Getting rid of small insects in your home requires a comprehensive approach that includes both preventive measures and active pest control. Here are the main steps and methods to help you with this.
1. Identify the Type of Insect and the Source of the Problem
First, you need to understand what you're dealing with, as control methods can vary depending on the type of insect. The most common pests found in apartments and houses are:
- Ants: Attracted to leftover food.
- Cockroaches: Appear in places with access to food and water and can indicate hygiene issues.
- Gnats (fruit flies): Often appear in the kitchen, attracted to overripe fruits and vegetables.
- Bed bugs: Can be brought in on furniture or clothing. They are the most difficult to eliminate.
- Woodlice and silverfish: Prefer damp places, such as bathrooms.
- Booklice (psocids): Small insects, 1-2 mm in size, that feed on organic debris, mold, and paste. They are attracted to high humidity, as well as the smell of paint, wallpaper paste, and construction materials in new buildings.
Insects can enter the home through windows, vents, cracks in walls, on store-bought items, in library books, or on pet fur.
2. Prevention Is the Best Defense
Maintaining cleanliness and order is key to preventing insects from appearing.
- Eliminate food sources: Store food, especially dry goods, in airtight containers. Don't leave food and crumbs on tables, clean up after pets regularly, and take out the trash in a timely manner.
- Cut off access to water: Fix leaky faucets and keep sinks and bathrooms dry. Maintain indoor humidity at no more than 50%.
- Block entry points: Install screens on windows and vents. Seal cracks in baseboards, walls, and floors.
- Regular cleaning: Ventilate rooms frequently and clean thoroughly, clearing out clutter from old belongings and books.
3. Folk and Natural Remedies
For a minor infestation or as an additional measure, you can use natural repellents.
- Essential oils: Oils like lavender, mint, eucalyptus, citrus, and pine can repel various insects. Use them in diffusers or apply them to cotton balls and place them where pests congregate.
- Boric acid: Effective against cockroaches and ants. Mix it with egg yolk and sugar to create poison baits.
- Vinegar and ammonia: A solution of vinegar or ammonia with water can be used to wash floors and surfaces to repel cockroaches and ants.
- Herbs: Placing bay leaves in cupboards with grains will deter ants.
4. Traps
Traps help reduce the insect population but don't always eliminate it completely.
- Sticky traps: Effective against cockroaches and ants.
- DIY traps:
- For cockroaches and ants: Coat the inside walls of a jar with vegetable oil and place bait (sugar, honey) at the bottom. The insects won't be able to climb out.
- For gnats: Place a paper funnel into a container with bait (a sweet drink, fruit pieces). The gnats will fly in but won't be able to get out.
5. Chemical Solutions (Insecticides)
If natural remedies and traps don't work, you can turn to insecticides.
- Aerosols: Provide a quick effect but require caution. Treatment should be performed without people or animals present, after which the room must be thoroughly ventilated and cleaned. Broad-spectrum insecticides can be used against pests like booklice.
- Gels and pastes: Considered safer and are applied in places inaccessible to children and pets.
- Chalk: Used to draw barriers around vents and baseboards. It is toxic and requires wearing gloves.
- Fumigators: Effective against mosquitoes and flies, and can also help with booklice in the early stages of an infestation.
- Steam generator: Treating surfaces with hot steam can be effective against some types of insects, including booklice.
6. When to Call Professionals
If you can't manage the insect infestation on your own, especially with bed bugs, or if the problem keeps returning, it's recommended to contact a professional pest control service. Specialists use professional-grade products and equipment that are not available in regular stores and can offer a guarantee for their work.