HOW TO HANDLE HOUSEHOLD PESTS….

                                      

Generally house is a place where people live and they set or decorate the house according to their taste or interest. The maintenance work is of great importance which keeps the house fit to stay in. In spite of cleaning and maintenance sometimes few house hold pests create damage &disturbance to the house as well as to certain articles.

 The common house hold pests are moths, carpet beetles, the common furniture beetle, fleas, bedbugs, sliver fish, rats &mice, cockroaches and flies.

1. MOTHS: Moth is of a pale buff colour, are seen flying mainly between June and October, they are relatively small with a wing. The materials which are attacked by moth are wool, fur skins and feathers and those which are made of rubber, man-made and vegetable fibres. The following are the articles that need protection from damage by moth are:

1.    Blankets, bedding and quilts

2.     Carpets and underfelts

3.    Upholstered furniture and curtains

4.    Stuffed animals and birds i.e. fur and feathers.

Damage by moth most frequently occurs during storage as moths like warmth, darkness and lack of disturbance and so all articles to be stored, should be clean and protected by a moth detergent. Commonly used moth detergents are Naphthalene, camphor tablets and  while many insecticides are used to kill the pests

                             

2. CARPET BEETLES : The varied carpet beetle 2-4 cm long , lays egg in old bird’s nests, fabrics and accumulated fluffy in buildings. Carpet beetles have become the major textile pest and now do more damages than moths. The damage consists of fairly well defined round holes along the seams of fabrics where the larvae have bitten through the threads

Frequent vacuum cleaning of fluff and debris from storage cupboards, floor boards, carpets and upholstery is the main means of control. Insect killing powders may be sprayed between floorboards, under felts and is sprayed where fluff may collect and attack larvae.

Wood boring beetles can be linked to moths. The common furniture beetle lay about 20-60 eggs in cracks and crevices of polished wood, Eg: Flooring panels back of wardrobes and chests of drawers.

                             

3.FLEAS:  There are many different kinds of fleas and each has a preference for one kind of host. Fleas bite their host causing annoyance and in the humans large red itching spots on the skin.

Fleas are able to cover considerable destructions owing to jumping powders. They like darkness and warmth and are capable of laying a large number of eggs generally in the cracks of the floors.

Spraying with insecticides is a suitable way of eradicating them.

        

4. BED BUGS &SLIVER FISH:  Bed bugs may be seen in second hand furniture, bedding, books and under the wooden lathes of trunks. Bed bugs are about 0.5cm long and 0.3 cm wide, reddish brown in colour. By nature they feed by sucking human blood. Their bites cause considerable irritation and may result in large red patches with swelling on some people.

Sliver fish is mostly found in books and other old wood items. They need to be dusted at regular intervals and wood polishes can be applied if the wood has lost it freshness.

Bed bugs may be prevented by regular cleaning of cup boards and surroundings. Sinks, pipes should also be checked and insecticidal powders can be sprinkled where bedbugs &sliver fish are seen.

                                   

5. RATS & MICE: Rats, mice are more likely to be found in the kitchen and cleanliness of all areas where food is handled are important points in the prevention of infestation. Rats and mice may be destroyed with poisons.

                            

6. COCKROACHES: Cockroaches are more likely to be found in the kitchen &dining hall rather than in bed rooms. Sprays and insecticides should be used regularly. Avoiding excess dump and clutter helps to reduce the cockroaches.