How to Eliminate Pests in Your Home
“If the enemy is taking his ease, he can harass him; if well supplied with food, he can starve him out; if quietly encamped, he can force him to move.” Sun Tzu’s advice was about winning a war, but it also applies to tackling pests in the home. Here are 4 ways to eliminate pests once and for all.
1) Starve them.
You might not notice that tiny crumb on the floor, but a cockroach does. The loaf of bread on your counter doesn’t stand a chance against mice. The first step to defeating pests is to remove any tempting food from your home. Keep all pet and people food that doesn’t go in the refrigerator in airtight plastic bins, sweep daily, and always wipe down your counters after cooking.
Airtight Pet Food Container available from Amazon
2) Block their entrance.
While it may be more difficult to block an entrance for tiny pests like ants, cockroaches and mice often come through gaps between the molding and floorboards, or holes around pipes. Stuff large gaps with copper mesh—mice can’t chew through it. Then, fill smaller gaps with caulk.
Copper Mesh available from Amazon
3) Plant your traps.
You have two options: catch them, or poison them. Cockroach poisons eliminate colonies more quickly than traps. Diatomaceous earth is a great pet and child-safe way to poison cockroaches and other insects. Mice can be eliminated with glue or snap traps. Snap traps kill instantly, making them a more humane option. Glue traps capture mice (as well as snakes and spiders) who are wise to snap traps, but you will need to put the mouse down before disposing of it. Peanut butter is an effective bait; just keep traps in unreachable places if you have small children or pets.
Diatomaceous Earth, 10 lb., available from Amazon
Catchmaster Glue Boards available from Amazon
Snap-E Trap available from Amazon.
4) Hire an exterminator.
If you’ve followed the steps above and can’t eliminate the problem, it’s time to call in backup.
