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Dustmites (and how to kill it)

When your head hits the pillow you start to weeze and cough. It is no wonder… You are sharing your bed with millions of tiny creatures called dustmites. Vacuum cleaners wont get it all even if you go over the mattress all day long. Only one sure way. Total pest Control.

Dustmites are of the Class Arachnidae, which make it a distand relative of the spider and the scorpion. These mites live in every house. Dust mites feed on organic detritus such as flakes of shed human skin and flourish in the stable environment of dwellings. House dust mites are a common cause of asthma and allergic symptoms worldwide. The mite’s gut contains potent digestive enzymes (notably proteases) that persists in their feces and are major inducers of allergic reactions such as wheezing. The mite’s exoskeleton can also contribute to allergic reactions.

Dust Mite Facts
Dust Mites males are approximately 420 micrometres long and 245 micrometres wide, they cannot be seen by the human eye.
Female dust mites live on average for just 60 days, spending the last 30 days of their life laying eggs.
Males live on average for just 19-30 days.
Dust Mites feed on human skin
On average we each shed enough skin to feed 1.5 million dust mites per year.
Within 2 years 10% of the weight of your pillow is probably a mixture of dead and alive dust mites.
Your mattress holds as many as 10 million dead and alive dust mites.
About 80% of dust seen in a sunbeam is actually skin flakes.
Dust Mites are one of the most common causes of asthma and allergies. It is Dust Mite droppings that contains the allergen that we then breath in and sets off a reaction.
Dust Mites like the warm, humid conditions common in modern housing.
It is not possible to completely eradicate the Dust Mite.

Five Steps to Controlling Dust Mites
Step One – Reduce the level of moisture in the house and the Dust Mites reproduction rate will drastically reduce.
Step Two – Clean all bedding and curtains at high temperature weekly, use an impervious cover for the mattress and pillows.
Step Three – Dust with a damp cloth, vacuum with a hoover with a HEPA filter, empty and clean your vacuum regularly. Vacuum soft furnishings as well as the carpet.
Step Four – Freeze children’s cuddly toys for 24 hours to kill any Dust Mites in them.
Step Five – When selecting new carpets either buy short pile carpets or better still buy wooden floors or lino.

Steps two to four are easy to follow and self explanatory, but many people are confused about step one, how to reduce the level of moisture and where this comes from in the first place. This step is crucial though because if you can cut down on their reproduction you will feel the benefits.
Dust Mites like high levels of moisture, the higher the moisture levels the greater the reproduction. In the winter our homes tend to be warm and dry, in the spring and more so in the summer our homes are more likely to be warm and humid.
Where possible ventilate the house, this though does not provide a solution on its own. Dust Mites breed above 60% relative humidity (rh), the average humidity during the British summertime is 80%rh. Therefore by opening windows we are creating the perfect conditions for Dust Mites to flourish. The only way to effectively reduce the level of moisture in the home is via a dehumidifier. These small, portable machines take the excess moisture created by washing, bathing, cooking and drying clothes out of the air and turns it into deionised water that can be used in an iron or poured away.

Dehumidifier facts
Reduce moisture levels to prevent mould and reduce Dust Mite populations
Reduce heating bills by drying the air and making heating more efficient
Dries washing on a clothes horse in the absence of a tumble dryer
Protects fixtures and fittings from damp
Alleviate chest conditions brought on by damp air
Remove the sticky feeling from hot summer nights
More facts on dustmites: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_dust_mite

One sure way to kill these bugs is to phone Total Pest Control. It is advisable to have your mattresses are spray extracted every 6 month if you are prone to asthma.

Maggots (and how to deal with it)

Maggots

I get a lot of enquiries dealing with flies and it’s larvae, maggots. Here is a few examples:

Q: “I have maggots crawling out of my leather couch, and it is sooo gross. I found two one day then another two a different day. My couch is pretty new and I am the only owner and I just don’t understand how they got in there and now how to get rid of them. I know they are fly larva but I don’t have flies, I’m compulsive when a fly happens to make it in and I have to kill it. This is crazy. some one help plllleeeeesssseee”

Q: “I have maggots coming out a crack near bottom of fireplace. a bird or somethin must be dead in ther but i cant see it, they keep crawling out onto my living room floor, ive tried bug spray bleach,etc. nothing works, i just scoop them up and flush them, when will they stop coming out? its been a week. i cant stand it anymore its gross! ive seen them outside before when i was a kid but not in my house!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:-( help please!!!???? thx”

Q: “I have maggots falling from the cracks in my ceiling one by one and being attacked by ants, how can i kill them or contain them or clean through the cracks when i don’t seem them fall out because they fall out at a rate of one per 10 min”

Q: “I have maggots in my carpet? in my room. in a clean room. how do i get rid of them. and flies are coming form somewhere but keep showing up after i killed a number of them…. help!”

Q: “I had maggots on my rabbit and dog.”

A: Maggots are the larvae of the common housefly. If you find it on your rabbit or dog, dont worry as your dog will be fine, and probably better off for having all that extra protein! Maggots hatch from something rotten, maybe you’ve dropped something under your stove or more likely there is a dead animal there or in a wall cavity or ceiling, a mouse or rat most likely. If you can find the animal, get rid of it. if you cant you will just wait for the animal to be too decomposed for the flies to bother with. You will know this when the smell goes away…. or you can of course phone Total Pest Control

How to deal with it:

Please do not use chemicals if you want your home to be safe to you and your family. Phone us. We will deal with it, because we know what we are doing. Otherwise…

Without chemicals: Putting a napkin down and stepping on the maggots; using boiling water by sweeping them all into a bucket and pour boiling water over them or picking them up with tweezers and dumping them into boiling water; sweeping them into a pile and putting them into a plastic bag in the freezer until dead; holding a steam iron close to the maggots and hitting the steam button; using a steam cleaner on the carpets (they come right to the surface); using double-sided tape (you can trap them to a specific area); filling an open plastic container with beer and putting it near the problem area (maggots crawl into it and drown).

* PREVENTION: Keep your wheelybin clean. Contact us for a steam cleaning if you need it clean. Seal non-garbage disposable food; make sure your outdoor bins are sealed (No overfilling); put up fly strips in every room of the house; if you smell a foul smell – find the source; pour a cup or two of bleach down your sinks, bath and disposal once every two weeks to eliminate any debris and bacteria breeding grounds (bacteria smells draw flies); bleach rinse all barrels once a month (this is a good idea even if you already line your bins with plastic bags and seldom spill); screen all windows and doors and replace or patch torn screens; kill flies by darkening the larger rooms and leave a brightly lit bathroom open (when the fly makes his way to the light, enter the bathroom, close the door and finish it off instead of chasing it around the house); throw out old meat the day of or one day before the trash is taken out; wash out any pop/beer cans or food residue in the recycle bin (they will attract flies), tie your garbage super tight so the flies do not get in; dispose of fallen fruit from fruit trees and do not leave pet food outdoors.If you have a pet don’t bring bowls from outside, in, have one for outside and one for inside as eggs may be on them.
Hope this helps!

Do it the safe and easy way. Call Total Pest Control.

What we do is:

We arrive to spray floors, walls, under cabinets, cracks and crevices, sides of appliances, like your refrigerator and stove and also spray the siding of your house, garbage cans and grounds where food may stand. We use approved pesticides that is save to use a food handling or sleeping areas. We do it on daily basis and we have a lot of satisfied customers.

Natural Mozzie Repellents

Lemon Bush

The Lemon Bush

by Phakamani Xaba, SANBI, Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden and Rosalie McVay

This is the thirteenth in a series of articles on indigenous plants that have traditionally
been used by humans in southern Africa for food, medicine, crafts, and charms. Some
of these plants are now threatened while others that once formed an important part
of our diet have been forgotten. It is hoped that these articles will help revive an
interest in growing, using and conserving a valuable indigenous resource. Please note
that cited traditional information about medicinal use of plants does not constitute a
recommendation for their use for self-treatment. Improper or uninformed use of wild
plants can be extremely dangerous.

Learning to grow and use these plants will help:
· Promote sustainable use of these plants.
· Provide practical growing information especially for threatened species.
· Reduce pressure of harvesting from natural populations in the wild.
· Inform the general public about indigenous useful plants.
· Preserve indigenous knowledge.
The Lemon Bush (Lippia javanica) is The Lemon Bush is easily grown from seed
a strongly fragrant, medicinal plant or cuttings. Plants tolerate a wide variety of
indigenous to southern and tropical soil types and are drought-hardy
Africa. A hardy, untidy, multi-stemmed shrub
of the open grassveld and bushveld, it gives Where do we find the Lemon Bush?
off an intense lemon scent when crushed. The Lemon Bush is found in grasslands

Traditionally the leaves have been used for and woodlands, often locally abundant,
their strong scent as an insect repellant and throughout much of eastern and central
placed in linen cupboards and potpourri jars, southern Africa, from the Eastern Cape
or medicinally in an infusion for fevers, ’flu, northwards through Botswana, Swaziland,
coughs, colds and chest complaints. The plant Mozambique, Malawi, Tanzania, to Kenya.
has also been used topically for treating skin
rashes and, in strong concentrations, scabies What does it look lke?
and lice. The Lemon Bush is an erect, multi-branched,

woody shrub that grows 1-2 m tall. Stems
are more or less square in cross-section. The
3-4 cm-long leaves are hairy on both sides
and have dentate, lightly toothed, margins,
and are rough to the feel with deeply sunken
veins from above. Leaves are opposite, often in
whorls of up to four and have a characteristic
lemon scent when crushed. Small creamy-
white flowers clustered together in dense,
round spikes about 1 cm in diameter are
produced between February and May (but
can be found throughout the year). Seeds are
small brown nutlets.

Conservation status

Despite its popularity for traditional
medicine and charm use, the Lemon Bush is
widespread in the wild and locally abundant
in some areas. It is a hardy, drought-resistant
plant that grows easily from seed in a variety
of soil types.

Pests

It is possible that the aromatic leaves protect
this plant as animals do not browse it except
under extraordinary circumstances.

Traditional and future uses

This plant is well known medicinally to many
African tribes and to many avid herbalists.
The leaves (and stems) are made into a tea
as a cough and cold remedy, to bring down
fevers and to treat malaria. It is also excellent
for treating skin problems, scabies and scalp
infections. Some people inhale the smoke for
asthma and chronic cough. Preparations are
also used as an anti-inflammatory to soothe
sore muscles.

Xhosa people have used Lemon Bush to
disinfect meat that has been contaminated
with anthrax. It is also used traditionally as a
charm for protection against dogs, lightning
and crocodiles and for ritual cleansing after
contact with a corpse.

In horticulture the Lemon Bush is a prized
landscape or herb garden plant. It is drought
resistant and tolerates a wide variety of soil
types. It grows in full sun or partial shade.
The lemony fragrance of its natural oils add
a wonderful dimension to a garden and it has
many uses in the home, not only medicinally,
but also for its insect repelling, but pleasant
fragrance in linen cupboards and for
potpourri jars.

Commercial availability

The Lemon Bush is rich in volatile oils
including myrcene, caryophyllene, linalool,
cymene and ipsdienone and is farmed
commercially in South Africa and Kenya for
essential oil production for the perfume
industry. Geographical variations have
been identified in the concentration and
proportions of the active compounds which

132 VELD&FLORA | SEPTEMBER 2010
ABOVE: Lemon Bush (Lippia javanica). Photo: P. Xaba.

have been demonstrated in the laboratory
to have decongestant, antiseptic and anti-
inflammatory activity.

Clinical studies using human volunteers
have also shown that Lemon Bush extract
is a more potent malaria vector mosquito
repellant than most available commercial
formulations. As a consequence the South
African government’s Council for Scientific
and Industrial Research (CSIR) has isolated,
characterized and patented a formulation
and set up a rural community partnership
in Giyani, Limpopo Province, to grow Lemon
Bush on a commercial scale. The cold-pressed
extract is being processed for large-scale
production of anti-mosquito candles and
other insect repellants. Giyani’s Hi Hanyile
mosquito repellent and essential oils factory
has the capacity to manufacture 400 000
candles a year. Each 250 g candle can burn
for up to 55 hours and retails for about R20.

Seeds are seasonally available from
the Kirstenbosch Seed Room. Contact Mr
Kuphulma Zenze on tel +27 (021) 799 8624 or
email seedroom@sanbi.org.za.

GET CONNCECTED

Please email Phakamani Xaba at p.xaba@sanbi.org.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

My grateful thanks to my khehla, Peter Croeser, of
Pietermaritzburg, for editing.

READING

Pooley, Elsa, 1998. A field guide to wild flowers of
KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Region. Natal Flora
Publications Press, p. 180.
Roberts, Margaret. 1990. Indigenous healing plants.
Southern Book Publishers, pp. 118-119 .
VanWyk, B-E., B. van Oudtshoorn, & N. Gericke.
2009. Medicinal plants of South Africa. Briza,
Pretoria.

WHATS IN A NAME?

Botanical name: Lippia javanica (Burm.f.)
Spreng. Both the generic and specific names
are very old. The generic name, Lippia,
commemorates the Seventeenth Century French
physician and natural historian Augustin Lippi
(1678-1705) who was part of a delegation sent by
Louis XIV to establish commercial relations with
Ethiopia. The group were attacked and murdered
at Sennar on the Blue Nile on 10 November
1705. The specific name, javanica, was given
by the Dutch botanist Nicolaas Laurens Burman
(1734-1793) who thought the plant came
from Java (although the species is indigenous
to Africa) and placed it in the genus Verbena.
The German physician and plant systematist
Curt Polycarp Joachim Sprengel (1766-1833)
transferred Burman’s name to the genus Lippia.

Family name: Verbenaceae. The verbena
family includes 1035 species in 36 genera of
mainly tropical and sub-tropical trees, shrubs
and herbs, most of which are aromatic. These
include the famous Lemon Verbena (Aloysia
triphylla) from South America. The family
has eight genera and some forty species in
southern Africa. There are about 200 tropical
and subtropical species of Lippia, six of which
are indigenous to South Africa.

Common names: Lemon Bush, Fever Tea/
Tree, Wild Tea (English); Umsuzwane, Umswazi
(IsiZulu); Inzinziniba, Umzinzinibe (IsiXhosa);
Beukebos, Koorsbossie, Lemoenbossie, Maagbossie
(Afrikaans); Umsuzwana (IsiNdebele); Musuzwane,
M’suzwani (siTsonga); Mumara, Mosukubyane
(Shona); Musutane, Mutswane, Umsutane
(ISwati); Bokhukhwane, Musukudu (Tswana);
Musudzungwane (Venda).

An easy guide to growing LEMON BUSH

ACTIVITY
ENVIRONMENT REQUIRED
FOR SUCCESS
TREATMENT TIME REMARKS
Seed
harvesting and
preparation
Seeds are small, brown, dry nutlets when ripe. No treatment is necessary as seed is
easily germinated and grown under
most conditions.
Collect seed in winter and
throughout spring as seed
dries on plants.
This is one of the most rewarding of all
wild herbs to grow.
Sowing Sow in seed trays or any other suitable properly
draining container. The seed can also be sown
in prepared beds.
As the species is a pioneer seeds are
easily germinated and grown under
most conditions.
Early spring (August) to early
summer (December).
Can be sown in trays (spring) or directly
into beds (summer).
Vegetative
cutting
preparation
Take 5-8 cm apical shoot tip cuttings. Semi-
hardwood cuttings root best.
A rooting hormone such as Seradex
2 ® helps speed up the process.
Cuttings taken in spring
root best.
Rooted cuttings should be planted in
a small container in a general planting
mix. They can be re-potted into a larger
container during the summer.
Cultivation Ideally, beds should be weed-free with loose
soil and light watering, but they tolerate a
wide variety of soil types and are drought
resistant.
Plants thrive in full sun but also do
well in light shade.
Will grow to 2 m within
three years under ideal
conditions.
Tolerates heavy pruning, but for
shaping, prune lightly and often. Leaves
are best harvested during the summer
or autumn.

SEPTEMBER 2010 | VELD&FLORA 133

Welcome

We are a small company that specialize in Pest Control and Cleaning Services for an exclusive client base. We pride ourselves on our affordable and honest quotations and our meticulous and detailed work. We used only the best equipment with twenty years of extensive experience in all the fields of Pest Control and Cleaning.

We are an All-in-One Service Provider which cover Industrial-, Structural-, Commercial-, Horticultural-, Agricultural and Domestic Pest Control.

Our Cleaning Services cover:

Carpet and Upholstery cleaning,

Steam cleaning of Industrial Kitchens and Ablution

Valet Services

Site Cleaning and Spruce-up.

Garden Spring Clean and Pruning