Eco-Friendly Pest Control Techniques for Homes

Pest control can be eco-friendly. There, I said it. No lightning struck me. That statement is not a contradiction in terms. In the old days Grandma would grab a can of liquid toxicity and chase pests around the house squirting with abandon. If we did that now, the EPA or Greenpeace or someone would come knocking.

Eco-friendly pest control is not like the old days. You actually have to think. You’re OK with that, right? Well here’s how it goes. Look all the way around the outside of your home. Walk slowly, paying attention to every detail. Look for any crack and crevice, even the tiny ones. A mouse can fit through a very small hole and termites can enter through a tiny crack.

Now that you’ve been around the house, you know where the problems are. Your mission is to caulk up every last opening. Yes, ever single one. Any opening you leave will be an invitation to one pest or another to set up housekeeping. Before you know it their kids, friends and relatives are visiting and you have a serious problem. You can prevent it, though. Caulk up every little opening.

For larger openings use the expanding foam stuff sold at the hardware and big box stores. Window screens need to be repaired or replaced. Look at the weather stripping around doors and replace it if needed. Install a door sweep if there’s a gap under the door. Check out the trees and shrubs near the house. Cut them back if they’re getting close. They could easily become a bug highway.

Grab your favorite cool refreshment and take a break. Then start on the inside of the house. Why? For the same reason the oil tankers have two hulls. In case one is breached the other will hold. Repeat as above. Caulk every little crack and crevice again in every room, from ceiling to floor. When you’re done you should feel pretty smug – “No bugs getting’ in this house, no sir.” Now walk over to your calendar and make a date with yourself to inspect the house and re-caulk as needed again in 6 months. Get in the habit. Every 6 months.

The initial caulking and inspection is the worst. The re-inspection and touch up are easy. This should be the foundation of your pest control efforts. If every homeowner followed suit, pest control problems would be cut in half. Most industry professionals know about this practice. The good companies either follow this practice or require you to do it. If pests can’t enter your home, you’ll simply have no pest problems.

What if pests were already in the house when it was sealed up? Good question. Now is the time to deal with those critters. It’s time to clean house thoroughly. You’ll want to remove anything that they could use for food, water and shelter. When they get nice and hungry we’ll offer some baits. Vacuum thoroughly everywhere you can think of. Like under the bed, in between the sofa cushions and inside all the cabinets. Remember those cobwebs? Get rid of them. If you have any leaks in the bathroom and kitchen, now is the time to fix them.

What was the last pest you saw or felt in your home? Roaches, fleas and ants are the most common. But it might have been a different pest. No matter what it was, look them up online or in a library. To eliminate them you’ll need to know their lifecycle and their habits. Eco- friendly pest control uses something more powerful than pesticides – knowledge.

If you have followed along and will follow the above steps, you’ll take an enormous step toward eliminating pests in your home without using any pesticides at all. But this is just a beginning, Eco-friendly pest control is a huge topic and one article can’t cover it. Future articles will include how ancient people dealt with pests before pesticides existed, pest ID, baits and much more.