We may earn a commission if you make a purchase through one of our links. The LA Times editorial staff was not involved in the creation of this content. Learn more

10 Ways To Help With Pests in the Home

10 Ways To Help With Pests in the Home

Are you seeing a lot of insects around your home these days? Even if they are not all trying to get some snacks from your kitchen, there is no good reason to share your home with pests. Creepy crawlers such as spiders, cockroaches, termites, and ants can spread infection and damage. We have scoured a list of some easy-yet-effective tops to ward off pests to keep your house disease-free and clean.

1. Look For Problematic Areas and Warning Signs

Though insects can appear to possess paranormal abilities, they cannot grow out of everything. You should look out for potential problems to prevent insects from invading. For example, ants send scouts to check out your place in advance. Thus, if you see a few ants indoors, it means that you should go for pest-proofing the house before dealing with an infestation. Check areas around your house and look for the places where the bugs seem to cluster around.

2. Use High-quality Mosquito Killers

Stagnant water is the ideal place for mosquitoes to breed in. You should clean the area around standing water and check the drainage systems. If there is some stagnant dirty water, get mosquito killers to nip the evil in the bud.

3. Try Out Fly Traps

If you want to trap filthy nuisance flies, get a fly trap. You can find them in different forms like liquids, dry traps, water-soluble pouches, etc. Almost all of them use a fly attractant substance to get rid of unwanted flies.

4. Get Your Hands On Cockroach Killers

Having nasty cockroaches in your kitchen or anywhere around your home is the last thing you want. Cockroaches are most commonly found in kitchen drainage and get into your cooking place more often. You should have cockroach killers beforehand and use them from time to time.

5. Buy Some Silverfish Killers

If you see silverfish in your home, you can try out silverfish killer, traps, or powders. Silverfish and firebrats are the most common species found in the USA. Silverfish are nearly unnoticeable to the human eye but can damage your furniture, books, and important documents.

6. Add Rat and Mouse Traps To Your Shopping List

Rat traps and mouse traps are an efficient (but sometimes gruesome) way to keep your house free from mice and rats. They're split into two types: lethal and non-lethal. If you don't like the idea of killing rodents as a way to achieve pest control, you'll want to stick to the latter. However, keep in mind that it's illegal in most municipalities to release a live-trapped rat or mouse back into the wild.

Note: rat poisons and mouse poisons may seem like viable options if you're getting overwhelmed, but we recommend consulting a professional exterminator before using such products.

7. Ant Killers Are a Must-have

While ants aren’t the most dangerous or panic-inducing pests, they are the most persistent and most numerous. Battling an ant problem can be furstrating and unnerving if not done correctly. However, getting your hands on the best ant killers can shield your home against these uninvited guests.

8. Buy Wasp Sprays

These stinging flying insects can be harmful to your children and pets. The spring season isn’t just suitable for new plant life, you will see wasps around your home more often. Whether you are allergic to wasp stings or not, getting rid of them is essential to living a hassle-free and safe life. That’s where wasp sprays come into play.

9. Bring Some Spider Killers Home

Though most of the household spider species are harmless, brown recluses and black widows are extremely poisonous and can potentially cause hospitalization resulting from their bites. Moreover, spiders spin intricate webs to catch other pests as their prey and can make your living space a bit less enjoyable place to live in. Thus, use spider killers to maintain the cleanliness of your home and keep other pests away.

10. Use Biological Control Methods

You can use natural enemies of the pests to control their ability to breed. Try using Australian native fish to kill mosquito larvae from water bodies. If you want to opt for a more natural way to control creepy pests, then biological control methods are the best choice.

The Final Recommendation

Fighting off pests when they have already entered your home can be a daunting and time-consuming task. So, instead of waiting for the pests to invade and taking defensive actions, you should go on offense to combat the pest problems even before they occur.

bestcovery team.jpg
Our research team searches out the best of everything so that you can confidently pick the perfect products and services for your needs.
Related Content
Go to top