There are three pests which can cause havoc in and around your house and managing or controlling will be a big task. Cockroaches, rats and lizards are such pests which can cause many a thing simultaneously.
Cockroaches
These insects come in various types and can be harmful to humans. They can entry your house from almost any small crack, pipes, drains, sewer, toilet, vents, boxes, grocery, and purses. Once inside they will find a place where it’s warm and food lying around builds their nest and dwell as long as you don’t get rid of them. They even reproduce at an alarming rate and capture your house. They are usually out of their hiding during night because of being nocturnal by nature and if visible during day that means their population have increased. Eggs of cockroaches are quite strong and cannot be destroyed just by merely spraying insecticides.
Cockroaches can be controlled as mentioned.
Clean: Maintain cleanliness in the house. Do not throw any food items, even a small amount of food is sufficient for the cockroaches to dwell upon.
Tidy: Keep everything neat and tidy. A messy place can be a breeding ground for the cockroaches. So keep all the things in proper places.
Dry: Try to keep the house dry. A moist place gives birth to germs and other things upon which the cockroaches breed. Remove excess water from the places where not required.
Soapy: Do not leave dinner plates in sink over night. Keep them in a tub and cover with soap water. Cockroaches stay away from soap water.
Hygienic: Maintaining hygiene in house is very much required to avoid any pest from building a nest. Keeping things dirty and not maintaining hygiene invites unwanted guest who make the house filthier and breed up germs and other small creatures. Use a floor cleaner on daily basis to avoid germs and cockroaches from roaming around on the kitchen floor and other rooms too.
Rat
This nocturnal animal can cause danger to humans as well as property, from spreading killer diseases like plague to damaging the construction and even causing fire at many places. Rats grow very fast in population and can seize the entire house if not controlled in time. In case of rat menace, calling the experts is advisable else, control is possible in limited way and if done properly major problems can be avoided.
Harmful diseases caused by rats:
- Leptospirosis: Damages liver and kidney. Caused by consuming contaminated water.
- Salmonella: Food or water contaminated with rat feces.
- Plague:Fleas which reside on rat blood and come in contact with humans, causes plague.
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Hantavirus:Can be caused due to rat bite, or dust containing rat urine or droppings is inhaled by humans or by touching rat feces.
Diseases caused by rats can be prevented by using simple measures
- Regular maintenance of pipe leakage, sheds, drain covers.
- Maintenance of gardens and yards by removing all debris, compost heaps and keeping gardens clean.
- Food should not be left in the kitchen at night.
- Dustbins should be closed tightly.
- Don’t keep car or other vehicles unattended for days together.
- Try to dig a trench around the house as if you are skirting the house and bury broken glass pieces, It makes digging difficult for rats because they don’t like glass pieces which when swallowed by then causes death.
- Keep a white rat domesticated in house; they say that rats don’t visit a place where white rats reside.
- AC ducts and false ceiling should be regularly supervised for this uninvited guest
Lizards
A dirty kitchen, food lying around unattended, this is the breeding ground for the insects and in turn their predator the lizard. Dark places behind the cupboard and furniture are the places ideal for lizards to stay.
Simple home remedies for keeping the lizard at bay are as follows
- Coffee and Tobacco: A deadly combination for eliminating lizards. Mixture of these two items when consumed by lizard kills them.
- Garlic: Keeping garlic cloves in window and doors keeps the lizards away.
- Onion: Hanging onions in the house near doors and windows makes the lizards go away.
- Naphthalene Balls: They keep all types of insects and bugs away.
- Cold water: splashing cold water on lizards make them immobile for a while and they can be caught easily.
- Bird feathers: Lizards are very much afraid of bird feathers and stay away from the places where they see bird feathers.
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