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Home › Prevention tips
Prevention guide: keep them away before they arrive
A few simple habits greatly reduce the risk of infestation. Here are our technicians' tips, room by room and season by season.
In the kitchen
- Store food, cereals and pet food in airtight containers
- Don't leave dirty dishes and crumbs out overnight
- Empty the food waste bin often and wash it
- Check behind the fridge, oven and dishwasher: they are cockroaches' favourite hiding places
- Fix leaks under the sink straight away
In the bathroom and cellar
- Air and dehumidify: damp attracts silverfish, cockroaches and millipedes
- Fit plugs or mesh on drains you rarely use
- Don't pile up boxes and old newspapers: they give shelter and food to many insects
- Seal the holes around pipes and cables coming in from outside
In the garden and on the terrace
- Empty plant saucers, buckets and anything that collects water every week
- Clean gutters and drains
- Keep the grass short and firewood away from the walls of the house
- Pick up fallen fruit and don't leave pet food outdoors
- At the end of winter, check roller shutters, lofts and pine trees
What never to do
- Spreading rat poison without closed bait stations: it is dangerous for children, dogs and cats
- Burning or soaking a wasp or hornet nest
- Touching pine processionary caterpillar nests or caterpillars
- Using large amounts of insecticide spray indoors
- Feeding pigeons and seagulls
Season by season
What to check during the year
Winter
Check pine trees for processionary caterpillar nests, block the entry points of rodents looking for a warm shelter, inspect lofts and cellars.
Spring
Check roller shutters and lofts for the first wasp nests, start the anti-mosquito programme, and watch out for processions of caterpillars under pine trees.
Summer
Get rid of standing water every week, protect the kitchen from flies and cockroaches, check your suitcases when you get back from holiday.
Autumn
Book the preventive pine processionary caterpillar treatment, seal gaps before mice and brown marmorated stink bugs get in, clean gutters and drains.
| Pest | G | F | M | A | M | G | L | A | S | O | N | D |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mice and rats | medium | medium | low | low | low | low | low | low | medium | high | high | high |
| Cockroaches | low | low | low | medium | high | high | high | high | medium | low | low | low |
| Ants | none | none | low | medium | high | high | high | high | medium | low | none | none |
| Mosquitoes and tiger mosquitoes | none | none | none | low | medium | high | high | high | medium | low | none | none |
| Wasps and hornets | none | none | low | medium | medium | high | high | high | high | medium | none | none |
| Bed bugs | medium | medium | medium | medium | medium | high | high | high | medium | medium | medium | medium |
| Fleas and ticks | none | none | low | medium | high | high | high | high | medium | low | none | none |
| Flies and flying insects | none | none | low | low | medium | high | high | high | medium | low | none | none |
| Pigeons and gulls | medium | medium | high | high | high | high | medium | medium | medium | medium | medium | medium |
| Pine processionary caterpillar | medium | high | high | medium | none | none | none | none | low | low | medium | medium |
| Moths and stored-product insects | low | low | low | medium | medium | high | high | high | medium | low | low | low |
| Silverfish and other insects | medium | medium | medium | medium | medium | medium | medium | medium | medium | medium | medium | medium |
low presencemediumpeakcurrent month
Find out more
Pest profiles
Mice and ratsNoises in the false ceiling, droppings, gnawed cables: safe rodent control with closed bait stations.CockroachesThey come out at night from drains and kitchens: targeted gel treatments, even in premises open to the public.AntsTrails of ants in the kitchen or on the terrace: we target the nest, not just the workers.Mosquitoes and tiger mosquitoesGardens, apartment buildings and accommodation: seasonal programme against larvae and adults.Wasps and hornetsNests under the roof, in roller shutters or in trees, including Asian hornets (Vespa velutina): safe removal.Bed bugsBites when you wake up and small spots on the mattress: discreet treatments for homes, hotels and B&Bs.Fleas and ticksBites on the ankles, pets scratching, infested gardens: indoor and outdoor treatments.Flies and flying insectsCommercial kitchens, stables and bin stores: insect-catching lamps and targeted treatments.Pigeons and gullsDroppings on terraces, roofs and signs: nets, deterrents and cleaning, without harming the birds.Pine processionary caterpillarWhite nests on pine trees and caterpillars marching in a line: dangerous for dogs and children. Removal and treatments.Moths and stored-product insectsFlour, pasta and cereals with small insects or webs: pheromone monitoring and treatments.Silverfish and other insectsSilverfish, spiders, millipedes, brown marmorated stink bugs: we tell you what they are and how to get rid of them.