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Ant Control Tips
No one wants a horde of ants invading their home or yard, but
how do you get rid of them if they have overrun your property?
Are there ways to prevent this type of pest from making a home
out of your house?
Ant control
1. If you see a line of ants making its way through
your house, follow it to discover the point from which it
originates. Ants can come in through a window, molding
crevice, or even a crack in the floor.
2. Use boric acid to create a temporary barrier in this
area. You can also use laundry detergent in powdered form for
the purpose.
3. Look for food the ants may have been munching on and
throw it away, outside of the house.
4. If you see that ants have overrun your kitchen's
garbage can, remove it from the room, and give it a good wash
with a hose. Wash with dishwashing liquid and water to
thoroughly clean the can and make sure all the ants have been
removed.
5. Keep food in tightly sealed containers or in the
refrigerator. Food anywhere else may attract more ants.
6. Ants are small and can get into sealed glass jars.
To properly seal these jars, you need to cover them in
zipper-lock plastic bags. Or, purchase glass jars with a
rubber gasket.
All cupboard food should be fully sealed. This is especially
important for sugar, honey, maple syrup, grains, cereals,
cookies, jams, and bread.
Get rid of the ant line by vacuuming it up along with some
corn starch so they suffocate in the vacuum bag. Or you can
wash them away with some soap and water.
To abolish the scent of the trail, wash the area after
removing the ant line. Use soap and hot water.
Permanently seal the entryway used by the ants. Caulk windows
and cracks, and weather-strip doors. Cover holes with duct
tape or petroleum jelly.
Try to find out where the ants entered from the outside. You
may find a branch, for example, used to climb over to a
window.
Go back in an hour and scout the area. If you see any lone
ants walking around, get rid of them.
To completely eradicate an ant invasion, use ant traps laced
with boric acid. An effective form of pest control, ants that
return with the spoils from the traps poison the entire
colony, getting rid of the problem in one shot.
Cruelty Free Pest
Control
While household and garden pests can be extremely annoying and
aggravating, it hardly seems fair to kill them just for doing
what comes naturally. There are many different methods you can
choose from that can help control irritating pests in your
home without using cruel measures. Cruelty free pest control
is a broad term that can be applied in many different ways. In
general, it describes any method that is used to repel, deter,
confine or confuse pests without causing any lasting physical
or emotional harm. If there are ways to control the pest
population without harming them, why not choose them?
One of the most obvious forms of cruelty free pest control is
using repellents. Any repellent that does not harm the insect
or animal is “cruelty free.” There are many different types of
natural repellents you can choose from. For example, offensive
smells and tastes can be sprayed in areas that you have a pest
problem. Rotten eggs and pepper are commonly used in gardens
to responsibly repel rabbits, squirrels, groundhogs and other
garden vermin. When animals encounter these smells, they stay
away, but they are not harmed either temporarily or
permanently.
Citronella oil is a common insect repellent that has no
harmful effects on insects. Citronella is often found in
candle form, and when the candle burns, the citronella smell
releases into the air. Flying insects such as mosquitoes are
repulsed by the smell and stay away. These candles don’t
provide the largest range of protection, usually only about 10
to 20 feet radius, but several candles strategically placed
can cover a large distance.
DEET is the chemical found in most common insect repellents
for the skin. These products are particularly effective
against biting insects like mosquitoes and ticks. While DEET
can be used as a pesticide, it does not kill insects when used
in the insect repellent form. Instead, it simply blinds the
senses and dulls the instinct of insects so they are not
compelled to bite humans or animals.
Controlling insect infestation on your pets is very important
because ticks, fleas and mosquitoes can carry harmful diseases
that can be fatal for your pet. While some insect repellents
for pets actually kill the insect, there are others that just
repel them. Choosing one of these more natural alternatives is
a way to stay cruelty free and also protect the health of your
pet.
You can create natural barriers around your home to prevent
pests from entering. It’s important to know what type of pest
you are targeting, however, because not all pests are repelled
by the same thing. If you have a problem with ants, for
example, planting spearmint, peppermint and pennyroyal around
the periphery of your home can provide a barrier. Mint and
basil are natural repellent for flies. There are also some
natural sprays you can use that employ these and other natural
repellents, but they can be easier to implement. Natural
sprays are also easy on the environment and biodegradable.
Traps are another form of cruelty free pest control. When you
think of rodent traps, you often think of the traditional
spring-loaded mouse trap that smashes and kills the
unfortunate mouse that is lured into it. These are not the
only type of trap on the market, however. Humane mouse and
rodent traps lure rodents to the trap, but instead of killing
them, it locks them inside a chamber they cannot escape from.
You are then free to release the rodent into the wild
unharmed. These traps can be used for mice, rats, squirrels
and any other unwanted animal intruders. Besides being humane,
these traps have the added benefit of not requiring you to
handle the dead carcass of an animal.
Electronic pest control devices are another form of cruelty
free pest control. While the efficacy of many of these
products is up for debate, the principles behind many of them
are cruelty free. Some electronic pest control devices use
ultrasonic sounds to drive out pests. The pests are not harmed
by the sounds, just irritated by them. Other electronic pest
control devices use electromagnetic waves to create an
unfriendly environment for pests to live in. This in intended
to make pests want to find another place to live and leave
willingly. None of these devices cause any lasting harm to
animals in any way.
Electronic Pest Control
Insects and rodents in your home and garden can become a pesky
nuisance that drives you crazy. There is an infinite supply of
things to combat these creatures, but many of them are toxic
and harmful to people also. Chemical pesticides and poisons
are just as dangerous to people and pets as they are to the
pests, so they should be used sparingly if at all. Electronic
pest control devices are designed to fight the pest problem
without doing damage to you, your family, your pets or the
environment.
There are hundreds of different types of electronic pest
control devices covering a broad spectrum of uses. No matter
what kind of pest is wreaking havoc on your property, there is
sure to be an electronic pest control device that claims to be
the answer. Extensive testing on these devices is a bit
lacking, so the efficacy of each one cannot be guaranteed.
Still, anecdotal evidence makes many of them worth a try.
There are two main types of electronic pest control–ultrasonic
and electromagnetic. Ultrasonic pest control devices produce
high pitched sounds that are outside of the range the human
ear can detect to repel pests. These are most commonly
designed for rodent, bat and other animal infestations. They
operate on the principle the animals are frightened and
distressed by high pitch noises and will avoid the areas where
it is emitted. Some of these devices use variable pulse
generators that modulate the sound so animals cannot get used
to it.
Electromagnetic pest control devices use electromagnetic
fields to create a barrier around your home. The wiring of
your home is employed to send out a signal that disrupts the
nervous system of pests and makes them annoyed and confused.
The theory is that pests will then want to leave your home and
find a more comfortable environment. These devices are
imperceptible to humans and pets unless your pet is a rodent.
There are other electronic pest control devices that fall into
neither the ultrasonic nor the electromagnetic category. Sonic
devices, for instance, use noises that are audible to humans
to control pests. One common application of these devices is
to evict underground pests like moles and gophers. Moles and
gophers can turn your garden upside down, but it is hard to
catch them. If you bury a sonic pest control device in the
ground, the high decibel noise will send them packing.
Ultraviolet bug zappers are another type of electronic pest
control device. They attract flying insects with their glowing
ultraviolet light and then trap them inside and zap them. Some
electronic pest control devices utilize ionic technology to
kill dust mites and bacteria that are sensitive to negative
ions. The same negative ions actually improve air quality. You
can find some devices that employ multiple forms of electronic
pest control for several levels of protection.
While there is promising technology behind electronic pest
control devices, they are still largely untested and somewhat
controversial. Some people will swear by their efficacy and
others will swear against it. One common complaint is that the
device will work temporarily, but then the pest will return
when it has become accustomed to it. The claims of companies
that sell these devices are not validated by the government,
so caution is indicated when you make a purchase. It’s a good
idea to do some research on a particular product and see what
kind of reviews consumers give it before you buy. If a product
has a money back guarantee, that’s an added bonus. Some of
these devices are quite expensive and it would be a shame to
throw good money after bad.
Ultrasonic and electromagnetic pest control devices may cause
distress in your pets particularly if you happen to have some
rodents as pets. If you do have a pet in your home, you might
want to reconsider getting and ultrasonic pest control device.
It has been reported that they can cause hearing damage in
household pets. Likewise, if you have neighbors close by, this
could cause a problem. Ultrasonic devices, though inaudible to
humans, can also interfere with other electronic devices like
telephones burglar alarm and hearing aids, so use them with
caution.
Flea Control Tips
If you have a pet, the possibility of fleas is very real.
Nobody wants these unwelcome houseguests - they annoy your pet
and infest your home. Flea control takes time and some work,
but it's definitely worth the effort if you are dealing with
the problem.
1. First, take the necessary steps to get rid of the fleas on
your pet. Pets are usually the source of a home flea
infestation, as these insects tend to hitch a ride on a
warm-blooded animal.
2. Clean areas that your pet occupies on a regular basis.
These locations are more likely to have fleas, eggs, larvae,
and pupae. Make sure you clean basement and garage floors as
well.
3. Vacuum carpets often, as this not only prevents an
infestation, but can also get rid of a large amount of the
critters if you already have a problem.
4. Place flea granules in your carpet once a year. They will
last for 12 months and work well without causing any harm to
pets or people.
5. If you're really worried about an infestation, apply an
insecticide to carpets, such as micro-encapsulated pyrethrins,
as many times as applicable. But be careful. Families with
small children may want to stay away from a chemical solution.
If you do use chemicals, also apply a growth regulator that
will break the life cycle of the flea.
If you can't seem to get rid of the fleas on your own, call in
the pest control professionals. They will know how to deal
with this pest problem safely and effectively.
In summer and early fall fleas are the most active. If you
begin flea prevention in the spring, you'll achieve better
results.
It's more important to worry about flea eggs than the adults.
Eggs can be planted almost anywhere, and are more difficult to
wipe out.
Control fleas outside of your home as well. No matter how
clean you are inside the house, if there are a lot of fleas
outside you will always have to deal with them inside.
Always read the label before using chemicals to rid your house
of fleas. With kids and pets, these solutions aren't always
the best choice.
How to Choose a Pest
Control Contractor
Choosing pest control services is easier than you may imagine,
and these days many people find the Web makes this process
even faster. Decisions that once took many hours of research
and education can today be streamlined with a little patience
and a few clicks of the mouse. The Web has ushered in a new
era in home improvement, and today millions of people are
benefiting every month.
If you have never worked with pest control services before,
you may wonder how to compare and contrast the different
choices at your fingertips. Although nearly everyone in this
industry claims they can eradicate the problem for good,
common sense dictates that many are forced to return time and
again to the same place. If you're looking for a higher
caliber of pest control services, you may want to avail
yourself of some better resources.
Generally the pest control services that have earned real
community trust do so by remaining as safe as they are
effective. It may not surprise you to learn that the tools of
this trade can be noxious in nature, but responsible outfits
take pains to protect everyone in the vicinity from harm. The
result is a comprehensive, detail-oriented approach that
leaves no chair or table unturned in the hunt for needless
pests.
These days, many of the best pest control services maintain an
online presence where you can get estimates and questions
answered in a hurry. Several of them provide useful phone
lines as well, adding a human element to a sometimes confusing
process. You may also discover some pest control services that
give you considerable choice in the kind of chemicals and
approaches you prefer to use.
The Web has made it easier than ever to retain pest control
services whose own credentials and experience meet your needs.
Do some online research and check in with other homeowners in
your area if you want to learn more about the sort of cost,
timelines and inconvenience you can expect for this kind of
project. You'll be glad you did some legwork before the pros
arrived. |
