DIY Pest Control

The Ultimate DIY Pest Control Guide

By Robert Simpson

Foreword

Robert Simpson

Let me start by saying I have performed thousands of services dealing with rodents, spiders, bedbugs, ants, mosquitos and more. In this book I will deal with the most common pests, including fleas, spiders, ants, mice, voles, rats, crickets, centipedes, and bedbugs.

If you knew how simple it is to get rid of these pests and how easy it is to order some of the same products we use, it doesn’t make sense to pay hundreds of dollars more if it doesn’t take hardly any time at all, and anyone can do it without needing extensive training. I will show you all the tips and tricks we use, and I hope it will help you save money and be effective as well. Almost everyone has wasps, ants, cockroaches, or mice at some point in their house or apartment. Use this guide and get rid of the unwanted intruders and live pest free today.

Almost all the products mentioned can be bought online and used correctly will last years.

Take care when using the products and wear gloves and even masks when it comes to certain rodent activity. Being aware of problem areas and taking minor steps is a huge key to helping prevent infestations in the place of residence. Using the proper products and utilizing the proper tools will help you eliminate your common household pests.

Enjoy this book and good luck on getting your place free from critters and bugs.

Chapter 1

Rats and Mice

It’s not uncommon to deal with mice or rats at some point in your house or even apartment building. Some people will pay hundreds of dollars to get rid of these rodents not knowing until they sign the contract how easy it is to get rid of them. If you knew how simple it was, you would never hire anyone ever again.

The first step is to identify whether it is a rat or a mouse. If you see it running around, then obviously you can tell, other signs you can tell the difference is by the size of the droppings. A mouse dropping will be about one eight to a half inch, not bigger than the size of a grain of rice, a rat dropping will be a little bit bigger, and wider as well.

One can always ask your neighbors if they have seen any rats or mice in their house as well. If you hear scratching noises at night or see rub marks, then you may be dealing with a rat. Either way dealing with a rat or mouse will be very similar.

Once you determine if it is a rat or mouse, be sure to pick up at least ten to twelve snap traps. There are snap traps for mice, and bigger ones for rats. The snap traps for rats can break your fingers if you accidentally activate the trap with your fingers nearby. The snap traps used for mice may hurt a little bit but will not cause permanent damage.

Once you have the snap traps, be sure to smear a little peanut butter on the bottom of the trigger or the pad that you will place the bait on. Most rats and mice can lick the bait on the top of the trigger without setting it off. If placed on the bottom, it has a better chance of being activated. You can use a rat trap to catch a mouse, but it can make a huge mess, almost the same result if you shot a rabbit with a shotgun.

Be sure to place two traps next to each other about two or three inches apart, so if a mouse or rat will jump over one trap, they will then land on the next one. Also, if you have pets or children, place the traps in areas that are inaccessible to them. Glue traps can also work, I would place a little bit of peanut butter in the middle to attract them, and once they are caught, you can simply throw away the glue trap. The glue traps are not humane though, so just know the rodent will suffer and basically starve to death once caught on the trap. Snap traps are the most humane method to kill either a rat or mouse.

It is very vital to first inspect the outside of the house looking for any gaps in the foundation or any pipes or holes leading to the inside of the house. Pay close attention to the weather stripping on the garage as well. Many mice will enter a house that way, so do a careful inspection. Plug up any holes with steel wool or copper mesh. Mice can squeeze through gaps the size of a quarter inch and rats can squeeze through gaps the size of half an inch. Once the inspection is done and the holes are plugged up, be sure to set glue traps and or snap traps inside.

The best way to kill mice and rats is to place bait boxes outside. A simply google search will lead to many results, so be sure to get a few depending on the size of the house and backyard. Bait boxes are only to be used outside, never place them inside. The good part about the bait box is that it is a constant food source for the rodent, and they will eat the bait inside and generally die within a week. Once you buy the boxes you can use them for years, only buying bait every so often. Depending on the size of the house, two or three bait boxes in the backyard, and one in the front yard should be plenty to take care of the mice or rat problem. If it’s mice, two blocks per box should be fine. If it’s rats, try using four to five blocks per box. Ideally it would make sense to check all the bait boxes once a week, refilling when necessary. Once the bait has been checked with no new results for a few weeks, it is perfectly fine to check the bait once a month, once signs of the activity is slowing down.

The only downside, is you never know where the rodent is going to go, and you will want to make sure the bait is placed securely in the tamper resistant boxes, so dogs and other animals can’t get in. Using bait boxes, snap traps, and inspecting your house and filling gaps will take care of your rodent problem.

In my thousands of services dealing with rats and mice, these tools have never failed me once. If you live in the country, have construction done nearby, or even neighbors who are messy, any one of these things can lead to rodents. If your house or apartment is messy, be sure to clean thoroughly giving the rodents fewer places to hide and be sure to keep food secured and out of reach.

Be sure to wear gloves and a mask when cleaning rat and mouse feces and urine. Rats and mice carry disease and throw away any food they may have eaten from your kitchen. Good luck to getting rid of your little four-legged pals. Replace any mice or rat traps that have been activated, and always keep a few extra traps laying around just in case.

Stuart Little and Ratatouille has nothing on you. The bait boxes and bait may cost about a hundred and fifty bucks. The snap traps may cost about twenty dollars. If you hired a pest control company, they may charge hundreds of dollars, and then take back the traps once your contract is ended. This way you own the traps and you also save hundreds of dollars. If you don’t want to touch the dead rodents get a neighbor, husband, or someone else to dispose of the rodents for you. Always wear gloves when setting traps, so the rodents don’t catch your scent on the traps. This can cause rodents to avoid the traps if they smell your scent.

Chapter 2

Cockroaches

Cockroaches are disgusting insects, spreading disease everywhere they go. If your house is messy, then getting rid of cockroaches will be almost impossible. The very first step is to do a thorough cleaning, getting rid of trash and junk, and getting rid of potential hiding spots for the roaches.

Once that part is done, there are two things you can buy to help you get rid of these pests, Temorid fx, and advion roach bait gel. You will also need a hand can, or aka a handheld one-gallon plastic tank sprayer. For all intents and purposes every time, If I use the word hand can, this is what I mean.

First step is to use the gel bait, in pea sized drops in the kitchen area, on the tops of the drawers and under ledges and under the kitchen sink as well. Any area where there are signs of cockroach activity, use a little bit and reapply if gel bait is eaten. Gel bait is very effective in getting cockroaches to die off very quickly.

The temprid fx is to be used with the hand can and be sure to read the label and mix the correct amount with water. Shake and mix up the product, then use the hand can to spray around all your baseboards, and under the fridge and stove, and basement if you have one. Let the product dry for a few hours before letting your children and pets around this product. It will last close to three months when dry, but you will want to avoid spraying wherever you applied the gel bait. You can also use this product outdoors, spraying near doorways and the garage if you are seeing pest activity there.

I have done hundreds of cockroach services and if hiring a professional, it can cost upwards of a hundred dollars a visit, whereas if you do it yourself, you can spend maybe thirty dollars on the gel bait, ten dollars on the plastic tank sprayer, and sixty dollars on the temprid fx. You can then use these products you own, for as long as you want, and never pay for an exterminator again. Most likely you will have plenty of product and gel bait left over, and you can save these until you see another infestation of cockroaches, and then treat accordingly.

Be diligent and spray inside dressers, closets, anywhere that has activity. Cockroaches are sometimes hard to get rid of, but with a few applications of gel bait and the spray, it should solve your problem sooner then later.

Chapter 3

Bedbugs

Bedbugs are super tough to get rid of, without the right product and application. Over seventy percent of bed bugs are found in the direct areas like the bed and the bedframe and the baseboards around that area. Another twenty three percent are found within five feet of the bed and or furniture in the bedroom. They will often move to the couch, when you take a nap down there, or sit on there with a bed bug on your clothing. They may be in the bathrooms, when you take off your clothes to take a shower as well.

If you notice dark stains on the bed, or bed bugs crawling around, or if you wake up itchy with red welts on your body, then you have bedbugs. Does an examination of every bedroom and piece of furniture to find out their locations?

Temprid SC is what you will need as well as a hand can. Mix the desired rate and always follow the label when applying the product. You will always want to wear gloves when using the product as well.

After ordering the product, there’s a few things you can do to start getting rid of the pests. First throw all clothing in the affected rooms, in the dryer on high heat for at least twenty minutes. That will kill all the bugs on the clothes. Then vacuum all the areas with bed bug activity as well. Be sure to empty the bag out quickly, because they can crawl back out of the vacuum. These steps are vital to do before and after spraying the product.

Now that you have the product and have mixed it with water in your handheld sprayer, start to spray everywhere. The baseboards in all the rooms, the headboards, behind picture frames, under the bed, the sides of the bed, and the whole bed frame. Do not spray the top of the bed or the top of the couch. We can spray under the couch, in the folds of the couch, and under chairs. Also spray under dressers, in the nightstand, the closet of the bedroom as well. Being clean and spraying affected areas, is your key to getting rid of these bedbugs for good. It is not an easy one-time application; it will require multiple applications and a bit of time to eradicate them. If for some reason after multiple applications there are still bugs, you may need to buy a stronger product, but use temprid fx to start off.

The product will last for some time, but I would spray every two weeks, until you see no new activity for some time. Phantom Termiticide can also be used if the other product is not effective enough. When I was doing bed bug services, I would use those two products and they would be extremely effective. You can also put glue pads by the headboard or by the feet of the bed. This will help you see if they are adult bed bugs or nymphs.

There are many companies and they all have different treatments and costs. If you’d prefer to spend hundreds or even up a thousand dollars hiring someone else, go ahead. This way I mentioned will save you a vast amount of money.

Chapter 4

Voles

Voles are assholes if we are being honest. They will destroy your lawns. Another common term for voles is the term field mice. I’ve taken care of hundreds of voles in many different areas. One common way to try at first, is to put juicy fruit gum cut up in each of the holes that the voles have dug up. If you are still seeing new holes being made, then proceed to phase two.

Phase two consists simply of using bait boxes and contract blocks. Put one or two by the entrance to the holes and the scent of the contract blocks will get the voles to eat the bait. Always use gloves when handling the bait so your smell does not get on the bait. I’d only use two or three blocks of bait, and that will easily have enough to kill all your voles.

Check the front and backyard constantly to monitor the progress and check your bait boxes at least twice a month. Once you have the bait boxes and the bait, you can use this forever, and just replace the bait every few years. A small amount of bait should be fine, one pound is plenty.

Using these two tips and tricks will ensure your lawns to soon be free from voles and holes and track marks all over the lawn. Good luck and God speed on your journey.

Chapter 5

Spiders and centipedes

Spiders are one of humanities greatest fears when it comes to insects. Spiders can be scary and a select few can be dangerous to kids and older adults. Wolf spiders have a bite that is extremely painful, and black widow spiders and brown recluse spiders are the ones you must watch out for in America at least.

Black widow spiders are not aggressive but will bite if threatened. They have a red hourglass on their abdomen, and are found in garages, tires, wood piles, basements and places like that. The bite may not be fatal, but they can cause serious medical problems if not treated.

Brown recluse spiders will have a violin shape on the spider and have a sandy brown body with a little bit darker marking at its center. They can be found anywhere in the house, shoes, closets, boxes, basements, and garages. Also, outdoors around woodpiles, bark, and rocks. Their bites are also extremely painful as well, but they are not aggressive either.

Wolf spiders are last, and they can jump at you. They are not that aggressive and although their bites are painful, they do eat pests even including mice. All the spiders can be treated for using the same product.

Besides these three spiders, the other ones are not dangerous at all. The product used to kill these spiders will also kill centipedes, crickets, beetles, wasps, and more. Demand CS will do the job to kill all these products and more.

After you follow the label for the mix rate, start spraying the inside first. The product will last for ninety days and will dry rather quick. Start off by cleaning the house and other areas you will be treating. Afterwards, start off by spraying all along the baseboards with a mist spray from your trusty hand can. Every floor and room should be sprayed. Spray also around the doors and windows inside as well. Now afterwards, spray around and behind the oven, and fridge and washer and dryer if you have one.

Once done with the inside, then go outside and adjust the nozzle until it starts to be in the middle between a fine line and a mist. Start spraying about two or three feet high on the foundation of the whole house, and about a foot or two out from the foundation. In the spring and summer, be sure to spray the eaves as well. Spray every crack and crevice as well, and pay close attention to window wells, wood piles, doors and windows and vents as well. It can also help to spray transition points such as where the concrete meets the grass, and the deck, the fence line, and even apply a fine mist all along the rocks and or rock beds if you have one.

You can then relax for about three months, then reapply the product again. If you are not seeing activity in the house after initial treatment, then just focus on the outside. This will get rid of spiders, and other insects that are a nuisance inside and out.

Centipedes are to be treated the same way. They will easily end up in sticky traps or glue pads, so use them freely in key areas like garages and basements.

Chapter 6

Ants

There are many sprays that work on ants, but tandem or Alpine WSG is the most effective. Termidor is super effective outside, but both tandem and alpine wsg can be used inside and outside as well. So, we will mix either one of these products in the hand can and start spraying. If you have already sprayed the inside or outside with another chemical like tandem or demand, then you can skip this step.

One other thing to get would be advion gel bait for ants. This is a sugar bait that they will take back to the nest and kill the queen. Do not place bait near the areas that you have sprayed with chemicals. Another thing you might consider is granular bait. This is more of a protein bait. Ants will switch randomly to sugar or protein diets, so you may have to use both, if one is not working. Place the gel or granular bait near the trail of ants, or where you have seen ant activity, and make sure it is out of reach of kids and pets. Don’t want to get anyone sick except for the ants. These two methods will help kill the nest of the ants, and the spray will keep a barrier inside and help deter the ants as it will kill on contact of the product. Try and eliminate the food source and that may help as well, if its in the kitchen area. In the summer be sure to get ahead and spray all ant mounds as you see them spring up with either tandem, demand, alpine wsg , or termidor. Also use the granular bait outside in the grass near mounds as well. These methods will help kill them outside, so they don’t come inside.

Ants are a huge pest and annoying for sure. These tips will help eliminate your ant problem and keep your house ant free. Remember the keys to eliminating your ant problem, is a protein granular bait, or a sugar gel bait, as well as spraying the exterior and the interior with a chemical that will take care of ants. That’s it, and that’s all there is to it.

It may sound super easy, or that there must be more to it, but there really isn’t. I’ve done thousands of services, and it really is not complicated or time consuming, or expensive to start with. Just a handheld sprayer, a chemical product or two, and maybe gel bait depending if its cockroaches or ants. Remember when spraying outside, do at least two feet up on the foundation and two feet out as well, to cover your bases at least during the spring and summer. During the fall and winter, just spray around doors and windows and window wells, and all over the garage entrance as well.

When spraying indoors use a fine mist and just spray the baseboards all over in every room at first, then just the basement and garage after that. You got this and don’t need an expensive pest control service to get rid of rats or spiders or even bed bugs.

Final Chapter

Squirrels and Racoons and more

All you need is a cage or two and the ability to set the cage with bait and reset the trap if necessary. Get one or two and bait them with a lite saucer of peanut butter and nuts for squirrels, or peanut butter mixed with cat food for racoons. You can also put cat food, mixed with peanut butter, sprinkled with bacon bits to attract skunks and other critters as well.

Once you catch the animal, simply put the animal in the car, and then relocate it to a park or wooded area at least a few miles away. Put the bait past the trigger part, so the animal must step over a set off the trigger. That’s all I ever did, and I have caught squirrels, a racoon, and a few skunks. When it comes to a skunk, place a blanket over the cage, so the skunk will spray the blanket and not your vehicle.

Good luck and save that money. Do this shit yourself. Trust me, I work in pest control and just gave up all my secrets.