How to rid your home of those irritating pests

Pest exterminators applying termicide to a termite nest. The pests are common in the country and can damage things made of wood. PHOTO | LUKORITO JONES

What you need to know:

  • Several trees in McKinley’s compound had shown signs of wilting and upon close inspection, he discovered that moles had attacked his plants, chewing the roots off them.
  • The experts put tablets into the mole-holes, explaining that the tablets would dissipate a poisonous gas that would kill the rodents.
  • “For snakes, we usually apply a special chemical all round the compound. It attracts the snakes but kills them upon contact,” Ms Kirui explained.

Pests are  a total nuisance when they invade your home. They eat your food,  damage your furniture and electronics, cause your house to smell and give you sleepless nights by creating chaos  in your kitchen at night. Some even bite, and generally, they    are an embarrassment.

 “Pests are not just  annoying but can pose serious health problems as well,” says Ms Nancy Kirui, a professional pest exterminator in Nairobi. “They can transmit  hundreds of diseases, harm humans and pets, and damage your home and belongings.”

For businesses, even a single pest can translate into a serious loss of revenue. This is because, most people,  especially those in urban areas, associate them with low cleanliness standards. “A single pest found in a business can bring it to its knees. It does not matter whether it’s a wasp, cockroach, a house fly or worse still, a rat. Whether you’re a five-star restaurant, a shopping centre, supermarket or school, you cannot risk the perception associated with having pests in your premises,” she says.

MOSQUITOES

Mr Adams McKinley, a businessman living in Nairobi’s Runda Estate, had trouble with mosquitoes, moles and termites that invaded his expansive lawn. Since mosquitoes are known to transmit diseases such as malaria and dengue fever, they were Mr McKinley’s biggest worry. He sought help from Intex Pest Ltd, a firm based in Nairobi. 

“We advise our clients not to spray their compound and hedges for mosquitoes during the rainy season. This is because when it precipitates, the rainwater washes away most of the chemicals applied, making them less effective,” the company’s CEO, Mr Job Naibei, says

Mr Naibei further advises that, when fumigating your compound, it is better if you get your neighbours to also fumigate theirs.

TERMITES

Ms Kirui points out that termites are found in most parts of Kenya but fortunately, they do not pose a risk to most homeowners. However, they can cause irreversible structural damage to buildings that is often discovered when it is too late.

“Homeowners with wooden floors are the most affected. We have also come across situations where home owners have had to to replace entire roof structures because of a termite infestation,” says Ms Kirui.

Fortunately for McKinley, the termites had not invaded his house yet. However, they were an eye-sore on his perfectly manicured lawn and he wanted them out.

Mr Naibei and his team applied a solution of termicides (pesticides used for the prevention or treatment of termite infestations) to the termite nest, which got rid of them.

MOLES AND SNAKES

Several trees in McKinley’s compound had shown signs of wilting and upon close inspection, he discovered that moles had attacked his plants, chewing the roots off them. The experts put tablets into the mole-holes, explaining that the tablets would dissipate a poisonous gas that would kill the rodents.

“For snakes, we usually apply a special chemical all round the compound. It attracts the snakes but kills them upon contact,” Ms Kirui explained.

COCKROACHES

If you have been trying to eliminate cockroaches for a long time without success, Mr Naibei says, it might be because they have developed resistance to the chemicals you are using.

“Most of the chalks and powders sold on the market are no longer effective,” he says. Cockroaches eat almost anything and contaminate food with their waste and pungent secretions. Once cockroaches enter a place, they reproduce at an alarming rate, making it difficult to get rid of them.  Often, homeowners have no option but to call in pest-control companies.

RATS

Mr Naibei says rats can be easily eliminated using a variety of methods, ranging from poison-laced baits to glue and mechanical traps. However, one needs to know that rats are highly intelligent. They often reject food from unfamiliar sources, suspecting it to be poison. In some cases, one rat will eat the bait and if it dies, the rest  will avoid the food.

To beat rats at their own game, Mr Naibei advises, you should introduce non-poisoned bait for three consecutive days. Only introduce the poison when the rats have learnt to trust the food. Also ensure that all water sources are shut because rats are known to drink water to counteract the effect of poison.