Insects are organisms having 1 pair of antenna, 2 pair of wings and 3 pair of legs. The body of these organisms is divided into 3 parts viz. head, thorax and abdomen and they have compound eyes. In some insects (e.g. bed bugs), wings are not visible.

What is pest?

Any living organism that is harmful to human health, food, property and has a nuisance value is called pest.

Some of the common pests occurring in household situations include cockroaches, mosquitoes, houseflies, ants, silverfish, etc.

What is pest management?

Complete eradication of a pest is not possible and is not a viable option. Therefore pest management is conducted which means application of options to reduce pest numbers to an acceptable level by use of various strategies in a systematic way.

American cockroach (Periplaneta americana),

German cockroach (Blatella germanica),

Brown banded cockroach (Supella longipalpa) and

Oriental cockroach (Blatta orientalis)

What are common types of mosquitoes found in and around households?

Anopheles (which may transmit Malaria)

Aedes (which may transmit Dengue)

Culex (which may transmit Filariasis)

Cockroaches can be controlled by using baits and spray formulations.

Baits are formulations with very small amounts of insecticide present in the food matrix which is usually preferred by cockroaches. Treatment with bait gels is also called passive treatment as cockroaches themselves find the bait and consume it. Bait formulations are non-messy and can be used in food preparation and handling areas where safety of product is a major concern.

Spray formulations are applied along crawl spaces of the cockroaches, when these insects come in contact with the sprayed pesticide they get knocked down.

Termites are social insects belonging to order isoptera. They feed on cellulose material like wood, paper, cloth, etc. for their survival. Termites are hidden invaders and are known to cause large scale damage to wood in service.

What is a bed bug?

Bed bugs are parasitic insects belonging to the cimicidae family. They feed exclusively on the blood of warm blooded animals like human beings, dogs, bats, birds, etc.

How do I control bed bugs?

Bed bugs are hitchhikers and they infest homes by getting carried with human beings sharing common gathering areas like, public transport vehicles, movie halls, hotels, etc. Besides other methods pertaining to prevention of this insect, bed bugs can be controlled by application of spray formulations.

How long does it take for a product to work on bed bugs?

Due to the elusive nature of the bed bug, it is important to treat the area thoroughly in order to ensure the active ingredient in the spray makes direct contact with these pests. As soon as bed bugs make contact with the spray, they die very soon after. Always read the product label for specific information.