Author - admin

Insect Repellent Plants In Pakistan

Grow Mosquito And Fly Repelling House Plants

House flies and mosquitoes are recognized as carriers of easily communicable diseases. They collect different pathogens on their legs and mouths, females mostly lay eggs on decomposing organic matter, garbage, feces and animal corpses. Mosquitoes most breed in standing water. So, it is highly recommended to keep the surroundings clean and remove standing water sources. Diseases carried by house flies and mosquitoes include typhoid, cholera, malaria, dengue and dysentery.

100 million persons worldwide get infected with dengue annually, a resurging viral infection spread by the female mosquito.

There are two main methods have been employed to control house fly and mosquitoes: natural and chemical. Chemical pest control employs potent chemical pesticides to eliminate pests, while natural pest control employs organic or biological method to reduce infestation. Both of these methods have advantages and disadvantages.

Advantages And Disadvantages Of Natural/Biological Pest Control Methods

The main benefit of biological pest control methods is that it does not harm the environment. It will also not emit harmful toxins which could damage the ozone layer as compared to chemical pesticides. They continue to be effective for a long time once they introduced to the environment, making them sufficient and cost-effective. Biological control is self-regulating and as they don’t require any management. Biological control is just near to free of cost as it charges you very low. Biological control gives a long term control of harmful organisms. No side effects of biological control on human health while chemical control has many side effects and dangerous effects on the health of humans.

Advantages And Disadvantages Of Chemical Pest Control Methods

Chemical pesticides are very easy to use. Apart from that, chemical pesticides also deliver results instantly right after the application. Mostly this fast result is what a lot of homeowners need. Chemical treatment also harms the environment as they release harmful toxins to the surroundings, although human exposure to these pesticides can be very dangerous. They are even more detrimental and toxic to the health of children and older people as they have weaker immune systems instead of elders. You may have probably read in the spray's inscription or may be heard about the insect repellent DEET (N,N Diethyl-3-methylbenzamide). This chemical is not present in all the products but it is widely used chemical, because of its easiness. Just spray and it works for 12 hours repelling. But it’s also having toxic, irritating effects on your skin. So, definitely, not really something you want to spray over your soft skin.

So we suggest you to find natural ways to repel insects and the best way is to use Houseplants in your backyard, front lawn and outside the gate that Repel Mosquitos and Fly.

Plants Easily Available In Pakistan Which We Can Use To Repel Insects Especially Flies & Mosquitoes:

Chrysanthemum (Chrysanthemum indicum L.)

Chrysanthemums are often called "mums" and they are widely used for their flowering beauty all around the world. Aromatic subspecies of Chrysanthemum are excellent mosquito repellents. Their blossoms have natural amazing compounds named as pyrethrum which inhibit female mosquitoes from biting.

You can easily prepare Homemade topical repellent from mums' flowers. Take dozen of blossoms, chop them finely and then just put this mash in a small cotton bag (a sock will do as well). Now soak the bag in half glass of olive or sunflower oil in a bowl. Lid the bowl and now you have to wait for 2 weeks after keeping it in in dark cool place.

Now filter the resulting oil (press and squeeze the remaining oil inside the mash) and keep in small vial. Now it is ready massage your pulse points with a drop of this oil and enjoy its repelling qualities on you while outside.

Catnip (Nepeta Cataria L.)

An interesting and amazing compound Nepetalactone extracted by steam distillation from Catnip a natural insect repellent which is claimed to be 10 times stronger than DEET, Mostly used as Commercial Repellent against.

  • Mosquitoes,
  • House flies,
  • Cockroaches and
  • Termites

It is easy growing perennial plant with pleasant minty aroma. Its fragrance reduces stress and promotes good sleep. But unfortunately, the process of steam distillation is not as easy to done at home, so oil can only be purchased from market.

Marigold:

It is a bright, annual plant, are a great choice for repelling mosquitoes. Marigolds also contain Pyre thrum and they have a unique aroma which bugs find repulsive. Marigold flowers themselves are beautiful and add colors beauty and can even make a great border or addition to any flower bed! So you can try placing them around borders of your home, and then mosquitoes definitely not want to cross over!

Lavender

Many of readers probably know that lavender a gorgeous purple flowering plant which also has a soothing, calming scent. But, did anyone know that we can use it as a natural mosquito repellent? We can grow it outside in our garden or flower bed or indoors near a sunny window and doors, to keep the bugs away. Use lavender to add color and calming aroma in your home.

Peppermint

Most of the bugs hate the smell and taste of peppermint and try to avoid this plant, so it is good choice to planting it in different areas of home where you want a repellent and plus, if ever you do happen to get bitten, just rub peppermint leaves directly onto the skin and it make a great relief our bite, with all of this it provides you a wonderful minty smell which makes a delicious addition to food and beverages!

Rosemary

A beautiful flowering plant often used to flavor lamb or fish dishes, but might be you did not noticed that it is also a natural mosquito repellent? So, it’s perfect choice to add herb garden or flowerbed to keep bugs away instead of using pesticides, and it even attracts butterflies and creates beauty in your plants area.

Geranium

The beautiful red color flowers are a great choice for mosquito repellent. Mostly planted in a hanging baskets and the colorful blooms will cascade over the side of the pot, provides you a beautiful visual piece with useful bug repellent nature!

Now you can see, there are many houseplants that naturally help to keep bugs away! So whenever you reach to buy a chemical bug spray, take your time and think again, and try to choose something more natural!

Lemongrass (Cymbopogon Spreng.)

Lemongrass oil is used widely as insecticide and repellent, but the main issue with this  plant it attracts bees and may not be usable for your balcony.

So, this plant is very useful to plant in your garden because it attracts bees as they are useful pollinators for fruit or vegetable in garden.

Penny royal

The penny royal adorable flower is a natural deterrent for mosquitoes. So, we suggest you to plant it somewhere around your flowerbeds. Penny royal plants used to make great ground covers, and they also attract a plethora of beautiful butterflies.

Ageratum (Ageratum houstonianum Mill.)

This plant contains a hepato-toxic pyrrolizidine alkaloids, It works as a natural insecticide. So, be aware, that you should not consume this plant in no case and it should not enter your system.

This plant attracts insects with his scent, but the chemical compounds inside the blossoms are rendering the insects sterile.

Cadaga Tree – Eucalyptus torelliana

A beautiful plant repels mosquitoes simply by being planted. The scent from the tree acts as a barrier to repel mosquitoes.

Catmint – Nepeta faassenii

 It is very effective in its way to keep mosquitoes away. It is even better than commercial bug sprays at keeping the pests away. You have to simply, cut off the flowers and boil them to make a spray.

Eucalyptus –

Natural oil which release from the eucalyptus tree repels insects such as mosquitoes, ticks, midges, stable flies, sandflies and more.

Mint – Mentha –

Mint is an exuberant aroma plant usually grown in gardens to flavor tea. Mint repels mosquitoes and even we can make our own repellent with mint! All wild and cultivated species of mint, contain aromatic properties repulsive to insects.

Pitcher Plant – Nepenthes alata

It is the most interesting carnivorous plant much similar to a Venus Fly Trap. This little beauty gobbles up mosquitoes and it just fun to see this plant work in your yard.

Sweet Fern – Comptonia peregrina

It is a natural green beauty herb that has many uses. Then main our priority purpose to fight against mosquitoes and you can also place some Sweet fern into a fire to keep the little bugs away from the fire and the surrounding area.

Now you can see, there are many houseplants that naturally help to keep bugs away! So whenever you reach to buy a chemical bug spray, take your time and think again, and try to choose something more natural!

Keywords: Mosquito and Fly Repelling House Plants, House Plants, Insect Repellent plants, Plants repel insects, natural insect repellents, flowering plants repel insects.

Read more...

Importance Of An Association & Pest Management Association

Pest management association in Pakistan

What is an Association?

Associations are organizations that bring together different peoples from a specific area. They range from nationwide associations to individual states, counties, cities or neighborhoods. Association can provide a number of benefits to individual who elect to pay dues and participate as members.

Benefits of an Association:

Association provides its members with opportunities to network and share information and resources. While some individuals that belong to an association are likely to be competitors, they still share certain needs and preferences. Association members can help one another directly with referrals for services such as accounting, recruiting staff and other marketing strategies.

Associations hold dinners and also arrange special events for their members, giving them chances to meet with their peers and enjoy the company of fellow entrepreneurs. Participation in a association may also serve as a social expectation in a community.

Pest Management association:

Pest Management association works to increase awareness of members’ services among consumers and promotes professionalism among members. Provide opportunities of communication at conferences, seminars and other special events.

The main aim of pest management association is to communicate the role of members as protectors of food, health, property, and environment and also affect the success of members through education and support. Goals include: promoting a higher level of professionalism in the industry through education and networking and it effectively representing the members and industry to regulators, legislatures, and consumers to increasing the pest management market in world.

Association working in the world for Urban Pest Management

  • National Pest Management Association
  • England Pest Management Association
  • Ohio Pest Management Association
  • Arkansas Pest Management Association

In Pakistan we don’t have any pest management association, although no local laws and rules are present to control and manage urban pest. Being a developing country is still in the process of establishing standardized control and regulatory authorities. Pesticides sector in Pakistan is regulated under the authority of the Plant Protection Department. The department strived to ensure that these toxic pesticides are used, stored and also disposed of in an appropriate manner with minimum environmental impact. But this has been limited to agricultural pesticides only and establishment of proper legislation for urban or public health pesticides is still a question mark.

We strongly need pest control association to manage and create laws for usage of pesticide in Urban areas, to avoid harmful effects of pesticide on human health. The main reason for pest control association is to exclude the quacks from pest management industry as they are showing themselves expert and created store and offices without any degree, diploma and Certificate and blindly using pesticides and heavy chemicals to control urban pest, it could be harmful and can create resistant in pests. It is the basic need of time, that Government should take a step to create a Pest Control Association for management of urban pests, for the development and safety of the entire country.

Keywords:

Pest Control Association, Pest Control Association in Pakistan, Pest Control Association benefits, Benefits of an Association, What is an Association, Urban Pest Management, Urban Pest Management in Pakistan.

Read more...

Funny Facts About Pests

FEW FACTS ABOUT PESTS YOU MIGHT NOT KNOW

Cockroaches:

  • Cockroaches can be a carrier of 6 parasitic worms and 33 types of bacteria, and also trigger asthma attacks.
  • Cockroaches a speedy runner can run up to three miles in an hour.
  • Can any living thing live without its head? Yes a cockroach can spend up to nine days without head.
  • Over 5 million children in world are sensitive to cockroaches.
  • Kissing bugs bite and suck blood while human or animal host is sleeping.

House flies and Mosquitoes:

  • Housefly can carry and transmit harmful diseases more than any other animal in the world and known as most dangerous insect in the world.
  • House flies spit up upon their food to liquefy it and then they eat it.
  • A female mosquito drinks fresh blood in per serving is five millionths of a liter.

Ants:

  • A living creature that never sleeps is ants.
  • Ant queen dies, so does the entire colony become die, because no new workers are born.
  • Ants have jaws and cannot chew their food. They move sideways of jaws like a scissor and extract juices from food.

Spiders:

  • 27 spider species are known to have caused human death, while there are 35,000 species of spiders crawling in the world.
  • Spiders can be rock star as few male spiders design their cobwebs like a guitar, just to attract female spiders.

Rats:

  • Rats contaminate enough food to feed 200 million people worldwide per year.
  • In optimum conditions, a mice nest can deposit upto 18,000 droppings and even produce 2,500 heirs in only a period of six-month.
  • Adult female mite can live upon single person up to a month.

Bees and other Pests:

  • 100 peoples die every year as a result of bee and wasp stings.
  • The Africanized Honey Bee also known as a. “killer bee” chase people for over a quarter of a mile once they excited and aggressive.
  • A small flea can jump upto 130 times its height.
  • Scorpions give birth to several dozen live babies at a time.
  • Crickets an amazing creation of nature can hear through their knees.

Key words:

Facts about pests, Funny facts about pests, weird facts about pests, Facts about cockroaches, facts about House flies and Bees, Facts about rats and mice, Dangerous  facts about pests, Facts about scorpion, Facts about termites, facts about spiders,

Read more...

Integrated Pest Management (IPM) in Pakistan

Being the sub-tropical part of the world, Pakistan encounters many pests of public health importance and due to lack of true legislation on Public Health Pesticides in Pakistan the general public considers pest management as the application of only pesticides. However pesticides can act as a supplement yet not the complete treatment. There are several other practices involved in managing pests. Combination of these practices is called Integrated Pest Management. Emphasis of these techniques is on control rather than eradication which is technically difficult to achieve. Lack of awareness pushed the general public to use more pesticides in order to get rid of pests of public health importance. Killing the pests, particularly flies and mosquitoes, using pesticides resulted in more resistant population of these pests due to potential insecticide resistance.

Role of Urban Pest Management (UPM) in Integrated Pest Management Pakistan

Urban Pest Management is the pioneer company in Pakistan in practicing true Integrated Pest Management (IPM) approaches. Motto of the company is least use of pesticides and more focus on non-chemical means to manage pests.

Integrated Pest Management is a common-sense technique which is based on the intensity, breed and behavior of a particular pest. Before applying any pesticide several non-chemical controls are considered such as:

  • Exclusion, habitat alteration and sanitation practices (Prevention)
  • Physical controls such as trapping
  • The most important thing that remains throughout the IPM program is documentation & reporting
  • Education, evaluation and Follow-up make the IPM program successful.

The pesticide applications are considered as the supplement of the IPM program as a least option. Hence, all above mentioned factors work in integration to make the pest management plan successful.

Read more...

Rodent Glue Boards/Traps to outsmart the smart RATS

Rats like to keep company as they feel lonely too often. They show traits nearest to human beings such as expressing happiness by grinding their teeth and jumping around gleefully. Their laughter can be heard in silence. Rats are a significant element of the biotic ecosystem. However they are also a threat causing agent for the human life, property and health. Rodents contaminate food, spread diseases and destroy property by nibbling.

“Rats are very smart and to outsmart them you need to act tactfully”

A common approach to eradicate rodents includes chemical control like use of different rodenticides. However in vicinities such as food industries, water conservation plants and food storages, poison used for killing rats can itself be toxic for the food items around. Therefore certain non-chemical approaches need to be adopted in such situations.

“Urban Pest Management provides its prestigious customers with a smart solution to outdo these smart pests”

Urban Pest Management provides Rodent Glue Boards/Traps made of completely non-poisonous material. The Glue board contains glue made of natural plant extract that tends to trap the rodents and other pests. These are multi-purpose traps that can be used as Rat Glue Trap, Mouse Glue Trap, Snake Glue Trap, and Lizard Glue Trap.

How Rodent Glue Boards/Traps Work?

Rodent Glue Boards/Traps are placed alongside walls, runways, near rat droppings and other rodent activity area. Rats are nocturnal beings i.e. they are more active at night, and run along walls for direction. When Glue Boards are placed in their path the rodents get stuck on the glue and more they try to escape more they get stuck on the adhesive material.

Advantages of Glue Boards/Traps

These are safe to use at places with food and high human activity as they are made of natural material and no poisonous bait is used in it.

Controversy

Animal Rights have always been of great concern for Urban Pest Management. Rodent Glue Board is a bit controversial as it causes injuries to rodents when they try to escape. Instead of instant death the trapped rodent suffers torture. It also violates humanity as some people dispose-off glue boards with live tapped rodents. Urban Pest Management believes in frequent monitoring of the set glue traps so that the trapped rodent can easily be released and if not possible can be killed before going to trash.

Read more...

Treating the Mighty Termites in Pakistan

Termites outweigh the total human mass on planet Earth! Yes you heard it. Reason being that almost every young termite queen lays an egg every 3 seconds for a total period of 15 years. Not only are they abundant in number but very organized as well. Termites have separate and well-defined colonies with specified jobs for workers, soldiers and ‘alates’ which are young termites capable of reproducing. They work non-stop day and night to build mounds as tall as 9 m.

Termites are classified with respect to two basic characteristics i.e. nesting and feeding behavior. General classification groups include subterranean, soil-dwelling, drywood, dampwood and grass-eating termites. They tend to consume cellulose in several forms as plant fibre. Among these subterranean and drywoods termites mainly cause damage to household. Most common habitat of termites in found underground.

Since wood is the ultimate diet for termites therefore they tend to take it back from you while posing a serious property and financial loss. Imagine you build a house of your dreams with an expensive wood work and furniture. In a matter of days your wooden items start to vanish due to a well synchronized attack by termites.

To secure yourself and your property one needs to be well-armed against termites. As termites live in soil therefore it is necessary that you make a soil barrier which was difficult to do earlier. Fortunately in Pakistan Urban Pest Management provides extensive termite treatment to safeguard you and your property. Urban Pest Management is well-equipped with world class technology and equipment for treating these harmful pests. Specialized Wheel Barrows with injection generators make the application of termiticide easy and effective. Branded Drill Machines in the hands of Urban Pest Management team makes the soil treatment of post construction no longer difficult.

Termite Treatment is divided in two main categories i.e. pre construction and post construction. In pre-construction termiticides are applied where soil comes in contact with concrete to create a soil barrier. This procedure involves the soil treatment of all three stages i.e.

  • Foundation Stage
  • Backfill Soil
  • Flooring

Post-Construction Termite Treatment Methods

i.) Drilling Process (vertical chemical barrier):

A vertical chemical barrier will be established at ground floor by drilling in the floor and injecting the termiticide solution. The objective of treatment is, any termite worker going up into the building or coming back to the colony have to cross the barrier. When the termiticide touches the body of the termite, they got killed & building is saved from further termite damage. Hole size ½” Diameter and 2 ft. deep.

ii.) Wood Treatment:

All wooden fixtures (door & window frames, false ceiling, paneling etc.) will be treated with the chemical solution to avoid termite damage. The termiticide solution will be poured behind the wooden fixtures by removing the paneling and by injecting the termiticide beneath the frames

iii.) Concealed wiring treatment:

In most of the cases, termites travel in between the colony and the building through electricity wiring. To check the movement, an oil-based solution will be poured in all sockets at ground level.

Read more...