Don’t share your home with pests this summer

The summer has just started in India. Increased temperatures also mean that the cold blooded insect pests will be able to reproduce and propagate much faster. The most common pests that live and breed in and around the house are cockroaches, rodents, ants, mosquitoes and flies. Here are a few tips to prevent your home being run over by pests this summer.

Apart from being irritating, many pests pose great threats as they transmit large number of diseases. Cockroach allergens as an example are a main source for asthma in children. Rats have week bladders and urinate freely, even when feeding. Their urine however often contains the pathogens for the Weil’s disease, outbreaks of which are especially common during monsoons.

The number one rule to remember when dealing with pests is that prevention is always better than cure. Pests usually come into the house for food, water and shelter, which form the survival triangle for any pests. Pest control experts advice to cut off any one element of the survival triangle to keep your house free of pests. Food sources can be the garbage disposal areas, or unwashed dishes kept overnight. Even few bread crumbs left over on the table can be a party for the cockroaches.

It is important to keep a very high sanitation level in our house. If you make it a habit to follow a few simple routines and guidelines, you can easily keep your house a pest free place. The following are important points to keep the pests at bay:

• Make sure that the area is always kept clean of food residues by sweeping, and wiping.
• Make sure that there are no spilled food items and that all dishes are immediately cleaned after eating.
• Remove the garbage regularly – otherwise you might be feeding the pests.
• Seal cracks & crevices. The pests love resting in these places
• Make sure your house is always kept dry.
• Be aware that pests are harmful for your health. Spread the awareness.
• If you spray and try to eliminate the pests you see, you are just addressing the tip of the iceberg. Unless you attack the colony or the nest, the pests will be back in no time.
• Seek professional help early before the pest infestations go out of control.

Paying attention to these simple precautions will help you in keeping your home pest free.