So you went into the kitchen to have a bite, but instead of your snack, you found crumbs and insects that began to scatter? Congratulations, there’s an entertaining battle waiting for you!
Insects aren’t easy to get rid of, especially in a dorm. They usually live in the kitchen where there is leftover food and spilled water. Basically, this is what attracts insects. Surely, it’s best to fight them together with your neighbors, as otherwise poisoning and allergies can await you all.
But you will definitely avoid such consequences if you use the right strategies we’ve collected below. As a busy student (there’s always an opportunity to pay for college papers to help save time), arm yourself with paper and a pen, and write down tips that suit you best. No doubt, with a responsible approach, you will surely prevent pests from appearing in your dorm!
How To Avoid Insects?
Domestic cockroaches are comfortable in warm places, so all equipment with heating elements, such as a cooker, a washing machine, and a microwave oven, fall into the risk zone. Turn off these devices when you aren’t using them and leave the windows open for ventilation in cool weather;
Be careful with the food you leave – insects adore it. For example, they are satisfied with the remaining crumbs at the table. Plus, open garbage bags or cereal scattered in the kitchen drawer are simply perfect for these creatures. So what can you do? Store products in packages so that cockroaches can’t smell them. Next, remove all leftover food and crumbs from kitchen surfaces;
Don’t leave spilled water. Therefore, a leaky shower stall can result in great problems later. Insects can’t live without water as for them, the presence of moisture is more important than food. It’s best to dry areas such as sinks, pipes, and the fridge every day. Keep insects away from any source of moisture;
Talk to your neighbors. If they leave food and water everywhere, then you need to seal your room, that is, to eliminate cracks. Otherwise, insects from their apartment will easily enter yours;
If you live in an apartment building, take on disinfection measures together with your neighbors. Carry out pest control at the same time. Otherwise, the insects from another floor will enter your clean apartment again and again;
Even if you’re super focused during your studies and other activities, maintain order at home. One tidying a month isn’t enough to kill the pests. Thus, you must do pest control on a regular basis. The food has to be stored in airtight containers, the crumbs must be removed from the table, and places, where your pets eat, must be tidied thoroughly. Also, your kitchen drawers should be free of spilled cereals. Wash the dishes once you finish eating, and never store the food leftovers in open places.
Fix leaks timely. Insects can live without food for weeks, but they can’t live a day without water. Therefore, check potentially dangerous places for leaks. By that, we mean a toilet bowl, sinks, and pipe joints. In addition, don’t forget to dry the surfaces in the bathroom.
Repair cracks in the walls, ceiling, and room corners. Make sure they are all patched up. As for the ventilation holes, there must be a special mesh to stop the insects. Also, take out the trash, and don’t keep trash bags at the front door.
How To Know Insects Are Already In Your House?
- Black dots. If small dark dots appeared on the dishes, kitchen shelves, and walls, then they were left by insects;
- Unpleasant smell in corners. This means that insects left offspring. First, the main pests are destroyed, then their offspring, of course;
- A personal “meeting.” You will simply see them in your apartment.
What To Do If Insects Have Already Infiltrated Your Home?
- Boric acid is the strongest poison for cockroaches and other insects. When it gets inside the pest, its nervous system is affected at once. This is how the insect gets paralyzed and quickly dies of suffocation. It’s best to buy boric acid in powder form. Or you can make a simple bait: mix sugar or flour with the acid and make balls out of this mass. Spread them out wherever insects appear most often.
- Ammonia. It has a smell that cockroaches can’t stand. Therefore, they don’t live on the premises treated with this substance. Add ammonia to your water to clean shelves, ceilings, and floors to get rid of insects;
- Freezing. Many insects stop multiplying and are weakened at temperatures below +7 °C. However, this method can only be applied in winter, preferably in a hard frost. It is enough just to leave the windows wide open for a day or two;
- Chemicals. The market is rich in specialized products: from sprays and crayons to nanotechnology lamps and traps. The main thing when working with such things is to carefully follow the instructions and don’t forget about gloves and a protective mask. Sprinkle the powder where insects appear most often: along baseboards or by the toilet, sink, and shower cabin. It will get on the insect’s legs, and the poison will enter the stomach once it begins to clean them;
To Wrap It Up
It is quite logical that insects must live in nature, but not in an apartment. Since these creatures pose a real threat to human health, including the mental state. But it is worth knowing how to protect yourself from insects without harming your own health.
Of course, treating an apartment with chemicals is really effective. But these products can be unsafe for us and our pets. Therefore, the above-mentioned tips will certainly work for you.