Pest control is an essential part of your home maintenance plan, and choosing to do-it-yourself gives you more control over how it is done. In addition to being able to treat your house for pests on your own schedule, buying the supplies is also more cost-effective than hiring a service.
The secret to controlling pests is to eliminate them from the inside of your home while focusing on establishing outdoor barriers that prevent them from coming indoors. As you develop your pest management plan, use this guide to effectively battle those critters with a thorough approach.
Identify Your Pests
Most common pests are easily identifiable, yet insects such as carpenter ants and termites can be tricky. Try to get a sample of the pest that you are dealing with, and look up images and descriptions online. Then, carefully inspect your entire property to see if other pests exist.
Once you know which pests you are dealing with, you can better select your methods. For instance, mammals such as mice and squirrels can be baited and trapped. Alternatively, a tiny infestation of ants in your kitchen might only require a single can of aerosol spray.
Pick Your Indoor Pesticide
The right pesticide increases the effectiveness of your plan, and you will need to know the type and size of your infestation to make the right choice. When you are dealing with a major indoor infestation, liquid concentrates give you fast results, and the spray method allows you to cover large areas.
You can also use foggers that typically cover one room per device. While you may need to leave your home during their use, they are effective at reaching hidden areas in your home that house pests. Powders are wonderful for offering long-lasting protection, and they work well under sinks.
Select Your Outdoor Pesticide
Outdoor pest control methods are easier when you use a ready-to-use concentrate spray that attaches to your hose. Just follow the instructions to attach it, and you can spray large areas of your lawn such as the bushes and grassy areas to tackle big infestations.
Granules are another type of outdoor product that you can use for ants, slugs and worms. These are simply sprinkled on to the area that you need to treat, and they begin to work as soon as the insects eat them.
Eliminate Attractants
After applying pesticide, you still have more work to do to keep pests away. Since pests are attracted to water and food, eliminating these resources helps you avoid another infestation. Make sure to clean up all food debris. Scour your pantry, and make sure your trash goes out at night into a covered can.
Repairing plumbing leaks is also important. Often, there is a leaky spigot outside or fixture indoors that attracts pests. Check for leaks around your home, and replace worn out faucets and pipes with new ones. This way, pests have no reason to come near your home.
Fix Entry Points on the Exterior of Your Home
It is also common to discover structural issues that led to the infestation. Check the outside of your home for problems such as cracked caulking around windows or small holes that allow pests to come inside. Then, repair and replace these areas so that insects can no longer use them for access.
Taking the initiative to eliminate your pest infestation allows you to know exactly what chemicals are used around your pets and kids. It also ensures that you can keep your plan up so that your home stays pest-free with each season. At Crown Hardware & Plumbing Supply Inc., we have a large supply of pest control products so contact us today so we can help you find what you need.
