The main features of a topicida

Rodent poison is a very suitable solution in a number of situations. Both those who live in the city and in the countryside or suburbs, in fact, may find themselves, at home or in the garden, faced with a very worrying problem, namely the presence of mice.

In this case it is necessary to proceed immediately with solutions aimed at eliminating these small animals, which are very dangerous because they carry diseases.

If the problem is related to a condominium, a specific deratization intervention may be required. If, on the other hand, there are sporadic sightings in isolated houses, it is a good idea to get a good rat poison comparison.

When buying bait, it is also essential to read the instructions for use carefully and follow them carefully. The instructions also cover the method of positioning, the distance between two or more poisoned spots and, above all, the quantities to be used to be sure of complete deratization.

Types of ratticide

There are different types of poison on the market to choose from according to a number of situations. In fact, in addition to having different compositions, poisons for mice can also present themselves with different aspects.

Depending on the needs and situations, therefore, you can choose to buy poison for mice in sachets, liquid products or natural solutions.

If you choose to use rat poison, however, it is essential to remember that this product can be dangerous, especially when you have pets or children at home who may unconsciously come into contact with the poison.

However, it is necessary to underline that the products for domestic use, even if highly effective, being usually aimed at eliminating a mouse and not a colony, are much less concentrated than those used by the deratization companies. Therefore, they are certainly less dangerous than the latter.

It should be noted, however, that although these products are less dangerous, they are highly effective in the elimination of mice, in case of not excessive infestations.

Domestic poisons and poisons for professionals

The difference between rat poisons that can be purchased by everyone and those that, instead, can only be used by those working in the field of deratization is basically given by the composition.

In addition, the most common ratticide products can also be purchased in well-stocked supermarkets while, as far as topicides for professional use are concerned, these are only sold in specialized shops.

Not only: to be able to buy this type of rat poison it is necessary to have special licences, i.e. licences that attest the use of the poison by companies specialized in the field of deratization.

Two types of rat poison: acute and chronic

When you buy a rat poison you need to know a number of characteristics that are both related to its composition and effects. As far as the effects are concerned, rat poisons are divided into acute and chronic.

The choice of one type or another depends on a number of factors that can be both subjective and objective. To better understand how to make the choice of one type or the other it is necessary to know what the characteristics of these two types of poisons are.

Acute rat poisons

The acute poisons for mice and rats have a very high power, so much to have immediate effects on the mouse which, as soon as ingested the poison, dies. Most of these poisons are used by specialized firms and only in specific cases are sold for domestic purposes.

We can easily understand that the acute poisons are very dangerous, so much that the new regulations of the European Community have limited their utilization, forbidding some of them which have been classified as too much harmful because of their high toxicity.

If you choose to buy acute poisons it is essential to make sure that they are authorised by the European Community, i.e. that they have the CE symbol on the packaging.

However, do not think that these poisons, just because they are authorized, are not dangerous: in case of use, therefore, it is necessary to remember that they must be handled with extreme caution. Furthermore, to ensure maximum safety, they should never be used in apartments where there are children or pets.

Acute poisons are characterised by specific chemical formulations, i.e. they have compositions that characterise them as acute and lethal. One of the most widely used compositions for acute poisons is Alpha-naphtyl-thiourea, commonly known as Antu.

It is a fast-acting topicid, which causes the cause of the mouse in very few hours creating pulmonary edema.

Another highly lethal formulation is the one that involves the use of zinc phosphide: it is a powdered ratticide that does not contain antidotes and causes the rat to die within a few hours.

Among the poisons with rapid efficacy but which can be considered a little less bloody, i.e. which cause death without great suffering, there is Alfacloralose. It is a narcotizing molecule which generates hypothermia and, in a short time, causes the death of the rat.

Another poison of acute type foreseen by the European Community but not authorized in Italy is Sodium Monofluoroacetate: its use is therefore forbidden in Italy but not in other European countries. It is a product that leads to cardiac arrest but is not specific for mice, as it can also be used for other small pests.

Chronic poisons

The poisons for mice of chronic type, on the contrary, even if highly effective, operate in such a way as not to cause the immediate death of the animal. In fact, they are slow releasing: this means that when the rat ingests it, it does not die instantly but within one or even two days.

Unlike acute poisons, the chronic ones tend almost all to create some internal haemorrhages in the animal which, therefore, after some days is brought to death.

At the base of the chronic poisons there are substances such as bromaldion or brodifacoum. The former is a widely used ratticide due to its high power: moreover, it can be successfully used both indoors and outdoors.

Depending on the concentrations ingested, death of the type can occur within three or five days. This poison has a specific antidote, namely vitamin K1.

Brodifacoum is equally lethal and is one of the most widely used compositions in the production of various types of topicid bait. When a mouse swallows a brodifacoum-based bait, as a first effect it undergoes high dehydration which leads it to search for more water.

However, the increased amount of liquid accelerates the permeability of the blood vessels so that the blood is no longer contained within them and the mouse dies from internal bleeding.

One of the negative aspects of using chronic poisons is that poisoned rats, feeling the first sicknesses approaching, will tend to look for hidden places where they can take refuge.

This means that, especially when the problem of the rat’s presence occurs in an apartment, then they will have to go to the most hidden corners to look for the rat’s corpse.

Some poisons instead lead to dehydration: therefore the mouse, looking for water, will move away from the nest and may not be found.

A new generation of poisons: the sub-acute topicids

Acute poisons, as already pointed out, are very powerful but have, as main problem, high toxicity and danger in case of ingestion by domestic animals. Furthermore, the lack of highly effective antidotes has made these products less and less common, especially for private use.

However, those who do not want to give up the possibility of having a high level, safe and reliable topicide, can find today on the market a new type of rat poison, which is classified as sub-acute because it has a very high efficacy, leading the mouse to death within a few days and not within a few hours.

To ensure maximum success, however, it is necessary for the mouse to swallow a lethal dose of bait. In case of insufficient quantities, a very special case may occur.

Mice and rats, in fact, are very clever animals, and if they link their sickness to the bait eaten in minimal quantities, they will subsequently always stay away from that type of bait and the bait boxes. In this case, therefore, you will have to find other strategies for the elimination of the mouse.

How sub-acute poisons work

The operation of sub-acute baits differs from that of other types of poisons. Some of these, in fact, act creating alterations in the correct digestive function of mice.

This is the case of cholecalciferol, which increases the absorption of calcium inside the intestine generating a real calcification inside the mouse apparatus, in particular inside the arteries and kidneys. This type of poison leads to death within two days.

Another sub-acute poison is bromethalin, which leads to paralysis, blockage of breathing and convulsions. This type of poison is very powerful but has, as a negative point, that of not being specific for mice: in particular, in fact, it is very poisonous also for cats.

What to do in case of poisoning with rat bait

When using bait for mice, it is essential to take the utmost care, avoiding the use in the presence of children and, above all, always handle the bait with disposable gloves.

All the best rat poisons for domestic use contain, inside the package or on the box itself, all the indications and instructions necessary for a correct and safe use.

In addition to the use of gloves, the instructions also specify any symptoms that may occur in case of intoxication.

Mouse poisons, as highlighted, have different active ingredients so it is always essential to write down the name of the active ingredient in a clearly visible place so that you can have it at hand in case you need to inform the operators of the 118 or, in case of poisoning of animals, the veterinarian.

When calling for help, be it medical or veterinary, the operators will provide all the necessary information to be able to carry out first aid while waiting for the ambulance and, above all, they will specify all the actions that must be absolutely avoided.

How to take care of pets

One of the main negative aspects of the presence of rat poison in the house or garden is that they can be dangerous when you have pets.

In order to avoid that the elimination of rats also leads to intoxication of the family dog or cat, the new rat poison products are made with special formulations. They are combined with elements that are unpleasant to the sense of smell of pets, i.e. mainly dogs and cats.

In this way, even if they get close to the poison, they will not be tempted to taste it but, vice versa, they will consider it as something unattractive and interesting.

If you have pets in your home, therefore, it is essential to check that when you make your choice, it is indicated on the packaging that it is a harmless rat poison for dogs and cats.

Today, most of the topicid products for domestic use are made with the maximum safety of both users and pets in mind.

For this reason, almost always baits are treated with these products which are unpleasant to smell to both dogs and cats but which, on the other hand, are highly appreciated by mice and rats who will therefore be more attracted to bait.

Buy rat poison

If you are just starting out with the presence of mice in your home, the choice of the right poison can be complex. Before proceeding with the purchase, in fact, it is necessary to carefully evaluate the type of poison you want to use, i.e. whether one is acute or chronic.

If the purchase is made in a physical store, i.e. a well-stocked supermarket or a store specializing in pest control products, you can request all the information about the use of the products from the store staff.

When you choose to purchase online, then it is essential to pay attention to all the comments and reviews that are released on e-commerce or specific blogs.

Reading and evaluating those who have already used a specific product, in fact, allows you to understand if that type of poison may or may not be suitable for your needs.

In addition, you will be able to better understand how to use it, avoiding common errors in the use of these products and thus having the guarantee of obtaining safe results in the elimination of rats.

Specifically, you will need to evaluate the composition and method of use, i.e. whether the baits can be used indoors or outdoors. As far as the composition is concerned, this will make it possible to understand whether it is an acute or chronic poison.

Natural and homemade products

In some cases it can happen that you may not feel safe using synthetic rat poison, especially when it is to be used at home. In these situations you can therefore opt for home made solutions, creating a natural but no less effective topicide.

A very simple solution is plaster poison. It is a topicide that guarantees maximum safety in case of presence of other animals in the house.

The chalk poison is made by creating morsels that are tempting for the mouse but at the same time lethal. In fact, you will have to make balls, real candies for mice, mixing chalk powder with milk: the latter, in fact, attracts mice that will tend to eat the balls remaining poisoned.

However, it must be stressed that even though this type of poison is just as lethal as the most commonly used chemicals, the presence of milk alone is not always enough to make the balls palatable. Therefore, this type of poison is not always effective.

When you have to buy a topicid product, be it a liquid rat poison, a powder composition or traps, you have to remember that the products on the market are constantly evolving.

If, in fact, some poisons can be considered as real products of choice, many production companies regularly release new products, especially aiming at natural solutions, increasingly requested by those who use ratticides at home.

Below are some of the best products on the market today: these are exclusively topicides for domestic use, i.e. not professional, which can be easily purchased in store or online.

This last solution will allow to have a greater economic saving and also the possibility to better evaluate the product by reading the different reviews and comments that usually accompany the technical data sheet on e-commerce.

The cold and the availability of leftovers push rats and mice to find warm places and food resources towards your home.

Cellars, garages, attics, poorly maintained gardens and warehouses are the preferred environments. Rodents proliferate away from prying eyes and then move to apartments in search of food.

It’s a moment to find mice in the house: here are 5 practical tips to keep mice and rats away from home and work environments:

Rats and mice pose a health risk to people and can:

1. Create damage to electrical installations in buildings.
2. Ruin the furniture in your apartment.
3. Eat your food.
4. Contaminate with dangerous viruses the environments in which you live, with your family, or work.

The sight of mice and rats causes disgust and fear, but it’s only the beginning. These rodents are famous, unfortunately, for transmitting diseases dangerous to humans: salmonella, typhus, cholera, just to name a few.

We know, it is embarrassing to find out that one’s home or business has been infested with rodents. Anxiety is fuelled by suspicious noises, signs of them passing through, like the excrement they leave in the house. Scratches on the walls, cardboard and gnawed furniture are the signs that it is time to act with a deratization intervention.

You can limit the proliferation of rats and mice by following some practical tips.

Keep mice and rats away

Mice and rats are cunning and malicious, catching them is not easy. They know how to hide well and prevention is the best way to keep your ambinets healthy. To avoid infestation of mice and rats, follow these 5 tips:

#1 Cleanliness and order first

If you maintain a high standard of hygiene in the premises you reduce the risk of rodents. If food, materials and rubbish are in oridne and well-preserved, it will be easy to detect any pests.

#2 Protect food with sealable containers

Whether it’s the food in your home pantry or products you market in your warehouse, keep your order and seal the packaging. Avoid rats being attracted to them and if they are nearby you can spot them right away.

#3 Keep materials away from walls

Mice and rats are agile and snappy, as well as being good climbers. They prefer to move along the walls, which is why they leave some space between the materials they store in warehouses, cellars or garages. You’ll immediately notice if there are any traces of mice or rats and spot them more easily.

#4 Remove abandoned and useless objects

The untilled grass outside basements and garages, or in your garden. Stacked wood, abandoned debris – these are conditions that favour an environment suitable for rats and mice. They will move undisturbed and you won’t notice them until it’s too late. Cutting tree branches that get too close to your house is a great way to keep rats and mice away. Prevent easy access.

#5 Check for cracks in walls or uneven windows and doors

Seal any cracks or crevices, because rats and rats can ignite inside and burst into your apartment. Use sealing materials, cement or steel wool. Keep rats and mice away as long as you follow these precautions.

Find out more about harassing rodents that could infest your home or invade your business: rats and mice differences.

Keeping rats and mice away: in conclusion

Rats and mice are dangerous rodents because they can introduce bacteria and pests into your environment. If they have managed to get into your living space, your living space is contaminated and you will need deratization and sanitization surgery.

Whether you need an intervention at home or in corporate environments, you can stop worrying: we’re here now.

Food insects are the main pests of the places where food products are produced, processed and marketed.

Since the dawn of agriculture, the problem of food conservation has driven people to seek effective solutions. However, food insects are still an open plague today.

Thanks to their physical characteristics, they penetrate the environments and containers that store your food products:

• Cereals;
• Oils;
• Grains;
• Cocoa;
• Coffee;
• Sugar.

If you don’t intervene in time, you can be invaded by food parasite colonization. Prevent the situation from degenerating and other species, such as flies, rats and mice.

Knowing food insects is the best way to prevent their presence. It prevents food stores, from the cupboard of the house to the large warehouses, from becoming a paradise for these pests.

Follow us in this article to understand what food pests are and how to intervene with pest control actions.

What are food insects

Food insects belong to many pest families. The topic is vast, since food eaters include everything edible in their diet. A list, however exhaustive, may be boring and unnecessary.

So we’ll focus on the food parasites you might find most frequently. Don’t forget to check your food supplies regularly and call us if you need to pest control.

Consider that some insects become pests as a result of the intrusion of primary pests, which access the food and allow the intrusion.

Food insects: family of Lepidoptera

The moth are species of butterflies, all small in size, which feed at the stage of food larvae: mainly cereals and flour, or derived products.

1. Plodia interpunctella (Plodia fasciata): it is the most economically damaging insect of food pests.
2. Grey moth: it can reach every point in the environment and quickly spread the infestation.
3. Rice Moth: reddish-brown in colour, like all moth, it contaminates food with silky burrs.
4. Flour moth: they are brown and covered with long bristles. The wings are crossed by a more silvery stripe.

Food insects: family of Diptera

1. Cheese Moscow: it feeds on the larval stage of cheese; in some areas infested cheeses are considered a gastronomic speciality, giving the larvae a special flavor.
2. Fruit flies: they infest fruit, vinegar or must in various species, on the surface of which the larvae develop during fermentation.
3. Meat flies: of the genera Calliphora (blue bluebottle), Sarcophaga (grey bluebottle with red eyes) and Lucilia (green bluebottle).

Food insects: family of Coleoptera

1. Lard dermeste: infests numerous foods of animal origin with larvae.
2. Tobacco and bread anobium: attacks numerous types of food (spices, seeds, tobacco, flour and derivatives) with the larvae and can penetrate even in apparently closed packages.
3. Silvano: infests with the larvae flour or seeds already broken by other pests.
4. Tenebrione mugnaioone: the larvae feed on flour and its derivatives
5. Tribulation: it feeds on flours that take on an unpleasant smell and pink-brown colouring.
6. Grain awl or calender: equipped with an elongated rostrum that allows it to attack grain caryopsis.

Food Insects: family of Arachnids

Yes, you could be dealing not only with pests, but also with a species belonging to the arachnid family.

We’re talking about mites. They are less than a millimetre in size and are visible when they gather in clusters on the attached products. Only by eliminating conditions that favour their development, such as high temperature and humidity, can their presence be avoided. Or, by intervening with pest control actions.

Disinfestation: how to get rid of food insects

When you open a door in your cupboard and are greeted by a seemingly harmless butterfly, start checking all your food right away. Don’t take a simple signal lightly and make sure you keep your food in perfect condition.

Food pests live inside your food and pest control treatments are necessary to prevent their proliferation.

At home or on the farm ImmediatelyDisinfestazioni Cattolica intervenes and helps you fight food insects fed with professional treatments.

In companies the impact of our interventions is almost zero and preserves the future of food production. Minimal impact and compliance with health, safety and food regulations.

First of all, the products we use are studied and approved by the regulations in force and are used following scrupulous procedures tested over years of activity. You must know that the products must be used alternately, otherwise insects can develop resistance and adapt.

Pay attention to the formation of moulds: our disinfectants hinder their formation and prevent the formation of ideal insect conditions in food.

That’s why it is important to monitor the condition of the environment and prevent conditions in which food insects are more likely to develop. This is the first step to combat the problem. However, measures cannot be the same for all types of insects.

You can act with:

1. Preventive measures: aimed at reducing the humidity and temperature of the environment, or at eliminating everything that can retain dust, mites and insects from the premises.
2. Chemical interventions: specific environmental treatments to reduce humidity and temperature.

Food insects: in conclusion

Now you know how many and what kind of food bugs are threatening your food. We know how frustrating it is to fight these problems that prevent:

1. Feeling that our home, the most intimate place, has been violated by insects or harassing animals.
2. Comply with health regulations for businesses and avoid penalties.
   At home or on the farm, you can stop worrying: We’re here now.

Contact us now. Let’s talk together about the solution that suits your needs.

The appearance of harmful flying insects in the dwelling usually coincides with the onset of warm spring and summer days and lasts about six months. And during this period of time, annoying “guests” have time not only to tire out their presence of people but also to cause serious damage to the sanitary-epidemiological situation in residential premises.

Flies: What do we know about them?

Before you begin to getting rid of house flies in the house, you should study their habits and lifestyle in detail, otherwise, it will be almost impossible to ensure their effective extermination. And the first thing to remember is that the main reason for their appearance is to create a favorable environment for the reproduction of a harmful parasite. What can contribute to their active reproduction? Among the most common factors: Poor quality cleaning;

Low level of hygienic cleanliness;

• Non-compliance with household waste management regulations;
• Lack of full personal hygiene;
• availability of free access to food.

And this is not a complete list of reasons why dangerous pests can appear in the house or apartment. After all, the source of sanitary hazard may be the neighbors’ dwelling or the garbage cans located under the window. It is even more difficult to maintain the necessary level of hygienic cleanliness where the garbage chute is taken out directly into the kitchen or there is not a bathroom connected to the main sewerage system, but a cesspool.

The main danger posed by the active reproduction of flies is the spread of dangerous infectious diseases. Cholera and typhoid, dysentery and other types of intestinal infections – all of which can lead to serious consequences and even death. But in the list of diseases that involve winged parasites, there are viral forms of infections – hepatitis, polio, conjunctivitis. Treatment in this case can be long and very painful.

The enemy attacks: how to protect your home?

How to get rid of flying insects in the apartment, if the invasion has already begun? In fact, even if you don’t have time to take care of preventive measures, you can stop the expansion at any stage. It is enough to act in a systematic manner, paying special attention to the improvement of sanitation and hygiene in residential and recreational areas. And to ensure that pests are defeated as quickly as possible, the following home security measures can be implemented:

• Prevention measures. Grids on windows and doors, regular sanitation, timely disposal of waste.
• Public funds. All kinds of traps, adhesive tapes, and products with a pungent smell to scare away.
• Chemical Preparations. Sprays, tablets, and liquids for repelling insects, chemical traps and biological protection means.
• Call of experts. Professional insecticide treatment allows not only to find and neutralize places of laying of eggs, pupation and nesting of flies but also to provide total destruction of adults. Such measures are especially relevant if the cleaning is carried out in a dwelling with a pronounced unfavorable sanitary and epidemiological background. Specialists are also needed when cleaning is carried out in production, industrial and commercial premises. Household chemical agents are most often useless here.

When do we need to apply preventive measures?

So that you don’t have to hurry to find a recipe to save yourself from the flies, it’s worth taking care of preventive measures that can minimize the risks of these pests indoors. And first of all, as a safety measure, polymeric nets with small cells are used, which are installed on window and door openings, ventilation openings and vents. Such a mechanical barrier, if it does not scare away, will at least keep flies from visiting your home in mass numbers.

Replacing normal buckets and garbage cans with sealed polymer modules will also be a good preventive measure. Timely cleaning of waste sites and regular addition of chlorine lime to open-air waste sites in the form of pit latrines will also help to avoid the invasion of potential carriers of dangerous infections. It is also possible to stock up on fumigation products, insecticide lamps and other traps using modern insect control technologies in advance.

Are you tired of dealing with pests around your home or office? Is there a never ending stream of ants running through your yard? Are you concerned about the kinds of spiders your are seeing in your garden?

Give us call or send us an email and tell us what you are dealing with and we will consult with you about your pest control options. Having been involved with pest control and extermination issues for many years we can help you take the right course of action. Not all problems require that we come out and visit. Also, if we do need to come out we provide green options. Continue reading →

If you have any type of pest in your home you should Ask for a Free Quote  now and not wait, pests are not just a problem that damage your home or a cleaning mess, pests are a health risk for your family.

Dont wait until the problem becomes bigger and someone gets sick, avoid the problem on time by calling us or letting us contact you and have the piece of mind that you are living on a pest free home. Continue reading →

Dugites

The Dugite snake is commonly found in south west Western Australia and southern South Australia. In Western Australia, large numbers of hatchling Dugites occur during mid-February through to mid-April. The size of the hatchlings can be anywhere between 15-35 centimetres in length and can grow up to 2 metres as a full grown adult. The juvenile Dugites have a distinctive black head and are fawn in colour. As they grow into adulthood the black markings to the head disappear. Continue reading →

Raccoons are familiar animals with masked faces and ringed tails. They have five toes on both the front and hind feet. Their long, dexterous fingers enable them to open latches, untie knots, turn doorknobs, and open jars. Their prints look like tiny human baby handprints and footprints.

They are primarily nocturnal and thrive in many cities as well as wilderness areas. In fact, the densest population of raccoons in New York is in New York City. They are very intelligent and adaptable animals.  The home range of an adult male is about one mile in diameter, although it expands in size during the breeding season, and have been known to travel up to ten miles. Adult females and their young inhabit smaller areas and one male’s home range often overlaps several females’ home ranges. Adult males tend to be solitary, but family groups are quite social and will feed and den together into the fall. As family units grow, raccoons become increasingly solitary. The young leave the area where they are born between the fall and spring of their first year and may travel 75 miles or more before settling in a new location. Continue reading →