Pest Free Home

All bugs have a purpose in life but they are never welcome inside your home. Summer means an increase in the bug and pest population and usually this leads to an unwelcome invasion. There are many effective chemical controls readily available from Mitre 10 stores to help you with keeping your home pest and bug free.

Barrier sprays are designed for easy application around the home and they are a popular method to give you long-term control. Especially good for flies, spiders, ants, cockroaches and mosquitoes, they can be purchased in a concentrate, which is then mixed with water for use in a sprayer or as a ready-to-use spray. Barrier sprays work by creating a film of insecticide on the surface you spray and, depending on where you apply the spray and its exposure to sunlight, they can last up to six months. It won’t stain your paintwork or leave a bad smell, so is fine to use along skirting boards and windowsills. Whether you use a ready-mixed product or mix your own, spend some time preparing the areas where you will apply the spray.

• Wash or brush down the house to remove existing cobwebs (allow drying time before applying the spray).
• When you are ready to spray, make sure the weather is calm; spraying in windy conditions can beineffective.
• Pay particular attention to areas where flying bugs land or build nests such as light fittings, pipes, out door furniture and around window and door frames.
• You can also use these sprays as a perimeter defense by spraying close to the foundations of your house.
• Whitetail spiders like dark places and will often use the void in your roof to hide and build their nests. Spray under the eaves and use a bug bomb in the roof space if they persist.

Fumigators or bombs produce a vapour that moves uniformly through the room getting into all the cracks and crevices. It is a blanket approach to all insects within the home. Bombs provide a knockdown effect and are the first line of defence when you have an infestation problem or want to do a quick clean up with no fuss. It is recommended that you do stay vigilant after using fumigators or bombs, as you still may need to lay baits or use barrier sprays.

Traps come in a variety of forms and they are effective at eradicating the source of your infestation. Encouraging ants to take a poison back to their colony is a proven way to stop ants in their tracks. Simply follow their trails and place the poison where they are most likely to run across it. Traps are also effective against cockroaches and by placing sticky traps in the places that they hide will get results. Ideal areas are under your stove, fridge, washing machine, sink and in your drains. These traps are non-toxic and work by trapping the roach on sticky paper.

A few simple practices can also minimise bugs choosing your home:

• Leaving containers around the garden with water in them provides a breeding spot for mosquitoes, as the larvae will develop in the water, make sure these breeding spots are dry and clean.
• Reduce fly populations by covering your compost bin.
• Refrain from putting animal fats or meat into the compost bin.
• When using a wasp killer, always use them in the evening when all the wasps are in the nest.
• Wash your recycle bins with warm soapy water and bleach.

 
Bugs need to be kept out of your home but it is important to remember that all chemicals are dangerous and if you have little ones in the house, it is especially important to keep them out of reach. Use common sense and keep your family safe from harm; poisoning in New Zealand homes is more common than it should be.

Spraying safely

• Always read and follow the manufacturer's instructions.
• Sprays are only to be used where recommended.
• Bug sprays are not for use on your vegetable crops.
• Mixing chemicals together is dangerous and should be avoided.
• Keep a set of mixing and measuring tools just for mixing chemicals to avoid contamination.
• Chemicals must be stored safely away from children.
• Wear protective clothing, gloves, protective glasses and a respiratory mask when spraying and mixing chemicals.