How to get rid of wood lice in the apartment and in the house: practical tips
Woodlice are not the most pleasant neighbors for humans. Even though in small quantities they are practically harmless, people try to get rid of them as soon as possible immediately after the first individuals have been seen.
Content
Where do people most often meet woodlice?
Woodlice They are active mainly at night and choose warm places with a high level of humidity for living. Most often people encounter them:
- in bathrooms and toilets;
- in basements;
- in hotbeds and greenhouses;
- under rotten logs and rotten boards;
- in attics;
- inside old stumps;
- under the sink in the kitchen;
- in piles of leaves and debris.
Why do wood lice appear
Woodlice can settle near people only if they find comfortable living conditions. The main reasons for their settlement are:
- high humidity;
Mokritsa: photo.
- problems with air circulation and lack of ventilation;
- excessive watering of beds;
- untimely cleaning of plant debris from the site;
- the presence of mold and fungus on different surfaces.
What harm can wood lice cause
If the number of wood lice is small, then they cannot pose any serious threat. But, if the conditions are quite favorable for their life and reproduction, then their number can increase very quickly. A large colony of these small crustaceans can harm a person in the following ways:
Woodlice and offspring.
- spoil food stocks;
- harm indoor plants and young seedlings;
- infect cultivated plants with various infections and fungi;
- harm the roots and green shoots of plants in greenhouses or in beds.
How to get rid of wood lice
You can deal with wood lice in the same way as with other pests in different ways. For this, there are both specialized tools and many folk methods. Both are effective in their own way and are often used to drive out intruders.
Chemicals
The range of special insecticides is quite wide and most of them are quite effective.
Woodlice control chemicals come in the form of powders, aerosols, sprays, gels, liquids, and smoke bombs.
Powders
Preparations in the form of powders are placed in the habitats of wood lice in a dry form, or dissolved in water. Best proven:
- Tarax;
- Neopin;
- Riapan;
- Phenaxin.
Aerosols and sprays
Such substances are sold in finished form and are quite convenient to use. The most effective among these chemicals are:
Gels
Gel insecticides also show good results in the fight against wood lice. To destroy pests, it is enough to apply the gel on the surfaces on which they were seen.
The most effective drug from this group is considered "Absolute".
Liquids
Means in the form of liquids are most often used for the preparation of solutions and the treatment of pest accumulation sites. The most effective drugs are considered:
Smoke bombs
Smoke bombs are most effective for processing greenhouses and greenhouses. The most popular are the following brands:
- City;
- Quiet evening;
- Climate;
- Fas.
Traditional recipes
Among people, there are many opponents of chemicals who prefer to use more natural remedies. There are a lot of folk recipes and most of them show high efficiency in the fight against wood lice.
| Salt | Since wood lice are most attracted to moisture, removing its source will most likely force them to go in search of another home. Salt does an excellent job of absorbing excess moisture and it will be enough just to scatter it in problem areas. |
| Tobacco and red pepper | These substances have a very pungent odor, which will surely scare away small pests. Ground pepper and tobacco powder can be dissolved in water and used to spray various surfaces, or scattered dry in places where wood lice accumulate. |
| Chlorine and boric acid | Chlorine or boric acid is dissolved in water and the habitats of these small crustaceans are treated with the resulting liquid. |
| Dry kvass | Powdered kvass is also used to prepare a solution. To do this, kvass and water are mixed in a ratio of 1: 5. The finished product is applied to walls, baseboards and crevices in which pests live. After treatment of the room, it is necessary to close all windows and doors for at least 8-10 hours, and then rinse all surfaces with clean water. |
Traps and lures
Another effective method for dealing with wood lice are all kinds of baits and traps. There are a wide range of ready-made traps on the market, but there are also proven and effective baits that you can make yourself from improvised means.
Specialized sticky traps
Such traps are often used to fight various small insects, including wood lice. The most popular among the people received the following traps:
- Argus;
- Brownie;
- Raptor;
- Global.
Bait from improvised means
Supporters of folk methods can make baits for wood lice on their own. The following two options are the most popular.
For such a bait, large potato tubers or apples are best suited. The fruits are cut in half and left in places of the greatest accumulation of wood lice. After a large number of pests are located on the bait, it is placed in a tight bag and taken out of the site, or destroyed.
In order to attract wood lice to such traps, it is necessary to thoroughly moisten the brooms and leave them near the places of their accumulation. These pests are always in search of sources of moisture and closer to the morning on the surface of such a bait a whole army of pests can settle down. Further actions with brooms covered with many wood lice are no different from the above method with vegetables.
Prevention of the appearance of wood lice
The invasion of wood lice is most often due to the presence of a suitable level of humidity for them and the lack of normal air circulation. In order to prevent the appearance of these pests, it is enough to adhere to the following recommendations:
- timely eliminate leaks in water pipes;
- regularly clean and disinfect the premises;
- monitor the health of ventilation systems;
- do not leave weeds and fallen leaves on the site;
- periodically carry out preventive treatments with insecticides;
- maintain an optimal level of indoor humidity.
Conclusion
A small number of wood lice are not capable of causing any harm, and most likely, people will not even encounter them personally. However, under favorable conditions, a small colony will quickly turn into a large army that can harm houseplants, young seedlings, and even food supplies.
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