To keep bugs at bay

Watch out! The invasion is about to begin. The chief roach, along with his army of muscular roaches, hungry flies, bloodthirsty mosquitoe...

Watch out! The invasion is about to begin. The chief roach, along with his army of muscular roaches, hungry flies, bloodthirsty mosquitoes are ready to invade your kitchen.

Well! The rains are here and so are the bugs. Housewives are crying themselves hoarse as the bugs ransack their kitchens. Nevertheless, now that the enemy is here, let us beef up our defences.

Tip number one is to keep the kitchen dry. Garbage should not be allowed to culminate in the kitchen. Leaving the food items is a strict no-no.

To keep the kitchen clean, it is important that the dirty dishes are not left unattended for long. Gas stove, toaster, oven, grinder and the likes are cleaned immediately after use. The dusters and moppers used in the kitchen should not be left dirty and oily.

Laxman Rekha is popular with the housewives though not very popular with the cockroaches. The poisonous line drawn is supposed to be deadly and bars the entry of the cockroaches. Lightning camphor and incense stick is very helpful. It purifies the atmosphere and keeps the mosquitoes at bay.

Sprinkling of haldi could kill ants and cucumber peels kept in corners would prevent the lizards.

Apart from these home-remedies, there are various gadgets especially made to ensure an insect-proof kitchen. The 8216;Cockroach Trap8217;. It is a double-rimmed cup filled with water which, if attached to the drain is highly effective in killing the roaches as they come out of the drain. There are also traps available for rats and other rodents.

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The battle infact begins when the house is constructed, as the architect, while designing the kitchen, ensures safety from insects for the occupants. Location of the kitchen should always be kept in mind. It should never face North and preferably face South or Eastwards so that it gets ample sunlight. The sunlight flooding the kitchen keeps it not just dry and well-lit but also acts as a disinfectant.

Proper design as well as upkeep of the cupboards is a must. The cupboards, especially those under the working table should be in-built rather than box-shaped. The inside of the cupboards should be tiled and polished so that there are no rough surfaces left.

Last but not the least, the housewives are warned not to neglect the fridge which should be cleaned regularly. The areas behind and under the fridge needs special attention as those are the hot favourite breeding grounds for the insects.

So before the insects executed their strategy to make your kitchen their holiday resort, it8217;s time to take ACTION!