How to Do a Pest Control Treatment for Your Home

Our fully inclusive guide on how to do your own pest control treatment from the comfort of your own home.

Pests are…well, their namesake says it all doesn’t it? The definitions of “pest” are as following:

1. A destructive insect or other animal that attacks crops, food, livestock, etc.
2. An annoying person or thing. A nuisance.

Today, we’re going to be talking about the first definition of “pest”, however, it’s certainly agreeable that they also take on the second meaning too.

When it comes to having pests in the house, it can be difficult to know what to do. There are a range of products like bug control sprays which can be purchased online and in stores for this very purpose.

However, some might argue that these are dangerous to use on your own, especially in a family home with pets and children.

If this is the case, you could be best off hiring a professional exterminator to do the job for you. But then again, are they expensive for a job you could have done yourself?

Well, today, we’re going to be looking at the DIY method of things, and will be sharing with you all of the do’s and don’ts of how to do a thorough pest control treatment in your home.

Read on to find out more!

What do I Need to Consider Prior to Conducting my own Pest Treatment?

If you are inexperienced in the art of extermination or repelling pests from your home, then there are a few things you should be considering before taking the plunge and buying the ingredients to do it yourself.

We are going to list them below.

1. Is the treatment meant to eliminate a problem which is already existing, or are you looking to prepare for future pest control?

This is important because the methods of the two differ. If you are looking to get rid of an already existing pet problem, then this will be more focused – like using rat traps for example – than simply aiming to prevent any generic future pest infiltrations.

•   If it’s currently an active infestation that you’re aiming to eliminate, then you should spend some time investigating the pest at hand. Research what the best methods of getting rid of it and keeping it away are.
•   There are an abundance of “how to” guides for specific critters available online.
•   You could even consider contacting a licensed professional to ask them about this particular kind of pest.

2. Do you know what your long term objective for using this pest treatment is?

It’s important to also know what your long term objective is in getting rid of your pest problem. Think of the following points.

•   Do you intend on doing this on your own, getting rid of them once and for all?
•   Is it likely this is going to be an ongoing problem, and you’re going to have to repeat the process, say seasonally, for example?
•   Short term pest control treatments are likely to yield short term results.

3. Do you have the correct equipment, and if not, are you willing to invest in it?

Thirdly, you’ll want to consider whether or not you have all of the correct equipment to do the job yourself, or whether you’ll have to buy it. If you end up having to buy it, remember that this will add onto the overall pest treatment cost.

Consider the following points.

•   In order to properly apply certain pesticides, you must have the correct equipment.
•   Some will come in ready to use aerosols, spray bottles, and foams.
•   If serious about a long term approach to ridding you of your pest problem, you should be looking to buy a sprayer that is about one galleon.
•   If you want spray that works professionally, then you’re going to have to pay more for it.

4. Do you already own – or are willing to loan or purchase – the minimum amount of safety equipment for when you apply the treatment?

Remember that the vast majority of pesticides will include harmful and toxic chemicals.

•   Regardless of the pesticide brand or combination you choose to use, it’s likely that there’ll be dangerous ingredients in them.
•   Because of this, you’ll want to ensure that you are shielded from any sort of exposure.
•   Some good suggestions would be protective eye gear, gloves, and a respirator.
•   These are the bare minimum.

5. Are there any contributing factors that you should have corrected before trying this?

Sometimes we don’t even realise that there are other factors contributing to the fact pests are infiltrating out home – and if we acknowledged this, then we would be able to prevent the cause before having to treat it.

•   It might sound like useless advice to anyone who already has a pest problem, but prevention is often the best solution.
•   One of the best ways of doing this is by eliminating any factors that may be attracting the pests into your home in the first place.
•   The key indoors, is without doubt, sanitation.
•   Outside, you should try to keep your environment as free from debris and so on as possible.
•   Try to modify your environment before turning to pest control if your aim is prevention at current.

The Best Do It Yourself Remedy Treatment for Pests

Next up, we’re going to be taking at what the best do it yourself home remedy treatment for pests are in the home environment.

To start off with, we’re going to be taking a look some generic habits you should try and get into doing on a regular basis in order to get rid of the risk of pests coming into your home.

The great thing about these, is that they’re activities that are easily incorporated into your daily lifestyle.

Vacuuming, cleaning, and sweeping the floors every day will help to prevent the risk of pests.

You should also be certain to seal any cracks or leaks in your home. This is because they can provide an entry point for bugs and rodents to come in through.

Remember too, that food will attract bugs. If you are going to keep food to reuse – be it in the fridge, the cupboard or anywhere else – we would recommend keeping them covered and sealed properly. Believe it or not, the very smell of it will be hidden in you doing this.

Also ensure that all of your drainage systems are thoroughly working and serviced. Any waterlogging issues could attract and encourage the reproduction and habitation of certain types of pests.

Plus, if you have a sink full of dirty dishes – get the washed and put away! The smell of the remnants of food and potential bacteria developing on these plates will attract pests.

You should also be certain to clean all the corners of the rooms in your home, as well as regularly checking – and changing – bedding, pillowcases, and the like. This is just to ensure they aren’t harbouring any kind of pest.

Finally, you should absolutely be making sure that you empty trash cans on a regular basis. This will prevent the chance of rodents and other creepy crawlies coming into your home.

Basically, what we’re saying here, is that hygiene and cleanliness is key. You don’t have to go full disinfectant every day, but just ensuring that you keep a clean and tidy home is a good way of preventing your home from attracting bugs, rodents, and any other kinds of pests.

Read on to find out more about our home pest control treatment tips for various different pests.

1. What if I Have Ants in my Home?

In order to try and keep ants away from your home, you should try and adopt the following methods:

•   Sprinkle coffee groundings around doorways and windows. This will help to keep the ants away.
•   You could also try spraying soapy water on the ant hills, and furthermore the ants themselves.
•   Mint is an intolerable smell to ants – we know, strange isn’t it? So if you can, get your hands on some mint tea leaves. Then all you need to do is keep or scatter them close to where the ants keep coming in. This should deter them.
•   Cucumber slices will also help to deter ants from the areas they keep coming in through.
•   If you need an instant removal, then pouring kerosene oil over the ants is a good method. This is a good choice for those who’s ant problem is already past the “prevention” status.

2. What if I Have Fruit Flies in My Home?

In order to try and keep fruit flies away from your home, you should try and adopt the following method:

•   Get yourself a jar or a bowl.
•   Following this, fill it – and leave it full of – either some apple cider vinegar, or some ripe, mushy fruits.
•   Then, simply cover the jar or bowl with a layer of cellophane paper or clingfilm. Then take a toothpick or needle, and prick this layer with tiny holes. This is where the fruit flies will enter through.
•   This is because they will be attracted to the sweet fruity smell, and they’ll therefore enter the jar through these holes.
•   Unfortunately for the flies, however, they won’t be able to exit the jar or bowl. This is good for you, and should help you to get rid of the fruit flies flying around your head!

3. What if I Have Cockroaches in my Home?

In order to try and keep cockroaches away from your home, you should try and adopt the following methods:

•   Make up a soapy solution, and transfer it into a spray bottle. Keep this handy, and when you see the cockroaches, spray it on them wherever you see them.
•   You could also try and get your hands on some boric acid. You should try spreading this wherever you find the cockroaches – some ideal places would be countertops, sinks, and pipes. The good thing about doing this, is even if they’re not there at the moment you spread it, the cockroach will carry the acid in their mouths, and will likely take it to their nests. This will effectively kill all of the roaches.
•   If you don’t mind giving up some of your drinking beer – we know, it’s a lot to ask! – spraying it on the cockroaches can be effective.
•   As well as all of the above, cumin, coffee grounds, cucumber, and garlic can be useful in deterring cockroaches from your home.

4. What if I Have Bed Bugs in my Home?

In order to try and keep bed bugs away from your home – and furthermore your beds – you should try and adopt the following method:

•   Try and get your hands on a camphor. After doing this, you should take the time to light it in the room where the bed bugs are causing the issue.
•   Once you’ve done this, you should be sure that all of the windows and doors etc are closed in the space, and leave it for thirty minutes.
•   Within thirty minutes, any bed bugs there should be dead, and will need disposing of.
•   Another method of getting rid of the bed bugs, would be the spray them with a strong alcohol solution.

5. What if I Have Spiders in my Home?

In order to try and keep spiders away from your home, you should try and adopt the following method:

•   Before starting, know that spiders cannot handle the pungent scent of vinegar. It is entirely intolerable to them.
•   You should aim to mix together a water and vinegar solution in a spray bottle. Spraying this on the spiders should actually kill them instantly.
•   Alternatively, if you also don’t fancy the smell of vinegar being spread around your home, a soapy solution should also be effective in ridding you of the spiders.

6. What if I Have Mosquitoes in my Home?

Finally, in order to try and keep mosquitoes away from your home, you should try and adopt the following methods:

•   Unfortunately, mosquitoes are a little more difficult to move on from your home, and can be quite tricky to get rid of. Although tricky, it’s certainly not impossible.
•   It will, however, take some work putting in and require patience from yourself.
•   One of the key things to use when trying to get rid of mosquitoes, would be essential oils.
•   The specific essential oils to spray around your home in order to try and rid you of your mosquito problem would be neem, mint, tulsi, lavender, and eucalyptus.
•   These will be the most effective in removing the mosquitoes from your home.

Are There Any Other Methods I Can Use?

Last of all, but by no means least, we’re going to be taking a look at other usable methods in helping to get rid of generic pests from your home.

The first of these, is to plant some herbs around your home.

Plants and herbs in their certain varieties can create a great deterrent for many different household pests.

Some of these can be kept in the home, but others will need to be placed either in your garden or courtyard, and on your balcony if you have one.

The key plants to use in trying to do this would be:

•   Marigold plants.
•   Tulsi.
•   Mint.
•   Neem.
•   Citronella.
•   Tea Tree.
•   Eucalyptus.

Not only will these be effective in deterring bugs and pests from your home – and garden – but they’ll also look beautiful and give off a wonderful aroma. Plus, they’re all natural, so you won’t have to use any harmful chemicals.

The next of these, is using essential oils and mixtures.

There are some certain essential oils – and mixtures of them – that can deter even the most persistent of household pests.

In order to make the ideal mixture to deter pests, you’ll need the following:

•   One cup of grain alcohol. An ideal example of this would be vodka.
•   One tablespoon of an essential oil. We will list the ideal ones to use below.

You should mix these ingredients together, and keep them in a spray bottle. You could try making more than one bottle and keeping them in various locations of the house, just so you always have one handy when you spot a pest invading your home!

The essential oils you should have in your home to deter pests are:

•   Lavender.
•   Tea tree.
•   Geranium.
•   Neem.
•   Tulsi.
•   Eucalyptus.
•   Rosemary.
•   Peppermint.

Many of these, we have actually already mentioned above. Making the mixture above with any of these essential eyes should help to create an effective preventative for pests in the home.

Keep them handy in spray bottles around the home, and they will be easy enough to use at your leisure. Plus, again, they smell great, and include no harmful pesticides or chemicals. Win – win!

We hope you’ve enjoyed reading this article today, and that it’s been informative on how you can use and create DIY pest control treatments at home – often without having to spend a lot, or use harmful chemicals.

Thanks!