Do-It-Yourself Pest Control: What Really Works? (sample newsletter article)

Do you have residents asking for advice on pest control or residents taking pest control into their own hands? Use the information below in a newsletter or as reference for building staff who give pest control tips to residents.

Feel free to modify….

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Do-It-Yourself Pest Control: What Really Works?

What do you do when you see a cockroach? A mouse? Hopefully, you’ll ask us for help. Do not use bug sprays or “bug bombs”! Save your money and leave it to the professionals. Too often, store-bought sprays or do-it-yourself (DIY) fixes may only kill the pests you see. The ones that are hiding are happily starting families. Worse yet, you could be exposing your family and yourself to dangerous chemicals. Report any pests to us at {insert contact info here}. Either trained staff or our pest control contractor will help you get the bugs or rodents out for good—for free.

While you wait for us to respond, there are things you can do. Try these non-toxic, DIY suggestions to keep bugs and rodents out of your home.

Here’s what works:

1. Get rid of clutter - Clutter does not cause pest infestations, but it gives them places to hide once they arrive, making them hard to find and kill. When de-cluttering, sort items into three piles: keep, donate, or throw away.
2. Vacuum - Vacuuming does a fine job of sucking up bugs. It also gets rid of the crumbs that some pests eat and the allergens they leave behind. A “HEPA filter” vacuum is recommended. Don’t let bugs escape from the vacuum. Throw away the bag or the contents of the canister (put in a tied off bag) in an outside dumpster. Think you have bugs hiding? Try flushing them out with the air from a hair dryer. Be ready with the vacuum when they run out! Vacuuming won’t get rid of an infestation, but it can help get rid of a lot of bugs.
3. Lock ‘em out - Seal up all the openings where pests get in; look under sinks, around the pipes, around windows, and under doors. Mice can fit through a hole the size of a dime and rats can fit through a hole the size of a quarter! Fill out a work order to have maintenance seal these
   

   A mouse or rat could easily slip under this door.
   openings, install door sweeps at the bottom of doors, and fix broken window screens.
4. Don’t feed ‘em - Pests need food and water to survive. We don’t want to make life easy for them. Mice, rats, cockroaches, ants, and many other pests go where they find food and water. They will happily eat food we leave out – including pet food. You can:

• Clean-up dishes at night
• Store food in the fridge or in sealed containers
• Only eat in the kitchen or dining area
• Use a garbage can with a tight fitting lid and empty it regularly
• Put in work orders to fix leaky pipes or faucets

1. Trap ‘em - Sticky traps won’t get rid of an all the  bugs, but they will show us where they are before they get out of hand.
2. Inspect everything that comes into your home - Stowaways come in packages, luggage, furniture, and food.
3. Use a clothes dryer* - High heat can kill pests including fleas and bed bugs. Keep clothing or bedding bagged on the way to the laundry room or laundromat to prevent spreading bugs. Wash and dry clothing and bedding on hottest setting for a full cycle and bring your laundry home in a different bag (throw away 1st bag in an outside dumpster). You can skip the washer and just place the items in a dryer on the hottest cycle for 30 minutes. This dryer-only method saves time and money and you can use it with dry-clean-only items.

*Using a clothes dryer for bed bug control does not take the place of a pest management professional. Report suspected bed bugs so we can help!

No, these efforts will not take the place of a professional but they can make a huge difference. The best time for do-it-yourself pest control is before you see any pests!  Have all these tips be part of your weekly routine. For more information on what you can do for specific pests ask us or visit StopPests in Housing’s “Pest Solutions” page: http://www.stoppests.org/pest-solutions/

Comments

[Action Property Inspections]

Agree that there are something you can do for prevention but a professional is always advised for pest inspections as there may be things unseen which can be detected with professional equipment

[Jenn]

I agree with inspecting everything that comes into your home, but I'd also suggest not buying some things used. Picking up a mattress or couch at a garage sell is just asking for trouble. Either inspect it thoroughly there, or always try to buy your mattresses new.

[Dennise Belmaker, StopPests in Housing]

Jenn, Thank you for your comment. As a rule of thumb, we also suggest not to get used mattresses and furniture, specially from the street. However, in situations where buying a new mattress/couch is not possible (usually for economic reasons), doing a thorough inspection before taking the item -as you mentioned- or bringing it into your home, would be the recommended way to proceed.

In addition, some multi-family housing sites have started to provide container or portable heat treatment for their residents, mostly for bed bug control. This is a great alternative, specially for larger complexes with high turnover and/or low-income tenants who normally bring used furniture.