Attack of the Home Wreckers

"Home, sweet home" can have an entirely new meaning when used in connection with pests. Rats, cockroaches and other pests can treat your house as a veritable food source, reducing it to a shell right under your feet.

Rats and cockroaches are not just unsightly creepy crawlies but are also harbingers of life-threatening diseases from cholera to dysentery. Even ticks, mites and lice on pets can be bothersome to both animal and its owner.

The quick fix is to grab an insect spray and shower these unwanted house guests with death-dealing chemicals. There's also germicidal soap and shampoo for pets. For a longer term solution, there's the local pest exterminator.

There's just a couple of problems. Each type of pest demands its own kind of death sentence, so using over-the-counter chemical insect sprays can turn out to be an expensive way to do away with persistent irritants at home.

Your friendly exterminator, on the other hand, can deliver a quick and total wipe-out of your unwanted guests. Armed with the knowledge of how to treat a range of insects and rodents, a complete pest control solution will be provided to you, and will be customised for your particular situation.

Following a thorough assessment and treatment of your infestation, your pest control officer will also, by and large, provide follow-up calls to ensure that your problem does not return.

Of course, there are things that you can do yourself, to help maintain a pest-free home:

• Keep the house and its surroundings clean at all times. Clean up food spills and residues and take out spoiled fruits or vegetables properly to deprive pests of food.
• Remove clutter that may serve as hiding places for cockroaches and mice.
• Secure windows and doors with screens to prevent the entry of rodents, flies and other flying insects.
• Inspect loft spaces and pantries regularly and take out rotting materials that may become breeding ground for ants and cockroaches.

Article provided by SDA Pest Control