Ants on the worktop, silverfish in the bathroom, bed bugs after a holiday: you often only notice crawling insects when there is already a sizeable group. This collection helps you first identify and track them, and then tackle them in a targeted way with traps, bait stations and products from brands including Knock Pest, Resoluut, HoyHoy, Zapi and Polti.
Monitor first
A monitoring trap is a flat trap with a sticky layer, sometimes with pheromone, that you place in a fixed spot. After a few days you see which insect is about and how many. That lets you choose a product in a more targeted way, and later you can see whether numbers are falling. The range includes general insect monitoring traps, the HoyHoy Trap-A-Roach against cockroaches and special monitors for bed bugs.
By insect
- Ants: bait stations and ant gel. The workers carry the bait back to the nest. Place it on their route and remove other food sources.
- Cockroaches: sticky traps for monitoring, and gel that you apply with a gel gun in cracks and behind appliances.
- Bed bugs: monitoring traps, a spray according to the label and the Polti Cimex Eradicator, a steam device for mattresses and seams. Dissolvable laundry bags help to take infested textiles safely to the washing machine.
- Silverfish: a delta trap and less moisture in the room.
- Fleas in the home: an environmental spray for rugs and baskets, according to the label. Discuss treating the animal itself with your vet.
- Spiders: Web Free keeps webs away from walls and windows.
Using them safely
Insect powders, sprays and gels are biocides. Only use them according to the label, out of reach of children and pets, and not where feed or drinking water can come into contact with them. No product works under all conditions; combine it with cleaning and sealing cracks. Chicken keepers with red mite in the coop will find targeted information on red mite control.
Explore further
For spraying larger areas, there are pressure sprayers in spraying equipment. Seal cracks and seams with materials from proofing & screening. Flies and wasps are in flying insects, rodents in rats & mice. Everything about pests: pest control.
Frequently asked questions
Why does ant gel work better than a spray?
A spray only kills the ants you hit. Ants carry bait from a gel or bait station back to the nest, so the rest of the colony also comes into contact with it.
How do I know if I have bed bugs?
Look for small blood spots and black dots on the mattress and seams, and place a bed bug monitor by the bed. If in doubt, have a specialist take a look.
Can I tackle fleas in the home myself?
You can treat the surroundings with an environmental spray according to the label. For the animal itself, consult your vet.