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Over the years, people have innovated and developed DIY remedies in bid to resolve pest problems they faced at home. From natural home remedies that deter pests from visiting homes, to homemade baits and traps made from the simplest of things lying around at home, there are many different solutions to get creative and drive pesky creatures like rats and cockroaches away. These remedies are claimed to work, but how truly effective are they in addressing your pest problems? This article will evaluate common DIY pest control remedies, the benefits and shortcomings that come with using them.

DIY Pest Control Remedies

The following DIY pest control remedies include methods that you may be familiar with when dealing with pests. Let’s see how effective they are in driving away common pests you find at home:

The Baking Soda Trap – Did you know? Baking soda is lethal to cockroaches. The baking soda, once consumed by cockroaches, will cause their stomachs to burst. If you have a cockroach infestation at home, baking soda can help with exterminating them. You can put sugar mixed with baking soda around specific areas in your home. This can help to lure cockroaches over and kill them.

Limitations: Though this trap can attract cockroaches and kill them, it leaves a mess around your homes as you would find dead cockroaches lying around your house. It can be hassle to clear their corpses every time your trap succeeds in killing these pesky creatures.

Essential Oil Spray – When it comes to ants and mosquitoes, essential oils can act as useful deterrents. Peppermint oil, for example, can be mixed with water and sprayed around areas of your home that such insects frequent. The scent of peppermint oil will effectively keep them out of your house.

Limitations: Typically, the scent from essential oils will only last for a short period of time. Areas need to be sprayed constantly to keep insects out of your house, which can be tedious work.

The Boric Acid Trap – Another lethal product to cockroaches and ants, boric acid has the ability to poison an insect and create abrasions to their exoskeletons. In ant traps, boric acid can be mixed with food to trap ants and kill them. The moment they bring the food back to their colonies for consumption, the entire colony will be exterminated. 

Limitations: Though boric acid is effective in killing cockroaches and ants, it can be harmful to humans. Especially when you have children at home, it is important to keep them out of their reach. Food consumed with boric acid can cause chemical poisoning in humans.

Insect Repellents – Using insect repellents are helpful in keeping bugs out of your sight. An ingredient of effective insect repellents typically includes Deet. This ingredient helps to prevent bites from insects. Among different insect repellents, the effectiveness of the product can vary. For example, different mosquito repellents can provide protection from between two to six hours.   

Limitations: Though effective, insect repellent needs to be reapplied constantly as the scent wears off overtime. It can be costly to buy insect repellents in the long run if you have a recurrent mosquito infestation problem, but the root cause of it has not been addressed. Certain chemicals in some insect repellents might also involve health risks. For example, Deet products may cause skin rashes.  

A Quick Evaluation

Although DIY remedies help to a certain extent, how truly effective are they as compared to engaging with professional pest control services? Let’s have a look at the general advantages and disadvantages of DIY pest control remedies at home.

Advantages: DIY pest control remedies are easy to carry out. When it comes to home remedies that you can make with everyday items, your home is the best place to access these materials. For example, using apple cider vinegar mixed with dish soap, covered with a cling wrap, can create a trap for fruit flies. Apple cider vinegar can attract flies over with its pungent scent. The dish soap traps the wings of fruit flies and drowns them.

Disadvantages: DIY pest control remedies may seem like a much cheaper option than professional pest control services in managing pests. In reality, are they truly the more affordable option?  

DIY remedies often only provide temporary solutions in managing pests. The baking soda trap, for example, might be successful in killing cockroaches in your home, but a cockroach infestation might still persist because the source of the infestation has not been identified. In the long run, should a cockroach infestation not be resolved, bigger issues such as health problems caused by the disease-carrying pests might translate to higher medical fees. Furthermore, structural damage caused by pests can lead to increased costs in repair. Think of carpenter ants and wire-chewing mice. The long-term effects of not finding the source of infestations may lead to higher costs.

The Sure-Fire Solution

For a full-proof solution to your pest problems, engaging a professional pest control service is ideal. Such services ensure immediate and proper treatment. Experienced pest controllers typically carry out important measures that ensure the effectiveness of pest management.

Firstly, consultation and inspection are important for pest controllers to understand the source of an infestation. This way, pest controllers will be able to prescribe the right kind of treatment tailored to the specific pest problem. Once the treatment has been carried out, pest controllers will then monitor the effectiveness of the treatment, while advising on prevention and maintenance procedures that you can take to ensure that pests are permanently eradicated.

Do you have a pest problem? First Choice Pest Specialist has you covered. Our services include various treatments that are safe and effective. From ants, to mosquitoes, to rodents, to flies, we can tailor our solutions to your every need. Hiring a professional pest controller like First Choice Pest Specialist is always better to effect immediate and proper treatment. We not only can help you with infestations and pest prevention, we also offer effective disinfection services. Engage us today to find out more!

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