Homeowners often face troubles caused by vermin such as roaches, flies, and mosquitoes. Thankfully, there are effective solutions available for common pest problems. Equip yourself with the right tools and knowledge by exploring these 10 essential DIY pest control products that every homeowner should have.
Fly Screen
When it comes to maintaining good ventilation and enjoying fresh air, opening windows and doors is a common solution. However, this also means welcoming unwanted insects like mosquitoes, flies, flying ants, and roaches into your home.
To prevent these pesky intruders while still enjoying fresh air, homeowners should consider using fly screens. Fly screens are essential for keeping insects at bay while maintaining proper airflow.
You can easily find a variety of DIY fly screens on Amazon, such as this magnetic strip attachment. With no need for drilling, installation is a breeze. Simply cut the screen to fit your window size and assemble it yourself.
For doors, opt for larger door screens that can be adjusted to fit your specific door size.
Before making a purchase, it’s important to measure your windows and doors to ensure the fly screens are smaller in size. This ensures a proper fit and effective insect control.
Green DrainTM
Drains often serve as entry points for various pest species, including centipedes, flies, and roaches. You can take control of your home’s pest invasion by utilizing the power of Green Drain.
Constructed with durable plastic and rubber, Green Drain offers a range of sizes to seamlessly fit into any drain hole. Its unique design allows water to flow in one direction, while effectively blocking pests and unpleasant odors from escaping.
Green Drain is a must-have for homeowners seeking a chemical-free solution. Countless users have successfully resolved fly and cockroach issues in their bathrooms and kitchens with the help of Green Drain. You can say goodbye to pests and enjoy clean, pest-free drains with Green Drain.
To see how it works, watch this informative video.
Invade Hot Spot
Over time, kitchen, sink, and bathroom drains and pipes accumulate organic debris that becomes a food source for insect pests. This makes them ideal breeding grounds for flies, roaches, and other insects.
Enter Invade Hot Spot, a powerful solution containing probiotic agents designed to disintegrate organic debris. By eliminating the breeding grounds, it effectively tackles the pest problem. It’s important to note that Invade Hot Spot does not directly kill pests.
One of the advantages of Invade Hot Spot is its ready-to-use foam formulation, eliminating the need for dilution or mixing. Alternatively, you can opt for the concentrate, which offers long-term cost savings. However, using the concentrate requires a foam sprayer and foaming agent.
Before treating your drains and pipes, ensure you brush away larger organic debris. This pretreatment step enhances the effectiveness of Invade Hot Spot.
To apply the foam, I recommend sealing the drain or pipe with masking tape, leaving a hole for injection. This technique creates pressure, allowing the foam to penetrate deeper into the drain or pipes. Unlike liquid, foam clings to surfaces for an extended period.
After treatment, allow the foam to dry naturally. Avoid using the pipes and drains for a minimum of 12 hours to give the probiotic agents sufficient time to work their magic. It’s convenient to perform this treatment at night or before leaving for a vacation.
Caulking Foam
Take a moment to check the areas where pipes and utility lines enter your house—you’re likely to find gaps that serve as common entry points for pests. Additionally, as your house ages, cracks and crevices will develop both inside and outside, such as joints, baseboards, grout, and behind built-in furniture. These areas can harbor pests or act as pathways for them to invade your home.
You can effectively and conveniently seal these gaps, cracks, and crevices, using caulking foam. To strengthen caulking at bigger gaps, consider placing a wire mesh within the gap before applying the caulking.
Xcluder® Fill Fabric
Mice possess the ability to squeeze through tiny gaps as narrow as ¼” or enter holes as small as a dime. To effectively seal these entry points, consider using Xcluder® Fill Fabric.
Xcluder® Fill Fabric provides a “clean” alternative to caulking. Made of steel wool, it has several advantages versus caulking. Unlike caulking, rodents do not gnaw on the steel wool. The sharp texture of the steel wool causes discomfort to their mouths, discouraging gnawing behavior.
Installing Xcluder® Fill Fabric is straightforward. Simply cut it to the desired size and use it to fill gaps where pests can potentially enter buildings. You can avoid the messiness associated with caulking, particularly if you lack prior experience or skills.
Sticky Traps
Simplifying the process of finding elusive and sly pests with a cost-effective solution can save you valuable time. For this purpose, sticky traps have proven to be the most affordable and convenient method for detection and extermination.
While non-pheromone-baited sticky traps are effective, I personally recommend the Catchmaster 100i. This sticky trap is not only economical, it has molasses in the adhesive materials that lure nearby pests.
Simply place several sticky traps in concealed areas, such as under sinks, inside kitchen cabinets, behind refrigerators, and beneath washing machines. Avoid areas prone to water contact. Similar to landmines, the more traps you deploy, the greater your chances of capturing or detecting those unwelcome intruders.
Regularly inspect your traps every 1-3 months, replacing any that become dusty or wet. Should you catch any pests, be prepared to take appropriate control measures.
Remember, while sticky traps are effective, they may not be sufficient to combat severe pest infestations.
Door Sweep
Exterior-facing doors often provide openings that pests, particularly rodents, exploit as entry points. To fortify your defenses, consider installing door sweeps to seal these gaps.
When selecting door sweeps, prioritize those constructed from sturdy materials like metal or tough rubber. Avoid using wood or low-quality plastic, as rodents can easily gnaw through them.
For reliable and rodent-resistant door sweeps, I highly recommend XCluder®. Made in the USA, these door sweeps come in a wide range of designs to accommodate doors throughout your home and garage.
Although XCluder® door sweeps may come with a higher price tag, their quality justifies the investment. Additionally, the manufacturer offers a lifetime limited warranty, guaranteeing their effectiveness in keeping mice and rats out.
Nature-Cide® All Purpose
When unexpected insect pests find their way into our homes despite our best efforts, Nature-Cide All Purpose comes to the rescue as a reliable quick-fix solution.
Nature-Cide All Purpose Insecticide revolutionizes insect control with its safe and eco-friendly formulation. Featuring a unique blend of natural ingredients like clove oil and cottonseed oil, it effectively eliminates pests without resorting to harmful chemicals.
This versatile product swiftly kills insects upon contact and proves effective against a wide range of pests, including roaches, ants, mosquitoes, flies, and spiders. While it offers some repellency, it should not be solely relied upon for preventing insect invasions.
For optimal results, directly spray Nature-Cide onto pests, so that the formulation can quickly penetrate their exoskeleton.
Please note that this product is not suitable for spraying flying insects due to the larger droplet size it produces.
PT 565 Plus XLO
If you’re dealing with troublesome flying insects like mosquitoes or flies, the PT 565 Plus XLO aerosol canister is your solution.
PT 565 Plus XLO contains natural pyrethrins derived from Chrysanthemum flowers, which deliver rapid knockdown of insects. It also includes piperonyl butoxide (PBO), which enhances the effectiveness of pyrethrin.
Unlike Nature-Cide, PT 565 Plus XLO can be sprayed into the air using the provided space spray actuator. The resulting fine droplets linger in the air, ensuring any flying insects that enter the treated space will be quickly incapacitated and ultimately perish.
This versatile product is also effective for flushing out insects that hide in dark areas. Simply spray underneath and behind furniture, sofas, curtains, and sinks to expose and eliminate hidden pests. Utilize the included tip for treating cracks, crevices, or gaps.
Please exercise caution and avoid spraying near open flames, as aerosols are highly flammable. Additionally, refrain from using this product near fish tanks, as pyrethrin is highly toxic to fish, despite being a natural ingredient.
Repellent
When venturing outdoors, it’s essential to arm yourself with reliable repellents to ward off mosquitoes and ticks. The most effective options are topical repellents applied directly to your skin. Look for products containing DEET, picaridin, IR3535, or oil of lemon eucalyptus for maximum efficacy.
For robust and long-lasting protection during camping, trekking, hiking, or other strenuous outdoor activities, I recommend Off! Deep Woods. Enriched with DEET, this product offers unparalleled defense and enduring performance.
If you prefer a non-DEET alternative, consider Ranger Ready Picaridin Repellent. It provides 8-12 hours of reliable protection against a wide range of biting insects.
For lighter outdoor activities like outdoor or taking your kids to the park, Off! Botanical Insect Repellent is an excellent choice. Formulated with PMD, the active ingredient in lemon eucalyptus oil, it offers short-term protection.
Always go for EPA-registered insect repellents, as they undergo assessments to ensure both effectiveness and safety.
Check out my guide if you want to learn more about skin repellents, and mosquito repelling gadgets that work and those that don’t.
