Pest control

[Ada]

Please share your pest control routine and product used.

We do not have the budget to pay for the pest control company and we do not have knowledge to do ourselves.
Would like to learn and start working on it since we start to have issues.

First would like to know the basic routine and product you use for pest control.
For example, in spring, spray what at where.

I see some home perimeter defense product thinking start from there. We have ants nesting at foundation. Spiders around the home and inside.
The worst, yellow jacket living in the wall.

Any info is greatly appreciated!

 

[RedneckGrump]

Get a cat...

 

[havasu]

I use a "Home Defense" type of product around the exterior of my home every 2-3 months, and interior perimeter about once a year. With this routine, I have not had any ant or spider issues at all. Also, since i have lots of fruit trees in the back yard, I have 4-5 rat traps set safely away from animals, baited with dog food kibble, which catches about one rat a week.

 

[Flyover]

I use a "Home Defense" type of product around the exterior of my home every 2-3 months, and interior perimeter about once a year. With this routine, I have not had any ant or spider issues at all. Also, since i have lots of fruit trees in the back yard, I have 4-5 rat traps set safely away from animals, baited with dog food kibble, which catches about one rat a week.

What do you do with the rats?

In our garage we had a mouse trap that caught a few mice, but they turned into mummies before I got around to emptying the trap, and I haven't had the nerve to clean it since then.

 

[Eddie_T]

Mail rats and mice to Spicoli for his cats.

 

[havasu]

I bag them in an extra Home Depot bag, and it is sent to my rubbish company once a week. Since they charge me $50 a month, I hope those crooks enjoy the smell!

 

[Eddie_T]

I just swing mice by the tail into the woods. They get into my car somehow and are hard to trap. I am pondering how to turn an Arby's milkshake cup (with the domed top) into a trap with water in it. I need to stabilize it so it can't be tipped. Maybe glue it to a board or cut a hole in a small box.

For my area we need mice repelling tires. They love to eat the wire insulation in later model cars that must have green insulation (soy based?)

 

[sebastinamy]

I understand your budget constraints. For spring, inspect and seal any entry points to prevent ants, spiders, and raccoons. Use diatomaceous earth or boric acid for ant nests. Try natural spider repellents like peppermint oil. For raccoon removal and yellow jacket nests in walls, it's best to seek help from a pest protection service due to the risks. Focus on prevention, keeping your home clean, and fixing leaks.

 

[PJB12]

What Sebastinamy said about peppermint and spiders really works well- flies, too. I get peppermint candies from the dollar store and drop one into the outdoor trash can. The flies leave and stay gone. Got some in my snack drawer in the garage work shop, too.

We will use no poisons or toxic chemicals at our home for pest control or lawn care. We love our dog and don't want him walking in it, then licking his paws. We also care about the birds who eat the poisoned insects & then die. We care about the pollinators, too. So, we do our best with non-toxic. We also acquiesce to live with some of the invaders instead,

Carpenter ants once invaded our kitchen wall & nested. We tried all kinds of stuff to keep the ants out, but not kill them. Nothing worked. So we grudgingly went the kill route:
Outside, I put a line of orthoboric acid around the foundation wall, about an inch away. It only harms exoskelton creatures who crawl through it or eat it. The ants crawl in it and it sticks to them. They go back to the nest, spread it, therefore killing all of the ants. If they eat it, it is very toxic to ants, roaches and such. (For mammals, it is very safe. The LD value is 2660 mg/kg. That means someone weighing about 175 pounds would have to eat about 1/2 pound to have a 50% chance of dying. That is only slightly more toxic than table salt.)

In really hot & dry weather, tiny ants sometimes show up on the kitchen counter, so we put food grade diatomaceous earth near the wall. It works the same way as boric acid. Neither is harmful to my dog & food grade can be rubbed on the dog to get rid of fleas and mites.

Boric Acid is cheap at big box stores. I think I paid less than $2.00 for 16 ounces. Dollar stores have it too, but call it "Roach Powder". Diatomaeceous earth food grade is at pet stores or on line.

Best of luck with your project. Work Safely & Enjoy Today!
Paul