deBugged

An infestation of any kind is unpleasant. We know that lots of you want help with how to get rid of pests, so we had a Google to see what’s at the top of your priority list….

We noticed that, alongside searches for a range of pests, a lot of you are searching for how to get rid of some other nasties. First of all, if you discover any of the above unpleasantness about your person – don’t panic. Although prevention is nearly always better than the cure, there’s still plenty you can do to make the problem go away. Here are our 7 steps towards pest-free nirvana.

The most important thing to establish is that you are attempting to combat the right problem. Different kinds of flies require various methods of elimination; different kinds of facial blemishes require various treatments. So consult an expert, and find out exactly what problem you’re facing.

Many of the problems in this list can be prevented with a bit of forethought. Don’t want ants invading your kitchen or stretch marks decorating your thighs? Then keep available food to the minimum, particularly the sweet stuff. Don’t want flies making a mess with their proboscises or a hickey lurking on your neck? Easy, just eliminate all methods of entry in the first place.

As long as you keep the presence of edible stuff in your house under control, there really shouldn’t be a problem. If, however, you’re unlucky enough to find any of the following anywhere in your proximity – fruit flies, love handles, blackheads, ants, cellulite or acne – you might need to rethink your relationship with food. In terms of action, the best solution is “out of sight, out of mind”. Cover all food, and make sure your rubbish bins have tightly sealed lids.

Those who tritely answer ‘…is next to godliness’ are actually spot on. Improving your levels of cleanliness will eradicate at least half of the nasties on this list. There are obviously lots of different cleaning techniques involved here, but a common requirement is to remove any excess grease. For ants, flies, blackheads and acne you should clean up any greasy spillages that might be lurking in hidden crevices. There are lots of specialist kits you can invest in, though we strongly recommend you only use Rentokil’s DIY products for pests of the crawling or flying variety!

Unfortunately, none of these problems will go away unless you throw yourself into solving them properly. If you let Fido sleep with you, for example, washing your sheets won’t permanently eliminate his fleas from your bed. A quick clean once or twice a week or the one-off avoidance of cookie crumbs isn’t really going to do anything but dishearten you in its failure to make a significant difference.

The majority of these problems have become multi-million dollar industries. Unfortunately, many of the proposed fixes are scams and will either leave you the same or worse off, and always considerably lighter in the pocket. Anything that promises immediate results with no effort needed from you should set alarm bells ringing. Make sure you get some feedback from previous users before handing over any cash.

However motivated you are to solve the infestation you are unfortunate enough to suffer from, sometimes the wisest course of action is to call in the experts. That could mean investing in some DIY tools off the shop floor, consulting your doctor for health advice and guidance or simply paying for someone to come in and fix the problem outright.