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Home Pest Control
Controlling common household pests using DIY methods, commercial products, and professional services. Covers prevention, identification, treatment, and safety for each pest type.
📅 Created: 2/8/2026, 6:08:59 AM
- Schedule annual professional termite inspections 5
- Treat localized drywood infestations with spot treatment 3
- Do not attempt DIY treatment on active infestations 5
- Understand subterranean vs drywood termites 4
- Remove dead wood, stumps, and debris near the house 4
- Learn to identify termite warning signs 5
- Fix moisture problems and leaky pipes 5
- Reduce wood-to-soil contact around the foundation 5
- Use a bait monitoring system (Sentricon, Trelona) 4
- Install a liquid barrier treatment (Termidor/fipronil) 5
- Encase mattress and box spring in bed-bug covers 5
- Isolate the bed from walls and nearby furniture 4
- Consider professional chemical treatment as heat alternative 4
- Inspect mattress seams and headboards with a flashlight 4
- Avoid DIY foggers and bug bombs for bed bugs 5
- Follow the hotel inspection protocol when traveling 5
- Vacuum crevices thoroughly and dispose of bag outside 4
- Launder and heat-dry all bedding and clothing 4
- Hire a professional heat treatment service 5
- Place interceptor traps under bed legs 5
- Vacuum thoroughly before and after indoor treatment 5
- Create a tick barrier with wood chips or gravel 4
- Hire a professional for severe flea infestations 4
- Check for ticks after outdoor activity, remove with tweezers 5
- Vacuum every other day for two weeks after treatment 4
- Treat pet, indoor, and outdoor zones simultaneously 5
- Wash all pet bedding and linens in hot water weekly 4
- Treat the yard with photostable IGR (pyriproxyfen) 4
- Apply IGR plus adulticide combination spray indoors 5
- Treat all pets with vet-recommended flea/tick preventive 5
- Inspect groceries before bringing them into the pantry 4
- Try bay leaves as a supplemental deterrent 2
- Do not use insecticides in the pantry 5
- Identify the specific pantry pest for targeted response 4
- Store infrequently used grains and flours in the freezer 4
- Freeze susceptible foods for one week before storing 4
- Deploy pheromone traps to monitor for moths and beetles 4
- Transfer food to airtight hard-sided containers 5
- Deep clean pantry shelves, cracks, and crevices 5
- Inspect all food packages and discard infested items 5
- Spray nests at dusk with pressurized wasp killer 4
- Never use gasoline, fire, or flooding on nests 5
- Know anaphylaxis signs and keep an EpiPen ready 5
- Remove food attractants (trash, fruit, pet food) 4
- Install decoy nests to deter new colonies 3
- Seal entry points to prevent nesting in walls 5
- Hire a professional for large or hidden nests 5
- Apply insecticide dust to ground-nesting yellow jackets 4
- Remove small paper wasp nests in early spring 4
- Assess whether nest removal is actually necessary 5
- Learn to identify brown recluse and black widow 5
- Leave beneficial spiders alone when possible 4
- Trim vegetation and clear debris from the foundation 4
- Apply diatomaceous earth in crevices and corners 3
- Try essential oil deterrent spray (peppermint, lavender) 2
- Reduce outdoor lighting that attracts prey insects 4
- Remove webs regularly with a vacuum or broom 4
- Use sticky traps to monitor spider activity 4
- Replace cardboard storage boxes with plastic bins 4
- Seal cracks and gaps around doors and windows 5
- Eliminate all standing water weekly 5
- Keep grass mowed and shrubs trimmed 4
- Treat catch basins and storm drains with larvicide 4
- Hire a professional mosquito misting system 3
- Maintain window and door screens in good repair 5
- Use personal repellent with DEET 25-30% 5
- Apply barrier spray to yard vegetation 4
- Set up oscillating fans on patios and decks 4
- Apply BTI bits for quick-acting larvicide 4
- Use BTI dunks in water features and rain barrels 5
- Set snap traps baited with peanut butter 5
- Hire a professional for large rodent infestations 4
- Inspect the full foundation perimeter seasonally 5
- Install an owl box for natural predation 3
- Avoid rodenticide bait near homes with pets 4
- Avoid glue traps for rodent control 4
- Remove food sources and secure garbage bins 5
- Install door sweeps and weather stripping 4
- Use electronic traps for clean, no-touch kills 4
- Seal entry points with copper mesh and caulk 5
- Apply gel bait in cracks and crevices 5
- Use IGR spray (Gentrol) to prevent reproduction 4
- Apply diatomaceous earth in dry crevices 3
- Hire a professional for German cockroach infestations 4
- Avoid foggers and baseboard sprays 5
- Rotate bait products to prevent resistance 4
- Clean behind and under all kitchen appliances 4
- Seal cracks and eliminate moisture sources 5
- Place sticky traps to monitor populations 4
- Dust boric acid in wall voids and behind appliances 5
- Set out borax liquid bait for sugar ants 5
- Identify the ant species before treating 5
- Eliminate indoor food and water sources 5
- Apply non-repellent perimeter spray (fipronil) 3
- Hire a professional for carpenter ant infestations 4
- Use the two-step broadcast method for fire ants 5
- Seal entry points with caulk 5
- Apply diatomaceous earth along ant trails 3
- Place commercial bait stations (Terro, Advion) 4
- Use protein-based boric acid bait for carpenter ants 4