DIY Pest Control: Why Not?

When you find pests in your home, the first thing that comes to mind is to call the pest control company to get rid of them all. But once you get an estimate of how much their services cost, you’ll probably start thinking maybe it might be better to do it yourself. The price differs depending on what pests are to be exterminated. But on average, it would cost you $30 – $40 for a one-time treatment. It usually takes several treatments to completely eliminate pests so you’d really spend around $400 to get rid of all the pests in your home. But why pay this much when you can do pest control by yourself. With DIY pest control products, you can exterminate household pests and save a lot of money in the process.

There are plenty of DIY pest control products available in the market today. You can use commercial pesticides and insecticides in your home. You can also go for organic and natural pest control which is safer and more environment-friendly. There are so many cheaper and more effective options you can you to clear your home of pests.

Common Pests

You can find pests everywhere in your home, inside and out. Listed below are just of the common pests and insects that we encounter at home.

• ants
• fleas
• bed bugs
• cockroaches
• wasps
• cluster flies
• flies
• fruit flies
• spiders
• termites
• moths
• mosquitoes
• dust mites
• silverfish
• earwig
• woodlice
• beetles
• weevils
• poultry mites
• woodworm beetles

Pests invade our home because our homes have everything they need to survive. It has food, water, and our homes also serve as their shelters. It’s no surprise that they want to invade our homes, which is why we have to be vigilant in stopping from them from getting into our homes.

Pest Control Techniques

The best thing to do first, before we use any pest control product is to make your home less conducive to these pests. Here are the 3 things you should do first before buying and using pest control products.

Clean. Sanitation is a major factor in controlling pests. By cleaning our surroundings, we can get rid of their basic attractants and prevent them from entering our houses. Do a weekly clean-up, cleaning up messes right away and making sure you clean every corner of your home and the surrounding areas.

Fix. Pests always like broken things; crevices, voids on walls, leak on faucets, open sills, etc. These are their possible entry points into places that can serve as their homes. Immediately fix crevices and cracks on walls to prevent rodents and other creeping pests from coming in. Fix any leaky faucets and plumbing problems. Moisture attracts pests and it also weakens your home, making it prone to structural damage.

Organize. Messy rooms can easily become a catch all for dirt and debris. Organizing your home lets you know where everything is and makes it easier to clean.

DIY Products

After going through the 3 steps above, there will be fewer pests in your home. However, to completely get rid of them you need to use pest control devices. For DIY pest control, you have 3 options: traps, pesticides, and pest repellents. For best results, you should use at least 2 types of pest control to protect your home.

Traps are usually used for insects and rodents. These traps are placed in areas where pests are usually found. Baits are placed inside these traps to entice them to go into the trap. The trap can either kill the insect or just contain them until their released somewhere else.

Pesticides are usually chemicals designed to kill pests in your home. They come in many different forms, sprays, fumes, poisoned baits, etc. Pesticides are very effective but they do come with a lot of safety and environmental issues. Most chemical pesticides are harmful to humans, pets, and the environment. There are natural and organic pesticides that are safer but they’re not as versatile or as convenient to use as chemical pesticides.

Lastly, you can also use pest repellents. These products don’t kill pests but rather discourage pests from coming into your home.

Using DIY pest control products are as effective as used by experts. You only need to follow the instructions carefully and to use them as indicated. You can do your research online or ask Pest Control Canberra companies for recommendations on how you can do your own pest control.