Articles & Inspiration

Getting rid of bed bugs can be challenging and time-consuming but it is not a problem that anybody wants to live with, so it is worth the effort and The Big Cheese has a variety of effective solutions.

Some of the steps you can take to get rid of bed bugs are:

Wash all your bedding and clothing in hot water (at least 60°C) and tumble dry them for at least 30 minutes. This will kill any bed bugs and their eggs. 

Use The Zero In Bed Bug and Dust Mite Killer Bomb to clear your home room by room.

Treat the infected area with Zero In’s selection

Citronella has been used for centuries in Asian cultures to treat health conditions like rashes and infections, but nowadays, this fragrant oil is best known for repelling mosquitoes and other flying insects,

Taken from the leaves of Cymbopogon, (that’s lemongrass to me and you) Citronella has a floral, citrus-like aroma and in its natural form is an Asian grass plant. 

What are the benefits of citronella? 

Insect repellent

It is all in the smell and if you hadn’t heard of citronella, you would definitely have smelt it - we like to say it’s the scent of summer! 

Getting down to the specifics, and as the title explains, citronella oil repels rather than kills pests

Have you ever experienced the frustration of opening your wardrobe to find your favourite clothing items full of holes? If so, you likely have tiny and destructive invaders……clothes moths!

Meet the Culprits

Clothes moths, scientifically known as Tineola bisselliella, are tiny insects that are notorious for causing damage to clothing, carpets, upholstery, and other textiles!

Unfortunately for you, they also have expensive taste; tending to prefer clothes with natural fibres like your wools, silks, and cashmere, leaving you with holey nightmares and an empty wallet. Plus, there's the sentimental blow when favourite items are ruined.

The Lifecycle of Clothes Moths

To combat clothes moths

Thanks to insecticides, powerful cleaning products, and the good old vacuum cleaner, fleas on humans are pretty much unheard of here in the UK. However, it’s another story for our furry four-legged friends. Though not their fault, they are the main reason we find fleas in our homes and these pests can be hard to spot.  

How to identify a flea

Fleas are small, flat-bodied creatures. They are dark brown, around 3mm long, and have 6 legs that are adapted for jumping - being able to reach heights of up to 30cm!  Are you feeling itchy yet? 

Just to clarify how tiny they actually are, their size is comparable to a black pepper grain or the head of a ballpoint pen - making them basically a speck! 

Technically they are still visible to the naked eye,

We can all relate and understand the pain of having an unwanted house guest, but at least with flies, we are able to take steps to keep them out without any fear of upsetting anybody. 

As they return year after year, it might seem like this is a losing battle, but in this guide, we'll make a few suggestions to help you give them the buzz off. 

Indoor 

Shut the door

It might seem like a simple solution, but flies are yet to find a way to fly through a solid surface. Though, if it meant they could get into your house, I wouldn’t put it past them developing the technology, would you? Anyway, shutting the door stops the pesky little pests from zipping in behind you at lightning speed. 

If you have house plants, there is a strong chance that you will have seen tiny gnats silently swooping into your eyeline and being a general annoyance around your home. Often confused with fruit flies, these little black insects are known as Fungus Gnats.

There are 250 different breeds of Fungus Gnats in the UK alone, these flying insects are predominantly brown and measure around 3-4mm long. Their larvae are slender and white with a black head and can reach up to 6mm long.

Fungus gnats are attracted to moisture and feed on the rotting matter in compost. Apart from some minor damage to your plant roots they are largely harmless and occur outdoors more than inside, but it is when they are in your home that they can be an annoyance as they will seek out new sources of food