Rid your home of pests and rodents effectively

It is not uncommon to find pests and rodents in most homes and if left unattended to, they can become a great health risk as well as destroy foodstuff and properties in the home. It would be almost impossible to totally rid a house of these pests but it is very possible to reduce them to the barest minimum and you would not only be doing yourself a favour financially, you would also be protecting your health as these vermin tend to carry and transmit a lot of diseases.

Take for example rodents. We see them everywhere and they tend to thrive in dirty, dark environments. They are not only very destructive but transmit fatal illnesses such as Lassa fever and bubonic plague. They also smell and make the home generally uncomfortable. A lot of us tend to overlook pests and rodents as ënormal Nigerian home problemsí but this is not true. It is not normal for these creatures to eat and live with you or be in the same space as you are.

So how to tackle this problem? We have put together a few tips that will guide you in effectively eliminating these creatures once and for all.

Plug every leak: Why most of our elimination techniques have been ineffective is because we donít tackle the source. If you kill the ones that have found a way in, the rest would come in, still, through the same leak. The first question to ask is: where are they coming from? These little animals did not just appear in your house. They may be coming from the drainage or sewage, holes in the walls created for electrical wiring, cracks in doors and windows, the dustbin area or holes in the roofing. Find that leak and block it.

Wash dirty dishes nightly: As long as thereís something exposed for the rodents to eat, they will gladly eat. Donít leave†your dirty dishes overnight, or leave your kitchen counter littered with food particles. Youíll just be setting a late night banquet for rats and cockroaches to feast on when you are asleep. Make a rule in your house: dirty dishes must be washed every night before everybody retires for the night. And ensure everyone keeps that rule.

Take the trash out daily: vermin live for garbage. A refuse bag filled with an assorted mix of different kinds of food is a treat in disguise. As long as your dustbin is filled with food particles and, worse, left overnight in your kitchen, youíve unwittingly left behind dinner for them to eat. At the end of each day your dustbin should be emptied, especially when youíve disposed highly perishable food in them. Line your dustbin with a plastic trash bag and close the lid tightly shut when not in use. At the end of the day, tie up the bag, and dispose.

Store consumables in airtight containers: pour everything into an airtight plastic container. You may also need to store food in plastic sachets and cartons in airtight boxes. To make your kitchen even more attractive, get matching containers and label them neatly with the contents within: beans, rice, garri, etc.

Traps: this is tricky, as the rats seem to have mastered traps and gum these days. Poison does the job but some rats eat the poisoned food and go and die in an unreachable place, leaving you with a terrible odour around the house, sending you on a dead-mouse hunt.

Clear surroundings regularly: Rats love to hide in stuffy places. Garages full of used materials, surroundings with overgrown grasses, and even stores over loaded with provisions. Clean out your store, cut down the grasses around the house, keep the outdoor garbage bin tightly shut. If everywhere is clean and clear, and dirt-free, thereíd be no hiding place for these pests.

Fumigation: This is the last resort. When youíve done everything and youíre still plagued by pests, it may be time to consider pest control.