Keeping pests away

OnE of the most unpleasant occurrences of daily life in households is encountering pests in the home. Whether it’s a small trail of ants or a cockroach wandering through the kitchen, no one likes having to deal with these intruders.

While there is no way to completely prevent pests from making occasional appearances you can do your best to minimise the frequency and likelihood of such nasty encounters.

The first step to take is to keep food out of reach of pests, and better yet, to keep them from being able to smell it at all. It is the smell of and possible access to food that attract most types of pests, so keep food sealed in airtight containers, or inside the refrigerator.

Food that must be left on the table should be protected by finemesh covers that will keep out cockroaches and houseflies, as these pests can spread disease if they come into contact with your food.

Rats and some mice are able to push up or bite through food covers, but they will have to be very bold to leap onto a table while people are around, so such encounters are rare unless you have a serious vermin infestation problem.

Store food waste in bins with lids, or ensure that you clear it from the house quickly every day.

And also keep the place clean, because food spills and residue on dining tables, kitchen worktops and stoves, and other areas, will also attract pests. – The Straits Times / Asia news network