Do you suspect you may have a
pest problem in your home? Before you get on the phone to call in an expert, you might want to give DIY pest control a try. Here's how to properly identify and eliminate any pests that may have moved into your home.
1. Identify the problem
If you’re reading this, you’ve probably had some problems around your home that you think are being caused by unwanted pests. Have you noticed wood damage in features around your home? Are you waking up to find that your pantry has been raided in the night? Have you seen some nasty bugs in your living area that are giving you the heebie-jeebies? Take note of any issues or damage you have seen, to help you in your quest to identify the culprits.
2. Do a thorough check for damage
Now it's time to do a thorough inspection of your whole home, to pin down exactly where any damage has occurred. You are likely to find that the problem is concentrated in a few areas in your home, rather than evenly spread throughout. This thorough check will help you to know where to apply a pesticide, when you get to that step.
3. Identify the culprit
Now that you know the full extent of the damage, you'll need to identify the creature that is causing the damage. Is it ants? Cockroaches? Rodents? Termites? You'll need a unique strategy for each one of these creatures, so it’s important to know what you’re dealing with. Keep a close eye on the problem areas in your home for a couple of days, during the day and during the night, to make sure you have the right creature identified.
4. Find the pests’ living areas and entry points
Ok, you’ve identified your resident pests and maybe you’ve already seen a few of them scuttling around your home during your investigation. The task now is to identify where the pests are living. If you can find a nesting site, that’s first prize. It’ll make it easier to get rid of the pest population all in one go. Also keep an eye out for access points (cracks, gaps, overhanging branches, etc.) where the pests may be entering your home from the outside.
5. Develop an elimination strategy
Now it’s time for a plan of action! Do a search online to find what treatments have worked for others who have had to get rid of the same pests you are facing. If your problem is minor, you may be able to get away with using some generic products you can find at the grocery store. For more serious pest infestations, however, you may need to look at using professional-grade products to get the job done.
6. Choose a pesticide that is specific to your needs
Some pesticides will help you get rid of a whole range of different pests (a spray that kills any crawling insects, for example), while others can be used to target one specific organism only. Be careful of using pesticides that are too generalised, as they may kill other organisms that form an important part of the ecosystem, instead of just going after the pests that you want to target. Always remember that pesticides are poisons, and you don’t want to just layer on multiple poisons in the hope that one will work.
7. Source and buy the pesticide(s)
Once you’ve chosen a suitable pesticide, you’ll need to buy it. You may be able to buy the product at your local supermarket, or you may need to look online for a more specialised store.
8. Read the instructions carefully
You have your pesticide at hand and you’re ready to apply it... but not yet! First you’ll need to read the instructions on the container carefully. This is really important because if you use the chemical incorrectly, you may harm the humans or pets living in your home instead of the pests you’re trying to eliminate.
9. Clear other humans and animals out of the house before you start applying the chemicals
When you’re ready to get started, clear out the residents of your household. Make sure everyone is safely out of the way before you start using the pesticide in your home.
10. Use safety equipment
Put on gloves and protective clothing before you apply the pesticide. It's a good idea to also wear a cloth mask to make sure you don't breathe in any dangerous chemicals.
11. Target any nesting sites or areas of high activity
Now you can start applying the product according to the label directions. Use a targeted approach when applying the product – you don't need to cover your whole house! Target any nesting or access sites that you identified earlier, and focus on the rooms in which the pests have been causing problems (e.g. in your kitchen for rodents and cockroaches, or your bedroom for bedbugs).
12. Monitor the situation
Once you have treated the pest infestation, monitor the situation over the next few days or even weeks, to make sure you have been successful. It may take a few days before you see the effects, so don’t lose hope if the pests don’t drop dead straight away!
13. Take the time to ensure the pests stay away
If you’ve done a smashing DIY job and the pests seem to be gone, well done! But before you pat yourself on the back and return to life as normal, consider applying some general maintenance tips going forward, to keep your home permanently pest-free.
14. Seal cracks and gaps
The first important job is to seal any cracks and gaps around your home, which pests can use to get inside. You can do this using wire mesh, or sealing putty for those tiny insect-sized gaps.
15. Clean your home
Next, make sure you keep things clean! This may be the most important step of all when it comes to keeping pests away. Clean away food scraps, wipe down counters and make sure that food is stored in sealed containers whenever possible. Also be sure to do a regular vacuum job in your home, paying special attention to those hard-to-reach nooks and crannies where pests can hide out during the day.
16. Clean your yard
The cleaning job doesn’t end there, unfortunately. Once you’ve given your home a thorough once-over, move on to your yard. Trim back any branches or vines that are growing near your house, and sweep away leaf litter so the pests don’t have anywhere to hide out during the day. Also make sure that you clean out your gutters regularly, and try not to have any containers outside where water can collect, as these could become a breeding site for mosquitoes and other insect larvae.
If you are thorough during your DIY pest-elimination mission, you may be waving goodbye to pest problems for good! There’s no need to jump straight to calling in a whole S.W.A.T. team of people for a problem that you can easily solve yourself.