EFFECTIVE MEASURES FOR COCKROACH CONTROL
Cockroaches when hungry will eat just about anything; pastes, glues, solid soaps and starch based paints and foods. So how do you tackle these pests?
Here are some preventive measures you could use:
· Keep the food in sealed containers or in the refrigerator.
· Paint the cabinet shelves and drawers with enamel and keep them clean.
· Rinse all recyclables clean and air them out every few days.
· Put garbage in tightly covered containers and store it outside.
·
· Store flour, sugar, cereals and crackers in tightly covered plastic or metal containers.
· Clean out junk and clutter from storage shelves, drawers and closets.
· Get rid of unused furniture, appliances, food and clothing.
· Fill in cracks and seal openings around pipes.
· Clean drains.
· Keep all areas clean and dry.
How do I get rid of cockroaches?
Basic steps:
· Use any of the repellants available in the market.
Alternatively you could mix boric powder in wheat flour and knead it to dough. Roll out tiny
balls of this dough and
keep them in places frequented by the insects.
Caution: Keep them out of reach of small children
To avoid cockroaches from gaining a re-entry into homes:
· Swab the floor daily.
· Add phenyl to the water used for swabbing (in case of marble tiled floors use white phenyl).
· Do not stack used utensils in the sink overnight. If possible clean utensils and sink in the
night itself.
· Clean bathrooms and toilets daily.
· Naphthalene balls in bathrooms and kitchen repel cockroaches.
· Don’t keep damp clothes in the bathroom for long hours.
· Wash your home with water and soap once a week to rid it of all unpleasant creepy crawlies
You could try any of the repellants available in the market alternatively you could mix boric powder in wheat flour and knead it to dough. Roll out tiny balls of this dough and keep them in places frequented by the insects.
Apart from flies, ants are the other species of insects that haunt your kitchen. Here are some really cools ways of keeping them away:
• some essence of peppermint on a piece of cotton wool is supposed to be a good ant-deterrent.
• You could also try sprinkling bicarbonate of soda or boric powder in shelves.
• Sprinkle powdered cloves on shelves and in drawers.
• To destroy anthills, pour boiling water into them (cruel alternative, so avoid unless absolutely necessary).
• A saucer full of cloves and paraffin would make them run.
• Mop kitchen shelves and cabinets with a cloth dipped in "neem" oil and water mixture. Add five drops "neem" oil to half a cup of water.
• Wipe your kitchen with a cloth dipped in vinegar.
Once the ants thus disappear, try and follow the tips given below to avoid the future incoming ants.
• Swab the floors daily.
• Add phenyl to the bucket of water you would use for swabbing. Do note that if you have marble tiled floors then use white phenyl.
• Do not keep utensils for cleaning in the sink for next day morning. If possible clean the utensils and sink in the evening itself.
• Clean your bathrooms, toilets and kitchen daily.
• Don't keep wet clothes in the bathroom for hours together.
• Once in a week pour water thoroughly and clean the house. By doing this not only the kitchen room but the entire house gets cleaned.
• Keep the overall environment clean and make sure that food particles (often dropped carelessly while snacking) are swept away immediately.
RATS! THEY HAVE RUINED MY HOME!
Vermin, they can ruin your lives and property. Today we have no Pied Piper who can drown these wretched pets, but yes, we do have some sure fire methods that can settle them for good. In case your house/property is under attack by mice, these should help:
• Check and plug all holes outside your house including the smallest ones (a mouse can crawl through space as small as the tip of the little finger!). These are ideal places for mice to hide and breed.
• Do not leave any food material, including garbage in the open. Once mice are starved they will definitely leave the house in search for greener pastures.
• Poison pellets and traps work well to get rid of mice. Ideally use pellets that force mice to come out in the open and die.
• Do not handle dead vermin with bear hands. They are known to carry deadly diseases! Wear gloves while handling them!
• This may sound simplistic, but no trap can beat the work of a cat. So get a feline companion who will get rid of t
h trouble makers.
Mice are not a reflection on your sanitary concepts. These mammals breed at a super rate – over 13 litters a year, so getting rid of one won’t work.
Dust mites – those hidden enemies which infest your spotlessly clean house are the most stubborn houseguests to get rid of. Mites hide in the most difficult to reach nook and crannies of the house and cannot be eliminated through routine dusting. You cannot ignore them either as they lead to ailments ranging from itching to insect-like bites, rashes, allergies, asthma and even rhinitis.
• Humid, warm conditions are ideal for mites and they thrive in them. Make sure that rooms are regularly aired and have a good cross ventilation system.
• It was not without reason when granny told you to sun mattresses. Those little creeps are sensitive to ultraviolet rays.
• Dust mites live in mattress, but also have a penchant for carpets, linen and pillows. Keep soft furnishing to the minimum as the creatures seem to thrive in these.
• Vacuuming carpets ideally with a high-suction pump is a good way to eliminate these pests.
Come rains and you will have all kinds of insects visiting your house Here's how you can deal with them:
• For insect bites, get instant relief by rubbing some calamine lotion or baking soda and water paste on the area.
• Get a potted basil (tulsi) plant, which helps keep mosquitoes and flies at bay.
• Scented candles, especially citronella candles, burned near the entrance of the house will keep the mosquitoes away.
• For home made insect repellents use crushed bay leaves, vinegar or neem leaves and scatter across window panes and in dark corners.
Hang mothballs in old socks or netted bags near doorways and windows to keep flies away.
If your kitchen is infested by houseflies, here's what you can do. Place a sprig of fresh mint leaves in a glass or a small flower vase with water on the kitchen table or a corner of the counter. Also crush a few leaves and strew them about. The flies will soon clear out. This is a more hygienic and kinder way to drive away flies than swatting them.
QUICK HINTS FOR A
• Mint plants are said to rid the house of mosquitoes. Getting rid of stagnant water, screening doors and windows with a fine net will also keep out these pesky intruders. Incidentally, it is the female mosquitoes who feast on our blood. So get the gender right the next time to cuss the insect!
• Book louses are perhaps one of the worst things to intrude human homes. These transparent pests who breed in warm, moist corners feast on leftover food. The best way to get rid of these is by airing the space infested by louse. Clear the place of all food material and replace lining (newspaper or brown paper) in shelves and racks.
• Unfortunately, they are predicted to survive the nuclear holocaust, but cockroaches will beat a hasty retreat when treated to boric acid. The best bait for these nocturnal demons that thrive on leftovers is a mix of wheat flour, milk and boric acid. Leave it at the access point from where cockroaches enter the house and watch them tumble and die! (keep this lethal mix away from the reach of children).
• Adding a bit of salt and kerosene to the water used to swab floors is said to keep away houseflies. Keep your house free of them with this simple trick this summer!
• Bay leaves are excellent flour beetle repellants. Tuck in a leave in perishables and watch them stay free of these pesky pests.