How To Treat Flies

Many off-the-shelf DIY products are designed to target a variety of fly species. Use these remedies with caution, as they can be harmful to your family and pets if applied incorrectly. Do-it-yourself solutions often only treat adult populations; therefore, you should plan on re-treating as eggs hatch and larvae develop. If you experience a problem with flying insects, a pest control professional can identify the type of fly and treat it appropriately at all stages of its lifecycle.

How to Prevent Flies

Flies are everywhere! While it will be difficult to avoid them entirely, these guidelines can help reduce your interaction with these pests:

• Install fine mesh screens on windows and doors or keep doors and windows shut.

• Clean up food particles, pet waste, and spilled or spoiled food and beverages immediately.

• Secure lids on trash bins and clean up trash overflow.

• Maintain a clean home.

• Cover food being prepared or eaten outdoors.

DIY Methods of Rodent Control

Do-it-yourself baits and traps may attract rodent intruders. However, if not properly administered, they can also be harmful to people and pets. A pest control professional can evaluate your property to determine how to best prevent and treat pesky rodents.

Prevention

Rodents are most harmful when they find their way into your home. Preventative measures you can take to keep your home free of rodents include:

• Blocking potential entry and exit points

• Keeping your home and its surroundings clean

• Storing food in airtight container

• Removing clutter and debris

• Pruning trees and shrubs away from your home

DIY Methods of Cockroach Control

While there are many do-it-yourself treatments sold – like foggers, bombs, or powder containing boric acid – they can be ineffective if not administered correctly. These DIY treatments may disperse rather than kill roaches, driving them into areas they might not have previously been. Their contents can also be highly toxic and harmful to other humans and pets in your home. The best way to address a roach infestation is to contact a pest control professional who can identify the type of roach and the most effective approach to exterminate them.

What Can You Do to Prevent Cockroaches?

Roaches are constantly on the hunt for food, water, warmth, and shelter. When you see one cockroach, you can be sure there are many more lurking. While it may be impossible to eliminate all roaches from your property, following some basic guidelines will help make it less attractive to them:

• Keep your home clean. Roaches thrive in unsanitary conditions.

• Repair water leaks and dry wet items and areas.

• Seal cracks, holes, and crevices where roaches can enter and hide.

• Store food in airtight containers and clean food preparation areas.

• Clear clutter and dispose of old newspapers and boxes.

• Avoid leaving clothes in piles.

• Remove debris from around your home.

• Keep crawl spaces, basements, and areas under porches dry and well-ventilated.

• Change exterior lights to yellow bug lights, which are designed to not attract pests.

DIY Methods of Ant Control

While the most effective way to prevent or address an ant infestation is to call in pest control professionals, you can also try these do-it-yourself methods:

• Place natural repellents like coffee grounds, peppermint oil, and lemon in areas where ants are likely to enter. This will keep ants at bay, but will likely not resolve the source of an ant problem.

• Clean with a solution of equal parts water and distilled white vinegar, which ants dislike.

• Poison ants with bait stations or topical solutions from a home supply store. Ideally, the worker ants will take the poison back to the queen and eradicate the colony. However, in many cases, the workers die before they ever get back to the nest, so the poison doesn’t make it to the source of the problem.

What Can You Do to Prevent Ants from Settling in Your Home?

Ants are driven by a search for food, water, and shelter. While it may be impossible to stop every ant, following some basic guidelines can help prevent an invasion:

• Avoid leaving food, dirty dishes, or food particles where ants can get to them. Though they aren’t very selective, most ants are drawn to sugary, fatty, or greasy foods.

• Use gap sealant or caulk to seal cracks and openings around windows, doors, and pipes so ants can’t enter your home.

• Remove debris, rotting logs, and lumber from your yard.

• Repair leaks and dry out moist areas in your home.