Hopefully you didn’t see that coming. No, bugs are not a joking matter, especially when they are making homes unlivable by infesting the walls! Not only are these cleaning products great for trapping pests, but they are also safe for pets and children.
The most important part of choosing the right product is making sure that the ingredients work with your home’s needs. If you have pets, you can’t have any products that include chemicals that will harm them. If your home includes children, you want to make sure they are using non-toxic products! These 11 cleaning products are perfect for treating all kinds of pests.
Hesitant to use chemical-based products? Don’t worry! Unlike other pest control products out there, these are completely organic so no harmful chemicals are included in the mix.
Table of Contents
1. Citrus oil
Citrus oil is made from the peels of fruit like oranges, lemons and grapefruit. It is safer than many chemical pesticides and can be used to repel or destroy a few insects: cockroaches, ants and other bugs that don’t sting or bite.
2. Bifen IT
Bifen IT is an indoor-only insecticide. It can be purchased in an aerosol or with a hose end sprayer, and it is labeled for use against ants, fleas, cockroaches, crickets and spiders. It has a 4-hour re-entry period after application, which is short compared to other products on this list. However, it’s important to note that Bifen IT is formulated to be used with a bait injector already attached to the hose end sprayer
3. Terro Ant Killer
Source: stonebrothers.com
Terro Ant Killer is a well-known product for getting rid of ants. It is available in liquid and powder form. You can use Terro Ant Killer to kill spiders, cockroaches, ants, mosquitoes, wasps and earwigs. It is also great for eliminating odor from garbage cans, refrigerators and pet areas.
The liquid form works by slowly drying the insect so it dies over a period of time without immediately killing them like poison would. Terro Ant Killer’s active ingredient is boric acid that quickly gets to work on killing the ant. According to PestAdvisors , there is no added sugar or artificial flavors in their products for safer use around children and pets. Terro Ant Killer can be used indoors or outdoors.
The Terro Company has been around since 1910 and has been making their share of insecticide formulas since World War I for killing termites, beetles, wasps and other pests.
4.Raid Ant and Roach Killer:
The best way to exterminate pests in your home is during a time when they’re most active. During the night, ants and roaches for example, are more likely to be found on the move, which means that that’s the best time to apply Raid Ant and Roach Killer.
To get rid of ants, simply turn up the heat on them by sprinkling the granules across cracks and crevices where you’ve seen them travel. When they re-enter these areas, they’ll be met with a downpour of the Raid toxin, which will disrupt their neurological system, ultimately killing them.
Water is an effective way to eliminate roaches, but it has one major drawback: it isn’t very sticky. To keep roaches out of your home, it’s best to use a spray like Raid Max Roach Killing Spray . This product is made with a strong formula that’s designed to stick to surfaces where roaches are most likely to cross paths with it.
5. Pest-Free:
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It makes sense that a product called Pest-Free would help get rid of pests. This product uses boric acid and natural enzymes to kill ants, cockroaches, fleas, ticks and other housepets. As an added bonus, Pest-Free can be used in kitchens and bathrooms to eliminate odors from food waste and other materials that rodents may be attracted to
6. Borax
Borax is a white powder which is easily dissolvable in water. The Borax gets mixed with water to create a thin, very sticky liquid. The mixture can be sprayed directly on the pests or on their trails. Once the liquid dries up, it will create a wall that the pests will walk upon, trapping them. The Borax will eventually kill them.
Borax is also safe for humans and pets since the dangerous chemical properties are removed during the production process.
7. Diatomaceous Earth
Source: chicagotribune.com
Diatomaceous Earth is a powdery white sedimentary silicate that can be used as a non-toxic insecticide to control insects in the home. It’s made from the fossilized carcasses of tiny sea creatures called diatoms as well as other elements such as clay and rock.
8. Glue Board Traps
Glue boards are easy to use and widely available. You simply place them along the floorboards you suspect are being invaded by rodents. This is why I suggest placing these traps about three feet apart and in a line down the length of the wall you suspect is being invaded. If you find dead mice or rats on the boards after a few nights, you know they were your culprits
9. Cedar Oil
Source: womansworld.com
Benefits: Cedar oil is great to use as a pest repellent because it smells like a roach’s major aphrodisiac — estrogen — and the pests don’t like it. It also keeps away ants and other bugs.
Green tip: Make sure you buy 100% pure cedar oil and use it sparingly to make it last longer.
How to use: There’s no need to spray cedar oil all over your house — just use it in places where bugs tend to gather
10. Roach Bait
If you have a roach problem you can try using roach bait gel. It comes in a tube that you squeeze onto a place where roaches will pass by, once they eat it they’ll die and the gel will dry up and disappear. Or, you can try using a poison like boric acid. Boric acid is relatively safe for humans but it’s lethal to roaches when it’s mixed with water and ingested.
11. Gnatrol
Source: pestrong.com
Gnatrol is a powder that you put on the ground around your home. It’s odorless to humans, but when gnats come into contact with it, they die immediately. In addition to killing them, Gnatrol also keeps them from returning. You can buy a 2 oz. bottle for about $15 on Amazon.
“Gnatrol is not for sale in your local hardware store or garden supply center because it is a professional exterminator product. It is designed for use by pest control companies and professional exterminators who have a Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) license. Dursban which is no longer on the market – was a similar product – but Gnatrol is safer – and it works better.”
This is a concentrated insecticide that can be used on a variety of pests that find their way into the home.
around your home. It’s odorless to humans, but when gnats come into contact with it, they die immediately.
