Do It Yourself Pest Control


If you are considering taking care of the pestilences of your home instead of calling in professional help here are a few tips that you can use to guide you on the way. Look for places that pests such as flying insects or rodents can enter your home from. This is called 'weatherizing' your home. Seal all these possible entry points to your home. Look for gaps that ate larger than 1 inch. These are usually at the bottom of doors and walls and where roofs overlap.

Checkpoints for a Pest Control task that you would like to do yourself

Check for structural damage such as rat holes or decaying wood. Water damage can create weak spots in the wood and rodents can enter from there. Repair damages windows and screens. Squirrels, raccoons, and birds' frequent chimneys, they represent the single largest opening in a home. Consider chimney caps or wire mesh to cover the chimney opening and cut back limbs, shrubs and vines that touch or overhang your property.

Handy hints for DIY pest control and treatment

Once you have sealed off all entry points to your home you must detect and clear away all forms of food that attract pests, drawer and cabinet liners, paper grocery bags, and even wallpaper can be a source of food to pests. A few rules to follow would be to get rid of all the trash or debris from in and around your house. Never allow food, trash, decaying wood, etc. to remain in or on your property. Keep all areas where food is prepared, stored, and served clean and free of crumbs and grease. Keep drains and gutters clean and stack firewood off the ground. Make it a habit to shuffle stored items regularly and keep boxes tightly sealed in plastic bags.

Using chemicals for DIY pest control

There are many pesticide sprays available in the market- for flying insects, cockroaches as well as crickets. Termite treatments are also very effective. There are a multitude of poisons that are available for rodents. To be on the safer side, however, it is important to protect yourself and others from contact with any pesticide. Never eat, drink, or smoke while using any pesticide. After completion, carefully and thoroughly wash out all remnants of even the strains of pesticide from your hands. It is always easier to spot a potential problem when the interior and exterior of your home are clean and uncluttered. Sanitation is your best defense against pests. So, though you may have done a thorough job detecting the pests and getting rid of them, you must be ever vigilant for signs that point to another invasion in the future.

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