Dangerous DIY pest control methods
- Using sugar to lure house flies
- Insecticides as the be-all, end-all solution
- Dependence on Roach Motels
- Food as rodent bait
- Termite Traps
- Using heat to kill bedbugs
- Leaving mouse traps out in the open
- Spraying plants
Let’s face it: Sometimes pest control services can get very expensive, which is why some of us resort to DIY methods. Sure, the Internet is a great resource for almost any topic but some things are best left to the experts. Sometimes, the solutions we use create more problems than we can solve. And before you know it, your house could be overrun with termites, ants, vermin and other pests.
In light of this, here are some DDIY (Don’t-Do-It-Yourself) pest control problems you should definitely avoid.
DDIY #1: Using Sugar Water to Lure House Flies
Undoubtedly, this trick does work, but cleanup is the tricky (and messy) part. But what about the other flies that aren’t affected by this trap? Honey and vinegar traps don’t work on them, either.
DDIY #2: Insecticides as the Be-All, End-All Solution
Yes, insecticides do stop any insect in their tracks, but consider the consequences: the toxic chemicals of the generic solution you used are left out in the open. If you don’t clean the mess right after, you risk affecting your children’s, pet’s and home environment’s safety with the harmful toxins spread in the air.
Second, you may have gotten rid of the immediate pest, but remember that you could be dealing with an entire colony of ants, termites, or groups of vermin hiding in your house. If you don’t get to the root of the problem, trust that you’ll still see some creepy-crawlies around.
Consider using baits such as insecticide gels instead. These kinds of bait are slow acting killers that look like food to pests. This is useful because the harvester pests will bring it back to their colonies/nests where the rest of their family will eat it. Eventually the whole colony will die because of the insecticide found in the gel.
Lastly, if you use the wrong insecticide for the wrong bug, you won’t kill it at all. You basically just wasted good money on the wrong product.
DDIY #3: Dependence on Roach Motels
Roach motels are very effective against cockroaches, but too much reliance on them could do worse than good. There are some personal habits you have to consider as to why your home is being infested by these buggers, like a dirty kitchen. Even if you buy more traps, roaches will keep coming until you eliminate the scent of food.
DDIY #4: Food as Rodent Bait
Never, ever, attempt this method. While rodents will definitely fall for this trick, you could be getting more than you bargained for, as ants, termites, other pests, and more rodents will definitely storm to your house once they sense food nearby.
Plus, the downside to luring rodents is that you have to “finish the job”. If you don’t have the stomach for that, it’s best to leave it to the exterminators.
DDIY #5: Termite Traps
Moist piles of paper and cardboard attract termites. But if you don’t know how to dispose of it, pretty soon that trap is going to turn against you, inviting more termites in your home to look for wooden furniture to nest it. The trick is to burn the trap after 2 days (if there are termites nesting). If you have no experience with this whatsoever, stay away from this DIY method.
DDIY #6: Using Heat to Kill Bed Bugs
While it has been shown that extremely high temperatures are effective at killing bed bugs, you must be careful when trying this method. In fact, when you have a severe infestation, you must leave this only to the profession. This is because they know how to safely use heat to exterminate bed bugs. Making a mistake while using heat as a pest control method due to lack of knowledge could lead to severe damage to your home; you could end up burning it down. This is not only a danger to your family, but also such a disaster will leave you in a sudden financial crisis.
The only time that you can really do DIY pest control for bed bugs is when the infestation is still small and excessive amounts of heat are not needed.
DDIY #7: Leaving Mouse Traps out in the Open
It is important to note that mice spread disease just be being around an area. Their waste may be the main way they spread out deadly viruses, but they also have harmful bacteria and germs that live on their skin and fur. The very presence of mice in a home means that these microorganisms are near you and your loved ones.
You want to keep them out or, at the very least, inside the walls where you can safely use sprays. Thus, leaving mouse traps out in the open inside your home may kill the mice, but it will invite the harmful bacteria, germs, and diseases to live near you.
Also, rodents tend to move along the edges and walls since they find open areas to be dangerous to themselves. If you really insist on using mouse traps inside your home, then leave them in a visible area along the side of a wall and wherever you see rodent droppings.
Do not use traps with baits if you have pets or overly-curious kids at home.
DDIY #8: Spraying Plants
Spraying too much pesticides is dangerous to all living things. You may be thinking that spraying these chemicals in your garden will keep your plants safe from pests such as aphids and caterpillars. However, these chemicals have also been known to kill plants if not properly applied.
This could be because of overuse of the product or using the wrong kinds of pesticides. If you want to do DIY pest control in your garden, then it is important that you do the proper research. You must know which products to use and how to use them. Failure to do so could lead to the death of your favorite shade tree.
Key Takeaway
While doing DIY pest control is an attractive option for you to save some money, it is important to remember that knowledge is power. Do not do it until you completely sure of all the science and safety measures behind a certain DIY pest control method that you see online.
However, there is no beating the excellence that you would get from hiring a professional service, which have experienced and educated experts to handle any pest infestation. It is possible to educate yourself on how to achieve this quality yourself and perform good DIY pest control but be prepared to give same time and effort that these professionals did to learn all about pests.