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DIY Spring pest control
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items A list of my favorite pest control products to prepare for bugs this spring season! Always read product labels and keep away from pets and children! Based on various state and local laws, some products may not be available for purchase.
Sections
4
Accessories
Indoor / Outdoor Usage
Outdoor & Perimeter Control
Indoor Pest Control
Accessories
Here are some useful things I've picked up that make pest control easy!
WOULD BUY AGAIN AND AGAIN! Super-handy battery powered sprayer that attaches to most gallon-sized, premixed pesticide bottles. Great if you don't have a pump sprayer to mix concentrates but need more than a 16oz bottle. Reduces the wear on your hands and forearms from squeezing a trigger a ton! Also useful for herbicides!
CRAFTSMAN 1 Battery Operated Handheld Sprayer with Adjustable Spray Pattern Charger Not Included
Large, 3 wick candle offers protection from mosquitos and great for a patio or your favorite place to sit outdoors. Comes in a basic container but a little nicer than most, so doesn't mess with the asthetic as some do.
OFF! Citronella Candle Outdoor Bug Deterrent Mosquito Candle - 23oz
If you choose any of the products below in granular form, you'll need a spreader for any decent amount of area. I'd go with this Scotts model that is relatively cheap but gets the job done when spreading pesticides over the lawn.
Scotts Turf Builder EdgeGuard Mini Broadcast Spreader 15-lb Capacity Compatible with Ice Melt, Salt, Fertilizer, Seed
If you choose any of the concentrated products below in liquid form but don't have a sprayer, I would go with this one. Its cheap for a battery powered automatic sprayer, but covers a large area holding 4 gallons, so highly recommend if you are spraying baseboards, yard, house perimeter, etc.
VEVOR 4-Gallon 12-volt Battery Operated Plastic Backpack Sprayer with Adjustable Spray Pattern
Indoor / Outdoor Usage
These are my picks for dual usage products that can be used indoors and outdoors.
Awesome, professional-grade pest control with quick knockdown of active bugs, plus a long residual effect lasting up to 3 months! Mix in a sprayer and cover your perimeter, but can also be used indoors!
Demand CS Insecticide - 90 Days Control of Over 30 Pests - 0.8 fl oz Bottle by Syngenta
This is another great product to add to your pest control rotation. Instead of thiamethoxam, this is primarily Bifenthrin which is another quick-acting pest control. Alternating between different chemicals and compounds can be helpful so bugs don't build up a tolerance or become immune to one particular.
Compare-N-Save 16 oz. 7.9% Bifenthrin Indoor/Outdoor Insect Control Concentrate at Tractor Supply Co
Professional-grade! Syngenta is a leading producer of pesticides and this is a powerful product with great effectiveness! Not for blanket use indoors but can be used to spot-spray cracks and crevices as well as being used outdoors for cracks and perimeter control. Has a different active ingredient (cypermethrin) compared to others in my list and controls a few additional pests like termites.
Syngenta Demon Max 1 pt. at Tractor Supply Co
Great to use indoors where insects hide like cracks, baseboards, etc. Basically, it acts like barbed wire on the bodies of ants, fleas, roaches, and other insects and stops them in their tracks!
Safer Brand Safer Home 7 oz. Indoor and Outdoor Diatomaceous Earth for Ants, Bedbugs, Roaches, Fleas
Not only does it smell good, but also a natural option for keeping rodents and insects away from your house and garden. The label says rodent, but basically any peppermint essential oil will work for spiders, ants, mosquitos, flies, and more as they hate the smell of it. Needs to be reapplied every few days so may not be the best option if you're looking for a quick fix or to terminate them on the spot.
Mighty Mint Peppermint Oil Spray Rodent Repellent
Outdoor & Perimeter Control
Keeping bugs out of your yard and away from the home is super important if you have pets or kids. Not only are they a nuisance, but they can also cause damage to the home and people/animals. These are some of my fav products!
Very easy to find option and great for a general blanket coverage of your yard. Took care of my ant problem quickly and effective for up to 3 months!
Spectracide Triazicide For Lawns Granules 20-lb Insect killer
Easy, basic wasp and hornet spray that works instantly. Great to have in the summer when they start to come out.
Raid Wasp and Hornet Killer, Stinging Bug Insecticide for Outdoor Use, Insect Killer, 17.5 oz. 377657
Much more attractive than the standard old fly trap ribbon! Very effective for flys, wasps, hornets, bees, dirt daubers, and carpenter bees.
RESCUE! Outdoor Hanging TrapStik for Wasps, Mud Daubers, and Carpenter Bees Insect Trap, 1 Pack
If you have mosquitos, moths, or fleas, adding lavender plants around a garden is a good natural repellant for those specific insects. However, it does attract pollinator bees, so I would probably stick to keeping these in a garden or a place where you don't want to be blindsided by those.
Bonnie Plants 2.0 -Pack Lavender Plant in Pot
Another easily found blanket product that I've had success with. Spread it out, water it in, and you're set for a few months. Covers ticks, spiders, ants, and a host of other insects that present a danger to anyone or pets that frequent the area!
ORTHO BugClear 10 -lb Lawn insect control
Indoor Pest Control
My top picks for indoor pest control
BEST ANT KILLER IMO! Rather than using a knockdown spray, this has bait in it that attracts nearby ants. The swing by, pick it up, and take it back to their homies. A few days later and the whole block is DOA. Used it in my kitchen and it took a couple of rounds, but took care of the problem long term rather than killing the ones I could see!
Combat Max Indoor/Outdoor Ant Killing Bait Gel 0.95 -oz Ready to use Ant killer
A pretty basic pesticide for a wide range of insects. May not be professional grade, but I've had some luck with it in the past and you can find it just about anywhere in a pinch!
ORTHO Home Defense Max Indoor Insect Barrier 1.0 -Gallon Ready to use Insect killer
This would mainly be used for interior jobs where activity is high (an infestation) of the listed bugs. Normally, I would recommend calling in a professional before I used one in my own house. However, I did use this in my garage before moving in a few years ago as I found several roaches and ant trails around the base. I came back a few days later and there were no signs of life from any bugs!
Hot Shot Hot Shot Insect Fogger Aerosol With Odor Neutralizer Package Of 3 HG-96180-2
I'd prefer to use the Combat gel I recommended, but this is another ant killer that is pretty effective and actually a little cleaner to use inside. The Combat gel can be a little messy if they leave much behind, but these Terro pods are a good alternative.
TERRO Indoor Liquid Ant Killer Baits (6-Count) T300