The worst part about household pests such as ants, roaches, and mice, is that they can show up at any time. There is no warning. Very often, their presence has nothing to do with anything that you can control. While your proximity to woods for example, may make it more likely for pests to invade your home, sometimes even location doesn’t matter. These pests are looking to get out of the harsh environment outdoors and into the comfort of your home. It can be very important to be prepared for this eventuality. There are some great over-the-counter products that can help to keep a minor infestation from turning into a major problem.
Ortho Home Defense Ready-to-Use Perimeter and Indoor Insect Killer (Link)
Available in almost any hardware store, this is a great all-around insect killer. Designed to be used indoors and near the home, it’s not toxic to animals and people, but will eliminate most insect problems quickly. It works for up to 12 months, so you won’t need to worry about the ant colony coming back over and over again. Home Defense draws your line in the sand (and the cabinets, closets, and basement). The bugs won’t cross the line. There’s no odor and it doesn’t stain fabrics or woodwork.
MotherEarth Granular Scatter Bait (Link)
A naturally-based solution to insects, this is a simple bait that uses borax to kill bugs. Borax is naturally occurring mineral that is non-toxic to humans, pets, or the environment. Because this is a broad-spectrum insecticide, it is a great product to keep around. It kills ants, cockroaches, crickets, earwigs, silverfish, slugs and snails. Borax gives MotherEarth Granular Scatter Bait a boric acid base. Boric acid has been used for centuries to kill and deter insects. You can blow this bait into cracks or use a spreader on lawns and gardens. It’s also great for paved areas, like patios, foundations, driveways, sidewalks, etc.
Spectracide Triazicide Insect Killer (Link)
If you need to spread insect killer on your lawn, this is the perfect product. You attach the bottle to your garden hose and simply water the lawn. It provides up to 3 months of protection. It kills over 260 types of insects, including ants, crickets, earwigs, and more. It’s perfect for lawns, garden, trees, and much more. A single bottle covers up to 5,120 square feet of lawn. That’s a significant area for just one application. Along with the ready-to-spray versions, it’s also available in granules and concentrates.
Vector 960 Fruit Fly Trap (Link)
Whether you have a restaurant or just a lot of fruits and veggies in your kitchen, fruit flies are a disgusting problem. Many people think it’s caused by an unclean space, but that’s not necessarily true. Fruit fly larvae live in the skins of fruits. They simply hatch because it’s warm and they’re ready. Sometimes, in restaurants and bars, there’s cleaning to be done, but at home, it just happens. The Vector 960 Fruit Fly Trap allows you track infestations. The food grade attractants draw the flies in and allow you to see what’s going on. It also makes it much easier to kill them. It’s a great way to know what in your kitchen is allowing the fruit flies to grow. If you own a commercial food operation, these traps will allow you to maintain your kitchen and understand what food storage is breeding fruit flies. Once you know where they are coming from, it’s much easier to eliminate them.
Cyonara Lawn, Yard, and Garden Spray (Link)
Cyonara is professional strength pest control for the home owner. Once attached to a garden house, one bottle can cover over 16,000 square feet of lawn. It kills over 100 lawn critters, like grubs, ants, fleas, mites, ticks, and much more. The professional strength means that you can apply this treatment once and be virtually assured that there will be no pests or disease-carrying insects for months.
Be Prepared
It might seem like overkill to have these items in a cabinet in your home, but stopping an infestation early is the best way to stop it completely. If insects are allowed to infiltrate your home or lawn for an extended period, they can find places to hide that are more difficult to get them out of.