They say it is best to monetize a tragedy. The tragedy here is that WP has not figured out that its questions repeat more often than not. Since we are here I might as well earn a buck while giving out information to the next generation. The links provided probably won’t work outside India but the information transcends beyond the country.

I doubt any of the next generation is bold enough to get rid of pests on their own. I am goin to teach them a few things on how to handle them and dispose of them safely and securely. More importantly they will be rid of permanently. I consider myself a pest control connoisseur. I dislike the presence of pests in my home and I do everything in my power to get rid of them. I refuse to pay a professional because I am a cheapskate and paying them is more of a convenience than a necessity. Here are some tips based on the pests I regularly encounter.

First and foremost- keep your house clean. Pests are attracted to the smell and sight of food, water and darkness. If you have dishes clean them right away. If you have a spill on the kitchen floor, clean it up right away. Deep clean your spaces regularly. Pests are more likely to be in places where humans have never been. Under your fridge, behind your bed post, inside your kitchen cabinets, around and behind your toilet bowl. The idea is to keep the space clean and rid pests of any opportunity or chance to enter your house.

Cockroaches:

Cockroaches are mostly attracted to water. Food is a bonus for them. What you need to do is fix leaky faucets. You also need to deep clean your fridge and cabinets in particular. If you have an infestation then you are going to need boric powder/acid, bug spray and roach bait injections.

The links to the products I use are given in the images below:

After deep cleaning your kitchen and bathrooms you are going to dust the area from top to bottom with boric powder. I use a cloth to do this. Make sure the surface is dry. This ensures that the powder enters all the cracks and crevices and there is no place left for the cockroaches to approach even if they fly. You have to dust all entrances meaning windows, doors, drains, ventilations and the like from top to bottom. All the corners of each and every room. Make sure all cabinets in your kitchen, all your closets and bathroom cabinets are also dusted. Also cover kitchen counters, dining table surface, under the tables and so on and so forth.

This powder is safe for humans but it slowly breaks down the keratin cover of the cockroaches. Once covered by this their shells start breaking down. They carry this with them to their nest and this spreads to other roaches in their nest.

Leave this dust over night and clean the floors and surfaces with a wet cloth the next day. Once cleaned up you are ready to use the bug spray for roaches. This spray needs to be used at all entrances such as drains, ventilations, doors and windows.

The final step is to use the roach bait syringes. These are very useful for long term protection because they are capable of annihilating an entire population of roaches overnight. The infestation will likely never return to your house after this. You need to inject a small pea size bait to every nook and cranny you can think of that roaches might enter. This means, under the kitchen and bathroom sinks, behind the cooking range, behind the fridge, in the corners of the kitchen cabinets. This is something I will leave to your imagination because they literally have several places to hide.

This information applies to roaches in particular but it applies to ants and termites as well.

For ants you need to use this bait:

For termites you need to use this chemical solution:

You need to apply this to all wooden surfaces. Its a spray which you dilute in water and spray all over the furniture. Most carpenters take measures but sometimes they cheap out. If you have a piece of wooden furniture with termites take it outside immediately and if possible burn it. They spread rapidly. Before buying or thrifting new furniture make sure to check for termites.

Rodents:

Rodents are literally a different breed. They too seek food and water. Unless its your pet hamster who is smart enough to escape its cage to go mate with your other hamster you will actually need these measures.

Rodents are simple creatures and easy to trap. There are two types of traps and depending on your stomach you can choose either of them. One type kills them and the other does not. I usually use the kill trap because rodents tend to return if you leave them outside.

First thing you need to do is deep clean your home. Any smell of food that has been left for days in cracks and crevices is a great way to attract rodents. Secondly keep your fruits and vegetables and other snacks covered when not using them.

Secondly set up traps in strategic locations, specifically spaces like near ventilation shafts, garbage bins, drainage openings, under the kitchen sink. Do not set traps in the middle of your hall ways and doors and windows. You do not need to lose an appendage in the process. Use peanut butter as bait because it is sticky and the likelihood of rodents staying there to get trapped is higher.

Leave the traps for a couple of days and don’t hover near them. Disposing living rodents is a bit tricky. You need to go at least 50Km or 32 miles away from your home. Rodents like mice have a high tendency of returning. Make sure you release live-trapped mice or rats in a natural, wooded, or grassy area with plenty of cover, at least 2 miles away from homes or buildings. I have seen some people open these traps from bridges that cross deep rivers, do not do this because this doesn’t serve your purpose of being humane and even if fish are likely to eat them this is just unfair to rodents. If you do end up killing them you can sell them as feed to your local reptile dealer or you can use them as compost in your garden or simply toss them in the compost garbage bin(expect stray animals to raid your bins). Its science so nut up!

I don’t have anything personal against pests but I have to set boundaries. As long as they are out of my personal space I don’t have a problem with them. Also the tips may vary for you because I live in an apartment and if you live in a castle things will have to scale up. Sure you could bug bomb the place but where is the fun in that? Plus you’d have to deal with leaving your home for a couple of days and come home to a massacre to cleanup.

On a side note- Make sure you let spiders live. They act as guardians of your home. Just clean out all the webs. Spiders are friends. If you have a wasp infestation or a beehive in or near your place calling professionals is justified.

This goes without saying that your actions are at your discretion and you are under no obligation to do this on your own. If you feel like you need professional help go ahead and call them. This information is here if you need it and if you are in a situation where you are clueless about what to do use this as a guide. If anything this gives you an incentive to keep your space clean. It introduces you to a new hobby which requires you to step out of your comfort zone and rewards you with a safe space to live. Cheers!