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The
adult bug is brown and about 3.5 mm long. They feed on
blood, they have a needle sharp bite which pierces the
skin of a sleeping human or other warm blooded animal.
After it has finished feeding, the swollen bug will then
crawl away to its' hiding place to digest its' meal. You
may also find them under loose wallpaper or in crevices
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Remedy:
Try to avoid them in the first place, good cleaning and using
clean bed linen will reduce the chances of an infestation.
If you have an infestation, you will need to have the premises,
clothing and bedding sprayed with an insecticide spray.
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The
common garden (flying) ant is black, about 3-4 mm long
and usually lives in outdoor or underfloor nests. Swarms
of short-lived flying ants emerge to mate in August. Although
garden ants are a nuisance, they are not significant disease
carriers. Pharaoh Ants are reddish in colour and about
2 mm long. They are fairly common in flats and hotels
and spread disease from drains to food. They nest within
the building structure and may well be hard to get at.
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Remedy:
Find the nest entrance and pour boiling water over the nest
site. Then apply an insecticide powder. An insecticide lacquer
can be applied around door thresholds or wall/floor junctions
where ants run. Ant Bait work so that the ant takes the bait
back to the nest, killing the whole colony after a few days;
lay in along where ants run.
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| Common
Wasps and German Wasps |
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Around
10-20 mm long. The queen wasp is larger and hibernates
over winter, making a new nest in the spring in which
she lays her eggs. If annoyed or threatened, wasps will
sting. They can come into the house where they are attracted
to sweet things (jams, fruit etc.).
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Remedy:
You can fit screens over windows if wasps are a major problem.
Individual wasps can be killed with a fly-killer aerosol. The
old-fashioned method of filling ajar one-third full with jam
and water, covered by a punctured paper lid will drown them.
If you find a wasps nest in a wall or bank, and are brave, apply
a powder insecticide product from a puffer pack labelled for
wasp nest control. Thoroughly spray nests in roofs or sheds
with an insecticide. This can be dangerous as the wasps can
become angry and attack any animal (including humans) in the
area and is best performed by professionals.
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Distinguished
by their very long, whip-like antennae, flat oval bodies
and rapid jerky movements. The adult German cockroach
is brown and about 12 mm long, the Common or Oriental
cockroach is about 20 mm long. They eat all kinds of food
- meat, vegetables, fruit, bread, even paper and leather.
Cockroaches thrive around heating ducts and boiler rooms
of large centrally heated buildings and cluster around
pipes, stoves and sinks, especially in humid areas. They
taint food with an obnoxious smell and may be carriers
of various diseases, including serious food poisoning.
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Remedy:
Control is seldom easy because it is difficult to get the insecticide
to the insect. The insecticide should have sufficient persistence
to kill baby cockroaches as they hatch. |
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The
majority of psocids are outdoor species with well developed
wings. They are most commonly found on bark or foliage
of trees and shrubs. These psocids are frequently called
"barklice." Most of the species found in buildings are
wingless. Because they are often found among books or
papers, they are called booklice. The term "lice" in the
names is somewhat misleading because none of these insects
are parasites and few of them have a louselike appearance.
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Remedy:
Reduction of moisture to eliminate formation of mold is a very
effective method for controlling booklice. Infested furniture,
bedding, or other movable furnishings should be thoroughly cleaned
and aired. Clean up spilled food products and keep all stored
products tightly sealed. If an insecticide is required, apply
a spot treatment according to label directions. |
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There are various diffrent species of fleas, which feed
on various mammal and birds, and all are of similar appearance.
The most common ones to be found in houses are the cat
and dog fleas. Adult fleas are approx. 2 to 5mm long and
are flattened from side to side, the opposite way to bedbugs.
They have long legs that enable them to jump vertically
to heights of 10 to 18 inches. They vary in colour from
dark grey through to dark mahogany. Fleas seem nore likely
to be a source of irritation today.
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Remedy
Good housekeeping can drastically reduce the risk of flea
infestations. The pets basket, bedding or favourite chair
should be thoroughly vacuum cleaned. Have your infested pet
treated by your vet and ask about diffrent methods and products.
Blanket or other materials heavily infested could be destroyed,
or washed thoroughly.
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