How to eliminate rats in an apartment society?

Rats are one of the most destructive pests and they carry diseases which are easily transmitted to humans. Since a rat’s teeth grows continuously throughout its life, it tends to gnaw at everything to avoid having longer teeth which can grow more than its body. In fact studies have proved that rats have teeth and jaws which can destruct even lead!

Rats eat almost everything. They transmit diseases through parasites to humans as well as house pets. They can survive in different climatic conditions and dwell in filthy places.

How to track the rat menace in an apartment society?

A rat menace in an apartment society can be identified by finding the entry points. If you have large number of rats in your community, have an annual maintenance contract with the pest control companies. They will help you get rid of the rat menace and makes your apartment rodent free.

What are the methods to control rats in an apartment society?

 

Rat traps/baits:

These are the traditional methods to get rid of rats. A snap trap is used to lure the rodent through baits like peanuts, coconut, cheese and other eatables. Once the rat is trapped inside a snap trap, it can be left outside in the open or killed easily. Baits and snap traps are available in various shapes and sizes as per the rodent’s size. The snap trap technique is also eco-friendly and does not require any harmful chemicals.  Simple modern techniques like rat glue boards which can be installed to trap the mouse can be used. Although the rat glue boards are quite effective but there should be proper procedures carried out to prevent reinfestation with more than three rat glue boards in different places. Trapping techniques will be effective if traps are left unset so that the rodents get used to their presence. This will let the rat to investigate the trap without fear resulting in an effective capture.

Electronic traps:

This is the contemporary trap for killing rats. This trap kill the rats through a high voltage shock in a closed container without having to view the remains. A light on the trap indicates that a rat is trapped and one can easily dispose the rodent away.  Electronic traps have their own pros and cons that they zap the mice population away quickly better than the mice traps and that they are quite expensive when compared to other traps. However, there are also non electric traps available which should be disposed away with the mice.

Rodenticides:

They are poisonous pesticides used to kill rats.  They are effective for a large number of rodent population but can be quite dangerous for humans. Rodenticides are available in various retail stores.  Unless you have a large number of rat population, do not use rodenticides and instead use rat traps.

Points to remember:

It is mandatory that you read all the instructions before using any pesticides and chemicals to kill rats.

Tips to control roaches the natural way

Cockroach infestations in apartments are seldom a rare sight. Be it a bathroom or a kitchen, the roaches are on a regular prowl for grub day and night. Most of us fear the use of harmful chemicals to kill roaches, as they can have adverse effects on children, pets and even adults. So a natural way to kill them would be more safe. Here is a list of natural proven alternative strategies.

Few important pointers to keep the roaches away:

 

- Always keep your house clean.

- Wipe off the counters and areas in your kitchen.

- Avoid dropping even morsels of grub in your home.

- Always keep the grub tightly closed.

- Keep your sink always dry as roaches love water. Ensure that you do not have any leaks or spills.

- Caulk the roach infested areas regularly.

- Always keep your unwashed dishes in soapy water as roaches detest soap

Go organic with a gecko:

One of the most effective ways to control cockroach infestations is to get a pair of geckos (long tongued lizard). Set them free in your cockroach infested home as geckos are natural cockroach predators who can eradicate the infestation. A gecko in your home can serve you as a cockroach hunter as well as a pet. Geckos can get rid of the cockroach infestation in less than a week.

Mixture of baking soda and sugar:

Since roaches have higher acid content within their stomach, the ingestion of the mixture of baking soda and sugar will create a subsequent reaction resulting in their death.

Non-toxic bait:

Baking soda is one of the effective natural chemical which can kill the roaches. A ball of dough mixed with baking soda, minced onions, sugar, flour and bacon grease to lure the roaches. This bait will help in killing the roaches.

A boric acid mixture:

You can simply spread a layer of boric acid in cockroach infested areas. Once the cockroaches start moving on the acid layered area, the chemical tends to kill them eventually. Boric acid bait can also be made to kill them. Ensure to keep the bait away from pets and children.

Spray with essential oils:

Another method to control cockroaches is to fill bottles with soapy water or oils like Tea tree oil, Rosemary oil and Citronella oil to spray on the roaches. A cockroach sprayed with these mixtures will die of suffocation.

Prevention of Termites in your Home

Are you frustrated with your house being eaten away by termites?  If yes, then read further and get to know some interesting facts about these wood eating insects. Termites are nothing but wood destroying insects which will eat away your home and building. Usually termites are considered as white ants. But the truth is termites are nearer to the cockroach family.

Termites’ mainly feed on Wood.  Their food also includes wood products, grass, tree barks and any material containing cellulose. Termites need protein and carbohydrates in their food, and this is obviously provided by the decayed wood. Termites love to live in complete darkness and it is not easy to find termites and you may see them after most of the damages are done.

Termites are the biggest disaster for wood based buildings. Even People who do not live in wooden houses also face termites’ problem. Guess how. Since Termites are fond of Wood, they eat away the furniture at home. So, wherever we are, in whichever country we live, termite infestation is possible.

So how to prevent this termite infestation

• Keep your home under check.  Though we check our home for infestations, only a professional can give assurance. Every home and building needs a professional check for the infestations at least once in a year.
• Termites cannot live without moisture. Like other creatures, they depend on water for survival. So do not leave any sort of moisture in your building. The broken pipes and other moist areas provide them a perfect environment to grow.
• Ensure that the attic and other isolated areas are clean and dry without moisture. And good ventilation does not favor the termites easily.
• No more holes or cracks in the building. This provides them an easy way to enter the building and eat away your place. So, repair all the cracks and gaps in the building.
• Soil and wood are highly important for the termites for migrating into a building. Reduce the contact between soil and wood. No more old wooden logs in your garden and attic.
• Have some space between your garden and home. Thick bushes close to your house are easy targets for these creatures.

Signs of termites in your home

• When you tap the wood, if it sounds hollow, there is a possibility that the termites would have eaten away the wood from inside. The reason is usually termites prefer darker places which are not easily seen by us.
• Mud tubes on the wall and other surface, which is clearly seen by human. The purpose of these mud tubes is protection and also to maintain the temperature suitable for them.
• If a building is infested by termites, audible noise is can be heard particularly in the night time.  This is caused by the termites giving signal to the other termites in the colony
• Small big mounts can be found in many places like stairs, walls, windows and doors.

If you find any of the above symptoms in your place, it is high time to take the following steps.

• Contact a professional Pest Control Company who is licensed to do anti termite treatment.
• Get your house inspected for termite infestations with most modern equipments like Termatrac T3i.
• Adopt a warranted Termite treatment for your house/property if infested as a curative method and if not infested as a preventive method.

How to prevent mold in your home?

A mold is a kind of fungus in which the nature break organic matter down so new life can emerge. It can grow in any place such as on carpet, clothing, food, paper, backside of drywall, areas inside walls around leaking or condensing pipes, and above ceiling tiles. Moisture is the main reason behind the mold. It cannot be destroyed, but it can be prevented. Following are some of the ways in which mold can be prevented from growing in your home.

Prevent Moisture to Prevent Mold
Moisture is the main food for mold to grow. Therefore, always try to avoid moisture in your home.

Prevent Water Leaks to Prevent Mold
Many things of which water leakage is one of them that causes moisture in the home. Leaking roofs or walls, leaking pipes and leaking taps or a leaking shower lead to growth of mold in your home. So always, fix the leakages immediately to prevent the mold.

Prevent Condensation to Prevent Mold
You can prevent mold by preventing the formation of condensation on metal pipes, concrete walls, water tanks, and windows. When water vapor in the air-cools and becomes liquid, condensation is formed which causes moisture leading to mold. You can prevent the formation of condensation by keeping the rooms at warmer temperature or keeping the humidity low.

Prevent Mold by increasing airflow in your home
The one best way to prevent mold is to keep the humidity in rooms at lower levels. The humidity in rooms can be lowered through ventilation. When it is hot outside always open the windows, as the humidity will be lower outside. When it is raining always, close the windows to avoid formation of moisture in the rooms. Another way to reduce humidity especially in the kitchen and bathroom is to use exhaust fans.

Prevent Mold by drying your clothes
Another way to prevent the formation of mold is to dry your clothes immediately after washing it. Wet clothes will cause moisture if left for a long time. So always, dry your clothes outside on a clothesline or in clothes dryer inside your home. However, make sure that in either case the room where you are drying your clothes is well ventilated.

Prevent Mold by keeping mold off household plants
The household plants are beautiful and help to keep your indoor air clean. When you give water to the houseplants always try to add a bit of Taheebo tea, which is a medicinal tea with anti-fungal properties, to the water to prevent mold growth in the plant soil.

Thus, mold cannot be destroyed, but it can be prevented by the above-mentioned ways to some extend.

Best practice to prevent dengue in your apartment neighborhood

As the saying goes “Prevention is better than cure”, people living in apartments need to take some precautions to prevent dengue in their neighborhood. Dengue fever is a life threatening virus infection. The Aedes mosquito carries the dengue virus. These mosquitoes breed in stagnant water easily found in and near your house. To prevent dengue, it is important to first prevent breeding of these mosquitoes.

Here are a few guidelines to prevent these mosquitoes from breeding in your home and neighborhood:

How to prevent mosquitoes in your Home?

• Turn over all vessels, water containers, pails and cups and store them under cover.
• Change water in the vases every alternate day. While watering, add sand granular insecticides.
• Remove water from pot plates and keep them clean.
• Install anti-mosquito valves in gully trap. Cover gully traps which are rarely used.
• Clear leaves and stagnant water clogging the drains and gutters. Put insecticide in them at least once a month.
• Do not put any tray beneath or on top of any air-conditioning unit. Clear any stagnant water in the unit.
• Keep toilet bowls covered.

Preventing mosquitoes in your Neighborhood

Water stored in tanks should be chlorinated to prevent breeding of mosquitoes. The lid should be tight to prevent mosquitoes from entering in the tank.
Garbage and discarded items should be collected and disposed of regularly, as any water collected amidst garbage may lead to mosquito breeding.
Plant such trees in the premises that emits natural gases and components which mosquitoes despise like Neem. These plants are also have beneficial effect on the environment.
Sewage and drainage system must be properly covered all the time.
Fogging is also an effective technique to get rid of mosquitoes and prevent their breeding in your home and neighborhood.
If there is any regular stagnant water structure in your neighborhood like a fountain, add sand granular insecticide to all such structures regularly.
Spread awareness among all the residents regarding the risk factors and preventive measures to be taken in their house and compound.

Prevent Mosquito Bites:

Apart from these precautions, it is important to prevent Mosquito Bites:
Wear full sleeves clothes, socks etc. to prevent mosquito from biting.
Use mosquito repellent cream on exposed body parts.
Use mosquito coils, electronic mats and nets in your home to prevent mosquitoes from entering.

How to Prevent Termites in your House ?

Are you frustrated with your house being eaten away by termites?  If yes, then read further and get to know some interesting facts about these wood eating insects. Termites are nothing but wood destroying insects which will eat away your home and building. Usually termites are considered as white ants. But the truth is termites are nearer to the cockroach family.

Termites’ mainly feed on Wood.  Their food also includes wood products, grass, tree barks and any material containing cellulose. Termites need protein and carbohydrates in their food, and this is obviously provided by the decayed wood. Termites love to live in complete darkness and it is not easy to find termites and you may see them after most of the damages are done.

Termites are the biggest disaster for wood based buildings. Even People who do not live in wooden houses also face termites’ problem. Guess how. Since Termites are fond of Wood, they eat away the furniture at home. So, wherever we are, in whichever country we live, termite infestation is possible.

So how to prevent this termite infestation

• Keep your home under check.  Though we check our home for infestations, only a professional can give assurance. Every home and building needs a professional check for the infestations at least once in a year.
• Termites cannot live without moisture. Like other creatures, they depend on water for survival. So do not leave any sort of moisture in your building. The broken pipes and other moist areas provide them a perfect environment to grow.
• Ensure that the attic and other isolated areas are clean and dry without moisture. And good ventilation does not favor the termites easily.
• No more holes or cracks in the building. This provides them an easy way to enter the building and eat away your place. So, repair all the cracks and gaps in the building.
• Soil and wood are highly important for the termites for migrating into a building. Reduce the contact between soil and wood. No more old wooden logs in your garden and attic.
• Have some space between your garden and home. Thick bushes close to your house are easy targets for these creatures.

Signs of termites in your home

• When you tap the wood, if it sounds hollow, there is a possibility that the termites would have eaten away the wood from inside. The reason is usually termites prefer darker places which are not easily seen by us.
• Mud tubes on the wall and other surface, which is clearly seen by human. The purpose of these mud tubes is protection and also to maintain the temperature suitable for them.
• If a building is infested by termites, audible noise is can be heard particularly in the night time.  This is caused by the termites giving signal to the other termites in the colony
• Small big mounts can be found in many places like stairs, walls, windows and doors.

If you find any of the above symptoms in your place, it is high time to take the following steps.

• Contact a professional Pest Control Company who is licensed to do anti termite treatment.
• Get your house inspected for termite infestations with most modern equipments like Termatrac T3i.
• Adopt a warranted Termite treatment for your house/property if infested as a curative method and if not infested as a preventive method.

How to prevent cockroaches entering your home?

Cockroaches are one of the oldest and dangerous pest insects that are found in almost warm humid areas. They crawl over all over the dirtiest places carrying gems with them, which makes you sick. These pest insects reproduce faster than any other reproduces and are very good at hiding. These insects can enter into building in many ways through groceries, on our clothes, cardboard boxes, doors, cracks, holes, windows etc. This pest insect feed on human food and leave “scent trails” to attract others cockroaches. Therefore, it is very important to maintain cleanliness regularly to prevent cockroaches from entering or re-entering your house. Following are some of the basic home tips that can be followed to avoid these pests entering into the house.

• Always keep food material in an airtight container as any open lying food can easily attract cockroaches.
• Always keep all the shelves, drawers, and cabinets in your house painted and clean, as unclean places or cabinets are the favorite places for pests and cockroaches.
• Use tightly covered containers for garbage and always place them outside.
• Always clean the stovetop, tables, cabinets, drawers, plates etc.
• Always avoid keeping unwanted and unused clothes or furniture pieces at home.
• Avoid keeping utensils in the kitchen sink overnight. If possible, wash or rinse them right away before going to bed.
• Always clean and cover tightly the drains in kitchen sinks and bathroom.
• Always add phenoyl to water before swabbing the floor, as it will help to avoid pest like cockroaches, mosquitoes, and housefly.
• Immediately seal off any cracks in the bathroom pipes.
• Always wipe and clean your house, specially the corners of every room and spills immediately
• Discard old newspapers, magazines, and cardboard as this is one of the hiding places for cockroaches.
• Fix peeling wallpaper.
• Always clean the boxes and containers in your house and keep them free of dirt.

You can also use some non-toxic natural ways to prevent the cockroaches or kill them. Some of them are as follows:

• Mix baking soda with sugar in the same ratio and place water in a bottle cap near to the mixture, which gives out cockroach gas that will kill them by bursting their stomachs.
• Keep lemon grass in all your cupboards and self as these insects do not like its smell.
• Keeping bay leaves in cupboards and self will also keep cockroaches away.
• Another way is to make small pellets by mixing boric acid with flour and sugar along with water and placing them near the places where cockroaches are sighted. The boric acid is considered as a best way to kill cockroaches as they attack the nervous system of the insects and make them paralys by burning them inside like an acid. This method is also safe as this is a non- toxic natural ways, which is safe near food and food preparation area.

Always keep in mind that these insects are attracted towards three things namely; darkness, water and food. So always, color light paint in the kitchen cabinets to remove darkness, clear all water spot areas, and keep foods in airtight containers. When these three things are removed, you will automatically get rid off these insects visiting your house.

How to find a hidden leak in your bathroom?

Hidden water leaks in your bathroom not only waste water and money but also leads to mold or mildew growing.While most bathroom fixtures are susceptible to leaking at some point of other due to various reasons, there are a number of ways one can find out the cause of leakage to control any long term damages.

Usually most hidden leaks occur either in water pipe joint fixtures or under the toilet commode wax rings. Here are a few ways to find the cause of the leak in your bathroom and find the hidden leakage.

Check the Access Spots: One of the most useful ways to find the exact location of a hidden leak in a bathroom is to run your hands along the access spots. Anything that has an inlet or outlet must be a part of the aces spots to rule out any leaks. Access spots include water supply lines reaching to the sink, the commode, the sink trap as well as the wax ring which is located under the toilet commode seat. Check out the various plumbing connection or joints in these access points. A majority of leaks are found at such junctions that require replacement of a washer in the fixture to correct. If you are not sure of the type of washer to be used, you can take the fixture to your nearest hardware.

Focus on Wax Ring Leaks: Wax rings are located underneath the toilet commode and are quite prone to leaks. Because of their location under the commode, such wax ring leaks are not easily visible unless the commode is removed. If you have ruled out all other cause of leaks, the wax ring leaks could be the culprit.

Rule out Other Leaks: Before embarking on a journey to locate the cause of a hidden leak in a bathroom, one must make sure that the leak is related to the bathroom. In a number of cases especially in overhead bathrooms, people have confused rain induced leaks to bathroom leaks. If the dampness or wet spot in the roof appears only after a rain, the leakage could be probably due to a rubber boot sealing the roof vent. Moisture in the rainy season can easily travel down the vent pipe and leak under the bathroom making it appear as a bathroom leakage.

Check out Trap Leaks: Checking the drain trap under the drips can be an important way to rule out any trap leaks. Drain leaks can also be checked by physically checking the traps by turning on the water in the bathroom sink. Drainage pipe leaks can be hard to see at times because of the capillary effect of the water droplets on the drain pipe. Physical verification by rubbing the hand along the pipe is the best way to rule out drain trap leaks.

Physical Verification: Physical verification of the leaks is one of the best ways to shortlist the type of leak in the bathroom. Pipe leaks and joint leaks have various distinct characteristics and show up on the bathroom walls of floor in different ways. In case of an overhead bathroom, if the leak looks like a damp spot that dries and reappears, the leak is generally from a drain line. On the other hand, if the leak does not dry at all and remains constant with dropping of small drops on the floor, it may be due to a problem in the pressure water supply line of the bathroom.

How to fix a leak from the upstairs bathroom?

Leaks from a bathroom upstairs can be quite an eyesore and challenging to locate. In this day and age of high-rise apartments, it is common to have a second bathroom showing damp spots or some dripping on the ceiling of the lower floors. The best way to correct any such damp spots or leaks is to locate the exact cause of the problem and rectify the same before things get worse. The main problem in correcting such leaks in an overhead bathroom is the tedious process of locating the exact cause of the leak. Unless one is professionally equipped, it is better to hire the services of a plumber to find out the exact cause of dripping or leakage for a permanent solution.

Shortlist the type of leakage

Before discussing out the preventive measures as well as the apparent ways to fix any such leaks in the overhead bathroom, it is important to shortlist the exact type of leak. There are mainly two distinct possibilities for a leak in any bathroom. Since the chances of leak in any pipe is the maximum at its joints, water supply line and drain pipelines are both susceptible to leaks.

The best way to shortlist the kind of leak in the overhead bathroom is to take a look at the leak at the ceiling from the lower floor. If the leak looks like a damp spot that dries and reappears, the leak is generally from a drain line. Is on the other hand, the leak does not dry at all and remains constant with dropping of small drops on the floor, the leak is due to a problem in the pressure water supply line of the bathroom. Let us now take a look at ways to prevent and fix bathroom leaks for both water supply leaks as well as drain pipe leaks.

 

Correcting water supply leaks

Once you have shortlisted the exact cause of the water leakage in the overheard bathroom, the next step becomes quite simplistic. In case of a water supply leak the first step must be to check the fixtures or joints of water supply pipes. Usually it is the fixture and its washer that becomes old due to constant contact with water and pressure giving way to leaks and dripping.

Changing the washer of the fixture can help resolve the problem in a majority of cases. The beat way is to turn off the main water supply and remove the fitting. One can take the fitting to the hardware store in case it is difficult to find the exact washer required for the underlying console. Make sure that you have fixed the new washer properly in place before attaching the fixture to the pipe and opening up the main line.

 

Correcting the drain pipe leaks

Fixing a drain pipe leak is more time consuming and usually requires a greater effort. Before replacing the leaks in the drain pipe joint fittings, one needs to see the quality of drain pipe. Usually drain pipes are either PVC (poly vinyl chloride) based or ABS (acrylonitrile butadeine styrene) based. Both types of drain pipes will require specific glue and primer to fix the new fixtures replacing the one that is leaking. The use of a plumbing tape or cover the new fixture is recommended.

 

Other hidden leaks

Sometimes leaks can be because of various faucets like taps and showers installed in the bathroom. If both drain pipe and water pipe do not show any apparent leaks, the fixture drains need to be checked. Usually most modern day fixtures like showers have a back panel that allows easier access to the underlying drainpipe for such corrective measure. For older installations, one may need to drill a hole in the wall to reach the root cause of the leakage in such installations.

Checklist before you Leave for Vacation

Ultimately, the date has reached when you will start for your family vacation. It’s all about last minute checking if you have packed all luggage and essentials with you. In this topsy-turvy of pending works, do not forget to check a few details about your home before you leave.

Really don’t want to scare you, but you have to take some safety/preventive steps which will keep your premise safe and secured.

Tell your neighbor: This is the best way to keep an eye on your house when you are not there. Your neighbor must be busy and has his/her busy schedule, however, if he/she take a few minutes time to look at your place it will perfectly serve the purpose. If you have good relationship with them, you may ask them to keep the house keys so that if necessary they can check the house in 2-3 days gap or arrange cleaning.

Close all the curtains: Closing all the curtains is a simple and effective safety feature you must ensure before you leave home. It will create a natural obstruction for intruders from peeping inside the room. Remove all fragile, valuable items from near proximity to windows and if possible use the child safety locks to ensure double protection from the unwanted trespassers.

Turning off pipe lines and electrics switches: In both these cases leakage may create a disaster. Before leaving your place, check twice if all the faucet points in your bathroom, kitchen, and balcony are tightly closed. Also check twice if you have put off all electric switches. To ensure better precaution, you can switch off the main switch before you leave house. But do take out all food items out of refrigerator and leave it open if you are turning it off.

Indoor Plants: You can keep your indoor plants either with your neighbour or you may ask your care taker to keep the plants at his place for a few days for watering.

Arrange garbage removal: Put all garbage into a big plastic bag and after sealing its mouth, ask our gatekeeper to keep the bag with him till garbage cleaner comes next day. This is a way you will find you place is not messy when you are back.

Take care of your pipes: If you live in a cold region and you have decided your holiday in winter, you will have the risk of frozen pipe problem. In these cases keep heat on for keeping water pipes in its condition or else make them insulated for avoiding any wear and tear in plumbing lines.

Some more points

In addition to these ask your newspaper vendor to stop supply of newspapers; unused piles of newspapers in front of the door will indicate your absence. We know you love social networking, but please don’t update your vacation status on net; it will simply make your house safety a bit more vulnerable. And lastly, keep your burglar alarm on, if you have any.