young minds.
Our favorite pest-related activities include:
- Coloring Pages: There’s nothing like a good old-fashioned coloring page! Print out coloring pages of common pests and have your kids color them with their tools of choice. Bonus points if they make the pest’s colors accurate to the real deal!
- Insect Journals: For the school-aged kids, a fun way to get them interested in their natural surroundings is to help them start an insect journal. They can write down any bug they see and include some basic facts, like its physical features, diet, habitat, and purpose.
- Clay: Safe-to-eat clay, like Play-Doh, is an easy way to get your younger kids familiar with the general ideas of these critters. You can give them a specific pest to try and recreate, or you can ask what bug they want to make based on what they’ve learned recently.
- Movies & TV Shows: Some are more factual than others, but getting your kids familiar with the basic pests is easy with entertainment. Some of our favorites include A Bug’s Life, Miss Spider’s Sunny Patch Friends, and The Magic School Bus (specifically, the Gets Ants in Its Pants, In a Beehive, and Butterfly and the Bog Beast episodes).
- Books & Magazines: Encouraging children to read is already an important endeavor, so why not make it fun by having them read about bugs they see in their own backyard. The local library is an excellent resource for finding bug books that interest your kids. Our favorite books are in the children’s series from National Geographic.
Research The Bugs
The easiest way to teach your kids about pests is to research each one as you find them. A housefly buzzing around the kitchen? Look up how they eat their food (hint: they don’t chew it). A trail of ants in the backyard? Research the jobs of a typical ant colony. The more that you research pests with your children, the more they will want to continue learning about the natural world.
If you want a specific subject to research with your kids, you can start by comparing beneficial bugs to harmful bugs. Beneficial critters are helpful because they eat other pests, pollinate our flowers, and break down nutrients to help the soil. Harmful bugs do damage to people, pets, and the plants. They might bite or sting us if we get too close, or ruin our beautiful gardens by chowing down on the leaves and flowers. You can explain these categories to your kids and talk about which pests would fall under which group!
Involve Them In Pest Prevention
Now, onto the specific conversations about house pests and pest control. Pest prevention is important for every household, regardless of whether you have current pest issues or not. You can teach your kids that everyone in the house plays a part in preventing pests by taking care of the home. It turns out that chores are important for keeping pests away since they’re drawn to clutter and opened food. Who knew!
If your kids are too young to understand all of the dangers that come with a pest invasion (more on this later), you can just tell them that keeping bugs out of the house protects your family. Bugs belong outside, not inside. Little tasks make a big difference in preventing pests, which is a great thing to tell your kids when they don’t want to do their chores. At the very least, wiping up crumbs and keeping the floors clean eliminate a lot of attractions for hungry pests.
Teach Kids About The Dangers Of Pests
The depth you go into regarding the dangers of pest infestations depends on the ages of your kids. In other words, everything that we’re going to say in this section is up to your discretion on how to tell your children about the risks. The important thing is that they know certain pests are scary because they might hurt us, so be careful around any bugs you see in the house or yard.
The main risks with certain pests are:
- Bites — Spiders (especially brown recluses and black widows), ticks, mosquitoes, rodents, and ants can all bite us. Make sure your children know to tell a parent immediately if they are bitten by a pest.
- Food Contamination — Rodents, cockroaches, ants, and pantry pests all contaminate our food when they touch it. Throw away anything that pests invaded ASAP.
- Stings — Bees, wasps, yellow jackets, and hornets all deliver painful stings when they feel threatened. As long as you don’t mess with the nest or the bugs, they won’t have a reason to sting you. If any of your kids are allergic to bee stings, make sure to stress the importance of staying away from any bug with black and yellow stripes (if you haven’t already).
A good rule of thumb to teach your kids is to tell a parent if they see any pests in the house. Also, if you receive pest control services or use pesticides, emphasize the importance of never touching pesticides or traps for their own safety.
Ask Questions Of Your Technician
Speaking of pest control services, don’t be afraid to ask your technician questions about pests and pest prevention. You can ask your kids for any questions they have that you can pass along to the technician, so they’ll get a true answer from a professional. Your children might even want to ask the technician themselves so they can learn more about what the “bug guy” really does!
If your kids are curious as to why you use pest control services when some bugs are helpful, you can tell them that technicians care about keeping us safe and healthy. A pest-free home is a healthy home, and your technician should be happy to answer questions about their processes for keeping the bugs away!
Schedule Efficient Services From Romney
Whether you’re looking to solve a persistent pest problem or prevent future infestations, Romney Pest Control is here to help! Our experienced technicians take pride in protecting Texas homes and businesses from invasive pests. We solve each issue with a combination of thorough inspections, customized treatment plans, and preventative measures. Since we provide long-term solutions — not temporary fixes — for pest issues, you can rest assured that our services will keep the creepy-crawlies away for the long run. Our team looks forward to serving you this season, so contact us today for a free quote!
Citations
PestWorld for kids. (n.d.). PestWorld for Kids. Retrieved August 15, 2024, from https://www.pestworldforkids.org/
Join our pest patrol: A backyard activity book for kids on Integrated Pest Management. (2023, November 7). United States Environmental Protection Agency. Retrieved August 15, 2024, from https://www.epa.gov/safepestcontrol/join-our-pest-patrol-backyard-activity-book-kids-integrated-pest-management
Harney, C. (2022, April 5). How to teach kids about pests. Green Pest Services. Available at https://greenpestservices.net/how-to-teach-kids-about-pests/ (Accessed on August 15, 2024).
