How to Deal With Insects and Pests at Home

No one likes to share their living spaces with bugs, insects and pests. They are worse than having a bad roommate. Unfortunately, in Hong Kong, especially in the summers, you are more likely to have an encounter with the creepy crawlies than with an intolerable roommate.

The only way to deal with them is to develop the right defense. Here’s how.

1. Cockroaches: These haunters of the night have a high resistance against any type of smashing. Their strong genetic makeup makes them resistant to many chemicals. So if your house becomes a home for the cockroaches then
   1. Get your house professionally sprayed
   2. Keep the house clean
   3. Cover all open spaces and open drains
   4. Don’t keep garbage indoor overnight
2. Termites: Summer is the happy season of the termites because that is when they mate. If you spot a termite infestation at your home then
   1. Get it cleaned by the professionals
   2. Use specially designed chemical treatments which dry to form an invisible barrier against the termites
   3. Use bait boxes which use an ingeniously formulated cellulose base which is impregnated with chemicals. The termites feed off it then pass the chemicals on to the rest of the colony, killing them off.
3. Ants: One ant, two ants, ten ants you can handle but when it comes to an army of ants it becomes impossible to deal with them. To get rid of ants you must
   1. Keep spraying pesticides on a regular basis
   2. Reset the traps regularly
4. Mosquitoes: These tiny winged creates are an example of how big shocks come in small packages. To get rid of these irritating and at times deadly vectors you need to
   1. Regularly check plant pots, blocked drains on balconies and stagnant water on roofs
   2. Use chemicals to kill larvae in ponds
   3. Set up light traps
5. Bedbugs: Bedbug bites have become increasingly common due to the rise in global travel. To avoid them
   1. Avoid leaving your luggage open on the ground
   2. Make use of elevated shelves and cupboards instead.
6. Mold: Although they’re not bugs they cause nuisance nonetheless. The hot and humid climate of Hong Kong is perfect for them to survive. To avoid them you must:
   1. Make sure that your house is properly ventilated with no chances of humidity
   2. Keep your house clean
   3. Clean the filters in your air conditioner regularly as they can become a fertile breeding ground for mold.