Smita Naik, a resident of Margao was having trouble controlling ants and cockroaches in her home. Every time she entered her kitchen in the early hours of morning, she would find cockroaches dancing on the kitchen platform, crockery and the utensils.
"The site used to disgust me as I had to wash everything before boiling even a cup of tea. I hated to use petroleum based pest control products as they were harmful for human health and so I didn't know how to control these pests without using strong smelling sprays. But thanks to Narayan Shanbhag who solved my problem with his amazing herbal pest control product which is odourless and absolutely eco-friendly," admits Smita. It's been a year and there is no sign of cockroaches. Ants too have not dared to enter her house since then.
Amaze Pest Control, an integrated pest management services offering herbal pest control for cockroaches, ants, spiders, beg-bugs, termites, wood borer, rodents, mosquitoes in residential premises, hotels, restaurants, hospitals, offices, schools, churches and temples - boasts of a number of happy clients who vouch of not getting disturbed by these pests not only during the guarantee period of six months but over a year and sometimes even two or three years.
How on earth is this possible? "It is, very much," promises Narayan who has been catering to his clients in Goa for a decade. Explaining how this magic herbal solution works in keeping ants away, Narayan discloses that the product base is honey mixed with orange oil and many such ingredients that do wonders. Ants live in cracks and when their nests in these cracks are destroyed, they don't return for a long time. A drop of the magic solution works, when dropped near the
crack. The ants get attracted towards it and once they eat it, their stomach
gets upset.
Initially, Narayan did not take this business seriously and indulged in multiple other businesses but having witnessed the amazing results of his herbal pest control product, now he intends to focus on developing this line of business. A spiritual person Narayan believes that though humans are allergic towards pests and want to keep them away, in fact, pests like ants are friendly insects who help in balancing the eco-system. "Ants protect the plants from the attacks of viruses and help the soil maintain its fertility. So not wanting to disturb the eco-system, I do ant controlling only inside and not outside. I see to it that ants don't enter your homes but if they are in your garden, I leave them on their own," he states.
As a service provider, Narayan offers pest management services to control mosquitoes, cockroaches, termites, bed bugs and rats, promising long-lasting, effective elimination and control of various types of pests from home or office space. Since all his products are herbal based, there are less chances of posing risk to human life and they are affordable compared to chemical based pesticides available in the market.
Chemical pesticides are synthetic compounds manufactured to kill or control pests but though they do their job effectively, they cause serious health problems to humans and pets as they have side effects. Chemical pesticides are toxic and even a small amount can be hazardous, hence it's use should be avoided, feels Narayan who gets his herbal pest control products from his parent firm, Hygiene Pest Control, Kolhapur. "I take care of the Goa region," he says.
This world is meant to live for all and we humans, being selfish, try to kill others to make way for us which is not appropriate, feels Narayan.
Herbal pest control products do not have petrochemical base and hence there are no fumes, no odour or no suffocation while they are being sprayed. They are colourless and harmless too. They don't need shut down time and premises can be re-used immediately.
"Chemical pesticides pollute the environment and also contaminate the air, food and water that we consume. Therefore, when Narayan came out with this herbal solution to control pests, we were really happy," says Dr Vyankatesh Hegde who even sponsored the voluntary cleaning of the Hospicio Hospital on the last day of the year, December 31, 2017 through the Art of Living Foundation. "It is a mission clean India, that Narayan works for and we must support this mission to keep India healthy," quips Dr Hegde who mentions that the herbal pest control solution is affordable as well as effective. Narayan offers voluntary free services to temples and churches too.
Why herbal and organic pest control products are preferred over chemical based ones? The reasons are many - while chemicals are used repeatedly to control pests, there is a possibility of the pests developing resistance to that particular molecule. That gives rise to the need of using non-chemical bases or herbal pest control products that derive from naturally occurring plants and herbs. While these act slowly than chemicals, they are not harmful. "Initially due to lack of awareness, people did not believe that herbal products can control pests. But over the years, with practical and first-hand experience, people in Goa have started booking with us more and more," informs Narayan who relies on word of mouth for publicity. As it is his happy clients who tell others about their fantastic results that he keeps getting orders.
Yes, herbal emulsion preparations are time consuming and their application may take more time. But they work systematically, without harming the non-targeted occupants in the area. There is no negative effect on health of humans. They decompose/break down quickly in the environment and have low residual effect. Of course, one should also realise that just because a chemical is naturally derived, it does not automatically ensure that it's totally safe for humans or pets. However, herbal pest control treatments are considered to be good option to control household pests.
Tulsi, Neem, Garlic, Onion, Lemongrass, Pepper, Cedar wood oil, Orange oil, Lime etc are good examples of natural, herbal repellents and these degrade easily in the environment. Due to awareness, many of the pest control companies have shifted their product base from chemical to herbal which is a good sign. It will reduce the toxicity in the environment and its harmful
effects on human health. A point to be noted is, the chemical based pest control is regulated in India by Central Insecticide Board PPO and Plant Quarantine and Storage Departments while as of now, no government agency regulates herbal pest control products and treatments.
