‘Act now' – Major warning for Irish households over huge rise in seasonal pests that pose serious ‘health risks'
IRISH households are being warned about a huge rise in seasonal pests that can come with serious health risks.
As temperatures rise, Rentokil has predicted an increase in fly activity this summer.
Advertisement
3
Just two flies can lay up to 500 eggs that can hatch within 7 days
Credit: Getty Images - Getty
3
Rentokil has listed their top ways of preventing a fly infestation
Credit: Getty Images - Getty
Warm, humid conditions create an ideal breeding ground for flies resulting in a spike of activity at this time of year.
Flies can pose much more than just a nuisance, they can spread deadly
A Rentokil study found that a single fly infestation can lead to staff illnesses, costing businesses over nine working days per year.
As these diseases can infect everyday food surfaces and equipment,
Advertisement
READ MORE IN HEALTH
It is advised to act quickly to avoid infestations in your home.
Rentokil's
is a sustainable, non-toxic solution designed for outdoor use and constructed from recycled plastic
The Irish company describes the product as the leading way to prevent flies this summer.
You can use this trap for more than just house flies to keep you and everyone else safe from bacteria.
Advertisement
Most read in Health
Exclusive
As the trap utilises the 'contrast effect' and uses a sweet-scented liquid food lure to help capture common fly species, such as blow flies and fruit flies before they enter buildings.
They assure their trap is ideal for various outdoor business spaces such as hospitality venues, hotels, pubs, gardens, terraces, and external waste areas.
And it doesn't require electricity as the unit can be wall mounted, hung or placed on a flat surface.
HOW TO PREVENT INFESTATIONS
IRELAND'S leading pest controllers, Rentokil, have recommended the best ways to prevent fly infestations:
Seal entry points of windows, vents, doors and pipes
Always dispose of food waste
Use screens over kitchen windows and doors
Regularly clean your drains and pipes
Use the EcoCatch fly trap from Rentokill
Regional Technical Manager at Rentokil, Colm Moore said: 'Flies thrive in warm weather, and we consistently see higher activity during the late spring and summer months.
Advertisement
"Identifying potential problem areas and acting early can significantly reduce the risk of an infestation."
According to Rentokill, just two flies can produce up to 500 eggs.
These can then hatch in as little as seven days, so it's vital to control your pest problem quickly.
Flies can pose significant health risks and cause economic harm to businesses, especially in food environments.
Advertisement
So addressing these areas and implementing effective pest control measures can help mitigate the risks associated with
Meanwhile, this 85c food item will banish flies and you probably already
Pest control experts have said that one of the best ways to deter flies is with a cucumber.
This unlikely helpful vegetable can be bought for just 85c at Aldi or in almost any store around the country.
Advertisement
And chances are you might already have one in your fridge, meaning you won't have to spend a penny.
3
Binning all food waste from the premises will help to keep flies away
Credit: Getty Images - Getty
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Irish Independent
21 minutes ago
- Irish Independent
Triona McCarthy: Sensitive skin and scalp? Check out these home-brand goodies with nourishing marine extracts
Seavite was founded in the 1990s by Patrick Mulrooney, who created the brand for his daughters Jane and Katherine, who both suffered from eczema. Their mother Kaye celebrated a significant birthday at the bash and, as a former schoolteacher, she spoke so eloquently about the brand's journey. Kaye described Seavite as a love story, highlighting how Patrick developed this range out of love for his little girls. It was an incredibly emotional moment. Kaye is still very much involved with the brand, working alongside her daughters and their brother Patrick, who helps manage the Dr Mulrooney Clinic, specialising in clinical dermatology. I told Kaye she is an icon, and she graciously returned the compliment, sharing her mantra: 'A compliment is like perfume; enjoy it, but just don't swallow it.' It's a quote from her late husband Patrick that I now cherish and often repeat. Here's to Irish success stories! Seavite saviours Seavite's skincare combines soothing marine extracts from Galway and is especially suitable for those with sensitive skin. While all of the brand's products are brilliant, the Seavite Super Nutrient Soothing & Replenishing Face Cream (€58, is a must for any skin, but especially sensitive or dry skin. Made from organic seaweed extracts and nourishing botanicals, it has a deeply hydrating formula, the calming seaweed extracts soothe irritations and over time, you'll find those pesky lines, wrinkles and discolouration diminishing. Smooth operator Green Angel is another great Irish skincare brand, founded in 2006 by Chris and Mary Mitchell. The products are handmade in Rathcoole, Dublin. The brand has an amazing special offer at present, where if you buy its Green Angel Sunrise Magic Smoother (€39, you get its Ocean Rich gift set containing Seaweed Body Lotion and Seaweed Hand Cream (worth €45) completely free. The exfoliating Magic Smoother is one of the brand's hero products, as it uses sea salt, argan oil and Irish seaweed to remove dead skin cells and nourish the skin. Use it during the warmer months to prepare your skin for applying tan and in the winter to keep your skin soft. Sea it, believe it Created by Irish entrepreneur Sinead Asple, Sea+Solu is another great brand using plant-forward formulations, Irish marine minerals and advanced biotechnology in its products. Hair needs a little extra TLC during the warmer months, particularly if you're hitting the pools and beaches, and the Sea+Solu Moisture Melt Shampoo and Moisture Melt Conditioner (€26.95 each, are fab. Every formula is sulphate-free, silicone-free, paraben-free and vegan, and they are good for scalp health while cleansing and strengthening your hair. They are a great choice for combating summer dryness and frizz if you're escaping to sunnier shores over the next few months. Treat Eyes on the prize I love multi-purpose products and when it comes to eyeshadow, Chanel Les Beiges Healthy Glow Natural Eyeshadow Palette (€70, is a good 'un. It can also be used as a base or highlighter. A palette of five natural colours, it allows you to create all kinds of hot looks for both day and nightime. Trick Tame the pain Like everything good in life, beauty sometimes comes at a price, gals. And as women, our hormones dictate so much of our lives, including our tolerance to pain. I hardly need to tell you that when we're on our period, we're much more sensitive to pain. So, if you're having a beauty treatment that might be a little uncomfortable, like laser hair removal, the best time to book is mid-cycle, which is when we're better able to put up with pain. Treatment Island escape Being a Corkonian, I have a real grá for Fota Island Resort and I adore its spa. It has a great offer called Summer Escape at Fota Island Resort (from €669 based on two people sharing, The spa's signature Hydra Glow Facial will leave you glowing and you also get to enjoy the hydrotherapy pool, Acacia Thermal Suite and outdoor sauna. The escape includes a two-night stay, full Irish breakfast each morning and a three-course meal.
Irish Independent
36 minutes ago
- Irish Independent
The Sunday Independent's View: The Leaving Cert is the least of young people's worries
It may be worth asking whether having the eyes of the whole country fixed on them as they go through that rite of passage only adds to the pressure under which students are labouring right now. Worth asking even more is whether we would be better off as a society if half as much attention was paid to young people's struggles with mental health all year round as opposed to the Leaving Cert for those few weeks each June. A survey of young people published last week by the Irish Health Behaviour in School-Aged Children (HBSC) team at University College Galway made for predictably grim reading. It reported that almost 50pc of Irish children and teenagers between the ages of 10 and 17 report 'feeling low' at least once a week — a figure that has more than doubled since 1998. The outlook for girls is particularly concerning, with 57.6pc disclosing being regularly unhappy, compared to 35.2pc of boys. Data from HBSC teams around Europe tells the same story. Worryingly, nearly one in four of the young people surveyed suffer from headaches. Just under one in two experience sleep disturbances. That latter figure may have much to do with excessive screen time. The devices to which we all seem to be addicted, adults and children alike, devour our waking hours. By feeding us an unending diet of anger and negativity, they contribute to a vicious cycle of worsening mental health. The irony is that the main concern in previous decades used to centre on teenage drinking and drug abuse The younger a person gets a smartphone, the more likely they are to suffer from depression later on. The more they use them, the worse their mental health. From the climate crisis to the horrors of the war in Gaza, their minds are bombarded 24/7 with reasons to feel anxious. Not knowing if they will ever be able to afford to rent or buy their own home or earn enough to keep pace with the rising cost of living adds to that unease. The irony is that the main concern in previous decades used to centre on teenage drinking and drug abuse. As the HBSC report confirms, young people are now less likely than every previous generation to report being 'really drunk' at some point, down sharply from 33pc in 1998 to 17.8pc now. Chemical highs have merely been replaced by mental and emotional lows in a world that increasingly feels as if it is falling apart. Teenagers can be forgiven for thinking that the Leaving Cert is the least of their problems. Older generations used to envy the young. No more. Until their angst is properly recognised as a public crisis, the most vulnerable among them will continue to be left to struggle alone What can be done to ease this malaise is the real issue. Addressing the launch of the HBSC report via a pre-recorded video message last week, Fianna Fáil's Junior Public Health Minister Jennifer Murnane O'Connor acknowledged the pressures undermining children's well-being, and declared: 'We need to support equality and ensure that no young person is left behind.' ADVERTISEMENT Few would disagree with that fine, if slightly glib, sentiment. Making it happen is harder. As with housing, the mental challenges being experienced by young people need to be the focus of a resolute cross-departmental approach, encompassing every arm of government. Until their angst is properly recognised as a public crisis, the most vulnerable among them will continue to be left to struggle alone, long after the annual messages of solidarity as they sit the Leaving Cert have been forgotten.
RTÉ News
6 hours ago
- RTÉ News
10 top tips for better sleep for little ones
Bedtime tantrums, separation anxiety and frequent night-time wake-ups are just some of the common challenges parents of young children often face. Sleep disruptions can take a serious mental and physical toll on both children and their caregivers, so to better understand the importance of a consistent bedtime routine, we spoke with Dr Jacqueline Harding, a child development and education expert, and author who consults on many notable children's television programs, like CBeebies' BeddyByes - a pre-school sleep show created by Irish animation company JAM Media. "Some obvious signs of sleep deprivation in children include rubbing their eyes or rolling around on the floor, and sometimes they can become irritable," highlights Harding. "Children generally enjoy life, and they're not going out of their way to make life difficult for parents, but when their emotional integrity is breaking down and they feel this lack of safety and security, then everything begins to look a bit hazy for them. This can affect their memory and their learning, "Sleep deprivation can also erode the fabric of biological life and affect our immune system. So, that hour before bedtime can be used to set children up for a fantastic neurological and biological future." Here are Harding's top 10 tips for helping your little one get a good night's sleep… 1. Create a predictable bedtime routine Young children thrive on rhythm and familiarity, says Harding. "The brain, including little brains, is a predicting organ which uses up a lot of its resources (about 40%) trying to work out its place in the world, and prediction is one of those," explains Harding. "In order to have the security and safety to go to sleep, little ones really do need predictability. "A calm, consistent sequence of events – bath, story, cuddle, sleep – signals to the brain that bedtime is near, helping reduce stress hormones and invite relaxation." It's also important to try and keep to the same bedtime every night when possible, as this can this help cultivate consistency and calmness. "Even on weekends, keeping bedtime and wake time consistent helps regulate a child's circadian rhythm (the body's internal clock), making falling asleep and staying asleep much easier," explains Harding. 2. Limit screen time before bed "The blue light from tablets and TVs can interfere with the production of melatonin, the hormone that helps us feel sleepy," highlights Harding. "Make sure [children] don't watch anything overly exciting before bed, and if screen time is used then sleep conscious content is best." "BeddyByes has a narrative that's calm, soothing and communicating, all the way as the melatonin builds up so that sleep is inevitable," notes Harding. "It's all very symbolic and scientifically based as well, and is sort of saying, here you go parents, here's some really good ideas for a bedtime routine." 3. Read to your children before bed "There are wonderful, magical things that happen in the brain before children go to bed, and it's as though those rich words that come through bedtime reading seep into the brain. "At about two to three years of age, when they're going to sleep, many children rehearse some of the language they've heard or something they've heard in the story. It's fascinating to hear, and it's like they're rehearsing what they've learned during the day for the next day." 4. Create a sleep-friendly environment "A cool, quiet and dark room helps little bodies wind down," says Harding. "A nightlight is fine if needed, but keep it dim. Soft music can soothe and create a sense of safety." 5. Offer melatonin-rich foods "Certain foods help the body naturally produce melatonin," says Harding. "Consider giving your child a small serving of foods such as tart cherries, bananas, oats, sweetcorn, or warm milk at dinnertime. These can support their natural sleep rhythm gently and deliciously." 6. Make time for outdoor play "Exposure to natural daylight and plenty of physical activity during the day helps regulate sleep-wake cycles," explains Harding. "Sunshine and movement are nature's gifts to growing bodies and sleeping brains – this helps set the body's internal clock. "Physical activity during the day also uses energy in the best way – setting the scene for a restful night." 7. Talk through the day's events "In BeddyByes, Gramma Leeba, who is the reassuring voice all the way through (voiced by Dawn French), reflects back to them their day," says Harding. "Little brains can be busy processing emotional moments, so a gentle chat about the day's highs and lows can help a child feel secure and 'tidy up' their thoughts before drifting off." 8. Comfort and reassurance "Preschoolers may experience night fears or separation anxiety," recognises Harding. "Reassure them with a calm voice and presence. A favourite soft toy or a special blanket can provide extra comfort. This emotional bonding makes children more likely to cooperate and feel settled." 9. Avoid over-scheduling "Busy days filled with activities can overstimulate young children – downtime helps regulate energy and emotions, making bedtime smoother," says Harding. "Allow for slow, quiet moments in the day, particularly before bedtime. Downtime helps the nervous system unwind." 10. Model calm and stillness "Children are excellent emotional barometers," says Harding. "If bedtime becomes rushed or fraught, their bodies pick up on that. Your calm, present energy becomes the template for their own winding down."
