Plastic Play Houses

[Oneluckymom]

Hi All,

I have a question. I have a few of those plastic play houses in my yard and was wondering if anyone else who has them finds it difficult to clean them. Two Questions:
How do you keep them looking nice and clean? And how do you keep the bugs out of them? For some reason my yard is buggy and spiders (not good I know) and pincher bugs like the play houses I just dont like the idea of little playing on them knowing that bugs like them too. Any ideas? Thanks!! Oh and yes I do hose them down but that seems to be temporary.

[Crazy8]

my playhouse is abandoned because of the bugs, spiders, spider webs, wasp nests, etc. that I constantly find in it!!! Like you said, even if I hose it down a week later they are back and I'm always afraid to hose the bee hives/wasp nests!!

I also wish I could find some type of "flooring" to put under it - I wonder if that would cut down on the bugs a bit - it would definitely cut down on the dirt I think.

[DCMom]

My playhouse is under my deck which helps I think. I also have plastic foam squares under it for a floor of sorts. I do hose it down periodically, but that's because the write on it with chalk, lol

[Cat Herder]

I spray mine down with a good coat of lysol disinfectant spray in that horrible potpourri scent (bought in bulk on sale, smells too awful, IMHO, for playroom) every couple days...the residue seems to make the bugs stay away.

[WImom]

We get spiders and pincher bugs in ours too as well as our climbers. Our climbers are on peagravel so I thought that would stop them but it hasn't and one of the houses is on grass and the other on our cement patio but they still both get bugs.

I hope someone has a solution because it's annoying!

[heyhun77]

You could have a bug treatment done by an extermination service. The spray they use is not harmful to kids/pets and usually works for several months.

[laundrymom]

I mx seven dust w water in a garden sprayer and sprAy everything. I also keep grass cut short, have holes drilled in the bottoms of things so they drain good. I move things almost daily too that helps. I also seven dust my play yard 3-4 times a summer to keep things away.

[sharlan]

We've had a horrible invasion of BROWN widows this summer. Their favorite hiding place is the kids plastic toys.

Every Sunday night I go out and hose everything down with the high pressure nozzle on the hose.

I'm going to try using the Lysol spray afterwards.

I had my yard sprayed, but it didn't do much to the spiders.

(We even took a field trip to our local university's entomology dept to give them a bunch of egg sacks and live spiders.)

[laundrymom]

Originally Posted by sharlan

We've had a horrible invasion of BROWN widows this summer. Their favorite hiding place is the kids plastic toys.

Every Sunday night I go out and hose everything down with the high pressure nozzle on the hose.

I'm going to try using the Lysol spray afterwards.

I had my yard sprayed, but it didn't do much to the spiders.

(We even took a field trip to our local university's entomology dept to give them a bunch of egg sacks and live spiders.)

Ohohohoh, I also do praying mantis eggs for our science unit in the spring. I release them into my bushes, blackberries, and garden. You get like 500 mantis in each cocoon. Ok, maybe 300. But that has helped tremendously with icky bugs here

[Cat Herder]

Originally Posted by laundrymom

Ohohohoh, I also do praying mantis eggs for our science unit in the spring. I release them into my bushes, blackberries, and garden. You get like 500 mantis in each cocoon. Ok, maybe 300. But that has helped tremendously with icky bugs here

I did that too, but now they torment my humming birds on their feeders...

I have a super soaker at arms reach to shoot them down...but MAN are they relentless.

[laundrymom]

Originally Posted by Catherder

I did that too, but now they torment my humming birds on their feeders...

I have a super soaker at arms reach to shoot them down...but MAN are they relentless.

Lolol. Yes they are!!!

[Oneluckymom]

Originally Posted by laundrymom

I mx seven dust w water in a garden sprayer and sprAy everything. I also keep grass cut short, have holes drilled in the bottoms of things so they drain good. I move things almost daily too that helps. I also seven dust my play yard 3-4 times a summer to keep things away.

Can I get the seven dust in any local nursery or Home Depot.
Will also try the lysol idea. Love all the ideas....keep em coming!!

[countrymom]

acually, I own 3 outside and one in my house and I really don't have a bug problem, but they are on my wood deck maybe thats why.

[Oneluckymom]

I looked up Seven or Sevin Dust online and it says it is toxic?
"Sevin's active ingredient, carbaryl, is in fact a potent neurotoxin and suspected carcinogen, and federal regulators are currently considering restricting its use." Apparently it is expecially toxic to animals...I'm assuming it must be toxic for humans too

[Meeko]

Mine are inside because of this problem!

[laundrymom]

Originally Posted by Oneluckymom

I looked up Seven or Sevin Dust online and it says it is toxic?
"Sevin's active ingredient, carbaryl, is in fact a potent neurotoxin and suspected carcinogen, and federal regulators are currently considering restricting its use." Apparently it is expecially toxic to animals...I'm assuming it must be toxic for humans too

Really? I'll have to rethink then, I know we always put it on dogs growing up for fleas. Wow, thanks. Then I will probably do cayenne and vinegar for the yard.

[morgan24]

I took mine inside because of the bees building nests in it.

[CheekyChick]

I have a playhouse and climber on wood chips and a small playhouse (for the infants) on the deck. The one on the deck seems to get spiders, but the ones on the wood chips seem to be relatively bug free.

[WImom]

cheeky - are they cedar chips? I've heard spiders don't like cedar so that might be why. Maybe I need to line my patio will those.

[CheekyChick]

Originally Posted by WImom

cheeky - are they cedar chips? I've heard spiders don't like cedar so that might be why. Maybe I need to line my patio will those.

I truthfully have no idea what kind of wood it is. I was given three choices for the playground (wood chips, weird wood mulchy stuff, and rubber mats). I chose the wood chips. They are a light beige color, so I'm thinking they aren't cedar. I'm just thankful we're not having the spider problem this year.

[Abigail]

Eww, just reading how many people have bug and spider issues in their backyards. I hate bugs and spiders and I sure hope we don't have an issue with them when we move into our first home.

Hi, I am also trying to keep bugs out of the playhouse. Sprinkling herbs such as oregano and mint helps, but definitely do not use flooring. I put astro turf inside the playhouse, and yellowjackets built a huge nest underneath it. Also, woodchips will encourage mice and rats to move in. Hosing the house down often and being vigilant is the only way to keep the bugs out.

[daycarediva]

I spray my houses down weekly, and then I spritz some essential oils, tea tree and citronella work great at keeping them at bay. It DOES need to be repeated weekly though, or they come right back.