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It seems that in winter there are many times fewer flying and crawling uninvited guests of city apartments – the only exception is cockroaches, which will survive even a nuclear strike. With the onset of heat, various pests are activated and interfere with a peaceful life. But how to get rid of the most common household insects on your own or with the help of professional exterminators? Let’s find out!
How to get rid of pests yourself?
The main thing in the fight against domestic insects is to create conditions unsuitable for life: limit access to food, water, breeding places, and shelters. This will help with regular cleaning and minor cosmetic repairs. Before contacting pest control Solihull, here are a few things you need to do:
- elimination of access to water (it is necessary to repair the current taps, and wipe the sink dry after washing the dishes so that there are no drops left).
- systematic cleaning of crumbs and hermetic storage of edible products.
- covering (sealant, mounting foam, cement) all cracks, joints, chips, and holes, remove loft insulation, etc.
You can order loft insulation removal service, as dirty loft insulation is hazardous and should be treated with biocide and properly removed.
- installation of mosquito nets on windows (in the warm season, insects freely migrate along the facades of the building, penetrating into the apartment through open windows and vents).
Bees in chimney can sometimes be a real problem, so you should book a bee removal service to avoid a bigger problem later.
In what cases should you contact a specialist?
If we are talking about food insects, then you can get rid of them by simply throwing away the affected products and cleaning out the storage area. In order to prevent their occurrence in the future, special traps should be placed in the cabinets where bulk products are stored – you can buy them in ordinary stores.
The problem with bedbugs and cockroaches is more difficult to solve. Throwing away a set of pillows and blankets will not get rid of bed bugs, as their habitats are much wider. It is the same with cockroaches: even if you keep clean, remove all products, and wash the surfaces thoroughly after cooking, this may not save you from the appearance of cockroaches in the apartment. Using various crayons, traps, and chemicals to remove them on their own will not have the desired effect and will only help for a short time.
If you are faced with the problem of an unpleasant neighborhood, contact the professionals. As a rule, to remove bedbugs and cockroaches, they use special tools that cannot be bought in ordinary stores. Accordingly, the removal of insects with the help of professional pest control will give the best result, and the effect will last for a longer time. If you remove parasites yourself, you will get rid of them for several weeks or months, and professional disinfectors will give a guarantee for years.
What means of destruction are considered safe for humans and domestic animals?
All products used by exterminators are safe for people and animals. It is very simple to check this: a specialist, along with chemicals, must have certificates for each product. You can ask to see them and independently study the composition, methods of application, and precautions. If there is no such certificate, you should contact the company through which you placed an order for services and ask them to promptly send photos of certificates for the products with which the specialist came. If neither the exterminator nor the service provider can provide certificates, it is better to refuse to carry out the work.
How to prepare an apartment for chemical treatment?
If you are faced with the problem of domestic insects and decide to contact a pest control specialist, then before he arrives, you need to prepare an apartment.
- Try to cover all pieces of furniture, remove open containers with food, and personal hygiene products that can get into chemicals. In the process of cleaning the house, for example, from bedbugs, it is necessary to provide the master with free access to such pieces of furniture in which they can potentially live (sofas, armchairs, mattresses, etc), clear access to baseboards and doorways.
- If there are storage compartments in the bed or sofa, remove everything from there – the specialist should be able to freely move this piece of furniture. The dishes, on the contrary, should not be removed; during the disinfestation of cockroaches, it is also processed. The fact is that cockroach larvae may remain on it, which, in the absence of treatment, will entail further reproduction of parasites.
- Before the start of work of a specialist, all residents and animals must leave the premises. If your flat has been treated with a cold chemical, it’s best to leave for three hours – this is the minimal amount of time for the chemical to settle, and staying indoors is difficult due to the risk of poisoning.
After three to four hours, you can return to the apartment and carry out the airing (it is better to open the windows for 1.5–2 hours).
Over the next 24 hours, it is not recommended to wash the floors: insects do not die from the fact that they inhale sprayed products, but directly at the moment of direct contact with them. Therefore, after disinfestation, completely abandon thorough mopping for about five weeks – you can wash only those areas that residents walk on daily.
Immediately after disinfection, wipe surfaces that you regularly come into contact with: doorknobs, tables, bedside tables, and kitchen worktops. Launder bedding, underwear, and other clothing that may have been exposed to chemicals. Washing is recommended at a temperature not lower than 60 degrees – in such water, dangerous insects, if they remain on things, die, and chemicals are broken down.
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