Insect repellent
Insect protection deals with measures and means that serve to drive away or kill annoying and stinging insects .
Physically acting means
Mechanically acting means are sometimes very effective, but - with the exception of clothing and the fly swatter - are used almost exclusively in the area of accommodation.
preventive means of protection
- A fly screen , net or gauze is attached to the window frame and prevents insects from entering the room even when the window is open.
- The mosquito net is attached to a hook above the bed and surrounds the entire bed.
- The air conditioning of rooms is supposed to deter mosquitoes because they don't fly from warm to cool.
- Clothing protects against insect bites if it is airy against the skin.
- Special protective clothing is used by the beekeeper : protective suit, beekeeper hood, beekeeper hat.
preventive avoidance of attractants
- Mosquitoes supposedly cannot see yellow light ; so they are not attracted to yellow light bulbs.
- Food , leftover food or rubbish cannot attract insects from closed containers (refrigerators, cool bags, boxes and plastic bags) .
Items used as a hunting weapon
- The fly swatter has the disadvantage that insects are overlooked and the insects can escape the blow by flying away.
- The vacuum cleaner has the advantage that an insect cannot escape suction. Very useful for insects that are in hard-to-reach places, e.g. B. have lowered the ceiling.
- Electric fly swatter that looks like a tennis racket stun larger insects and kill smaller ones.
- The hands have the advantage that they are always ready to use. Mosquitoes are often killed in flight by clapping their hands together or, if they have sat against the wall, with a blow of the flat of the hand against the wall.
Fishing methods
- In particular, flies that have sat down can be caught with one hand by quickly moving the hand just above the surface over the position where the fly is sitting and closing the hand.
- A drinking glass with a cardboard , in contrast to the hand, has the advantages that insects with a stinger cannot sting you in the hand, and that the catching technique requires less speed than much more a steady hand with which the glass carefully over the seated one Insect is turned inside out. Then the cardboard is pushed under the glass.
- A butterfly net has the advantage that it can also be used to catch flying insects, and the disadvantage that it is only suitable for large insects such as fish. B. butterflies can be used, which can not escape through the mesh of the network.
- Flycatchers are mostly garland-like hanging strips with a strong adhesive on which flies stick. Stickers with a similar effect are now also available for window panes or wall tiles (e.g. in the kitchen) that are designed with colorful print motifs.
- Fly glass works purely mechanically and with the help of an attractant .
- UV lamps . Attracted by the bright light, the insects fly into the lamp, land on a wire mesh under high voltage and die. However, they are not very effective on mosquitoes, and they kill many beneficial insects, so their use outdoors is questionable. These devices are ineffective against mosquitoes.
Displacement measures
- by steady hand movements flying insects can be steered in their flight, they that, for the house. B. leave through an open window. By picking up an object, the effect of the hand movement can be intensified at will.
ineffective protection
- High-frequency beeps offered to ward off mosquitoes are ineffective.
Repellents
Various natural and synthetic agents, so-called "repellents", which are applied to the skin or clothing to deter insects, are commercially available.
- → Main article: Arthropod repellants
insecticides
Furthermore, there is the possibility of distributing insecticides in the room and allowing them to work, this is done in particular with insect sprays and electric vaporizers . As a rule, these funds kill all insects, including useful ones. Since these are neurotoxins, they can possibly also cause health problems in humans if they are used frequently or continuously (e.g. with electric vaporizers).
Individual insecticides
The following insecticides are common and approved for insect control:
- Pyrethrum is one of the oldest active ingredients for pest control. It is obtained from the dried flowers of various Chrysanthemum species. It has a strong insecticidal effect, but is not very toxic for animals of the same temperature.
- Pyrethroids are (semi) synthetic compounds that are modifications of the natural active ingredients from pyrethrum. They are usually much more potent and much more stable in the environment. Active ingredients in this group can be reliably identified by the fact that their nameendsin -thrin . Examples are permethrin , tetramethrin and transfluthrin .
- Piperonyl butoxide is not itself an insecticide, but it is usually contained in pyrethroid-based insect sprays as a so-called synergist. It enhances the effects of the pyrethroids.
Insect sprays with caprylic acid as an active ingredient are also marketed less frequently . These agents, advertised as "biological", are not neurotoxins. Caprylic acid dissolves the vital chitin armor of insects.
Product forms
- Electric vaporizers (gel plugs) usually contain pyrethroids.
- Bug sprays also usually contain pyrethroids.
- Incense coils, when used outdoors, also poison useful insects and are incidentally ineffective in wind.
- Strips against flies and other insects and moth strips / moth paper.
- Insect pens for the direct application of a contact poison on smooth, non-absorbent surfaces (e.g. window panes).
Commercially available insect spray from Germany
Japanese bug spray
An American brand
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ www.tippscout.de: Protect from flies on the go
- ↑ www.Bild.de: June 5, 2015 - 11:19 pm Home › Advice › How to catch a fly with your hand or with an artificial trap BILD helps | ... and this is how you catch a fly with your hand
- ↑ a b Stiftung Warentest (2010) Mosquito repellent from Norma: Absolutely ineffective. Accessed December 10, 2012.
- ^ American Mosquito Control Association: Do Ultrasonic devices work? ( Memento of the original from January 31, 2009 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Accessed February 7, 2009.
- ↑ Stiftung Warentest (2004) Test mosquito repellent: abandoned. Accessed December 10, 2012.
