Effective DIY Pest Control Tips for Perth Homes

One important thing you can count on if you want to maintain your health as well as get a comfortable living environment is pest control. This is more for people who are living in a city like Perth. Because it is a city that poses significant pest challenges. However, adopting the right and effective DIY pest control tips for Perth residential and commercial properties can keep you safe. Believing in pest control tips helps you save costs, no exposure to chemicals and are also the timely interventions you are in need of. On top of this, if you go for eco-friendly DIY pest control tips, you will be on the advantageous side. This is because eco-friendly DIYs cause minimal environmental impact, ensure long-term effectiveness, contribute to community health and more. 

Here Is All You Need To Know About Pests And Their DIY Control Tips

Common Household Pests In Perth

A few common household pests in Perth properties are mainly German cockroaches, fleas, ants, silverfishes and rodents such as rats and mice. Each of these Perth household pests has different behaviour and breeding habits depending on environmental conditions and we explained details regarding the same as follows: 

1. German Cockroaches

Because of their active movements during the night, they are categorised as nocturnal pests. These cockroaches usually prefer to find shelter in humid, dark, warm and hidden environments. Moreover, German cockroaches mainly infest bathrooms and kitchens in forage of food and water sources. In fact, German cockroaches are one of the fastest breeding pests and produce 4 egg cases, each of which consists of 30 to 40 eggs. 

2. Fleas

There are different types of fleas that infest a Perth property and they are likely to be cat fleas, dog fleas, human fleas, bird fleas, etc. Usually, fleas feed on the blood of both mammals and birds. Fleas undergo metamorphosis and female fleas lay their eggs on host (humans, cats, dogs, birds, etc.) bodies. Once these eggs hatch, the larvae form and feed on organic matter like debris or flea faeces. 

3. Ants

Ants are categorised into a wide range of species varying from fire ants, carpenter ants, garden ants, drain ants, pharaoh ants, etc. Therefore, each of these ant species has different behaviour but their love for food is common among all of the ant species. All ants need is small cracks and crevices in your walls and windows to enter your place. With complex structures like theirs, only the queen lays eggs and other ants work as worker ants to take care of larvae that come from these eggs.  

4. Silverfishes 

Like cockroaches, silverfishes are nocturnal pests and prefer humid and dark environments. They feed on every food that has starch substances in them, like newspapers, magazines, wall hangings, books, albums, etc. Upon breeding, silverfishes lay small batches of eggs at once and as these eggs hatch, they resemble adult silverfishes but in the form of miniatures. 

5. Rats & Mice

Rats and mice are known for their notorious behaviour of damaging both properties and people’s health. In fact, they impact people’s health by contaminating human food and spreading diseases. When it comes to breeding, a single female rat and mouse can produce multiple offspring at once, which continues throughout the year. 

Pest-Proofing Your Home

Yes, by simply taking a few measures, you can make your home pest-proof and some of such measures are listed as follows:

• Seal all the potential entry points of pests like cracks, crevices, gaps around doors, vents, sewer lines and pipes. 
• Regularly clean your home by decluttering as this helps in eliminating potential hiding spots of pests.
• Maintain your lawn by trimming the shrubs, bushes and trees that are extended to your windows.
• Promptly repair the leaking pipes and faucets to eliminate water sources for pests.
• Install high-quality door sweeps and window screens to reduce the entry of pests into your Perth home.
• Throw away the trash on a regular basis to prevent pests from breeding in garbage bins.
• Store food in sealed containers to minimise pests getting attracted to food in your kitchens and dining areas. 

Natural Pest Repellents

If you want to find a way to keep pests away from your place, there are a few approaches you can count on, like using essential oils and herbs. See how different essential oils help in keeping unwanted pests at bay. 

• Peppermint Oil- It deters ants, rodents and spiders. Thus, mix about 5 drops of peppermint oil into a cup of water and take this content into a spray bottle to use as a spraying solution. 
• Rosemary- It repels a wide range of pests like cockroaches, flies, mosquitoes and many more. Hence, you can use it either as incense or sachet. 
• Lavender Oil– It is known for its nature of repelling moths, flies and mosquitoes. So, take a cotton ball and dip it in lavender oil to place in areas where you find mosquitoes. 
• Eucalyptus Oil– An essential oil that acts as the best repellent against mosquitoes and flies is eucalyptus oil. Therefore, make a spray by mixing it with water. 
• Citronella Oil– One of the popular mosquito-repelling agents is citronella oil. Thus, you can use citronella candles to repel mosquitoes.  

Homemade Traps & Baits

Yes, there are a variety of homemade traps and baits that help in pest control without killing or harming them. Below are a few such methods. 

Constructing Traps

• Stink Bug Bottle Traps- Grab a plastic bottle and use some scissors to snip off 2-3 inches at the top. Later, unscrew the lid to invert the detached top section and sit it inside the main body. Then, use tape to fix the top of the bottle inside and facing downward. The last step is to place a flashlight inside the bottle and place it in a dark area. 
• Side-Door Bottle Trap- You need to take a plastic bottle to add honey, ripe fruit or peanut butter to the bottom of it. Then, cut a small “u” shape at one side and place it near pest infestations.  
• Vinegar Bowl Fly Traps- Take a bowl and fill it with a soapy solution and then take another small cup with vinegar and keep this in the middle of the bowl. Now, leave this bowl to attract pests. 
• Plastic Wrap Fruit Fly Traps- Get a bowl and fill it with honey or balsamic vinegar and add about 3 drops of olive oil to it. Then, stretch a plastic wrap over the bowl make some holes in it and leave it in an open space. 
• Sticky Paper Bug Traps- Take a piece of cardboard to coat it with any sweet or sticky mixture and leave it on the floor. 

Baiting Techniques 

The following are some of the most-sorted baiting techniques when rodents, ants and termites are spotted at a property:

• Powdered Sugar With Baking Soda- Mix both these ingredients in equal parts and place them in areas where ants frequently roam. 
• Peanut Butter- Take a spoonful of peanut butter and place it in a trap to catch rodents and possums. 
• Vinegar With Lemon Juice- A powerful homemade baiting technique for termites. So, you can mix vinegar with lemon juice and use it as a spraying solution for termite control. 

Pest Control In The Garden 

1. Natural Ways To Deter Pests 

• Remove fallen leaves, debris and any such organic matter to keep your garden clean.
• Resolve drainage and water leakages immediately.

2. Companion Plantation

Take the initiative to plant marigolds, nasturtiums and chives in your garden to repel pests as they have a strong scent that repels roaches and others. 

3. Sustainable Practices 

Take a look at some of the most effective sustainable practices for garden pest control in Perth. 

• Plant Selection: Selecting plants for your garden on a seasonal basis can disrupt the life cycle of pests and their infestations.
• Mulching: Applying organic mulch can suppress the growth of weeds and retain moisture. 
• Pruning: Pruning your garden regularly improves the penetration of sunlight and air circulation. 

Pest Control For Specific Pests 

• DIY Methods For Dealing Ants & Cockroaches

• Upon finding food crumbs and spills, clean them immediately and store food items in airtight containers, if not consuming.
• Seal entry points such as gaps in windows, and cracks in walls.
• Sprinkle coffee grounds or cinnamon near ant entry points to deter them. For cockroaches, use a mixture of sugar and baking soda in equal amounts. 
• Wherever you see cockroaches, place a paste made of boric acid, sugar, and flour in equal parts. 
• Diatomaceous earth acts as a dehydrating agent for both cockroaches and ants. 

• Effective Strategies Against Spiders & Mosquitoes

• If you find standing water anywhere across your property, it’s time to empty and clear them away.
• Installing screens on doors and windows shows effective results by preventing spiders and mosquitoes entry. 
• Repel mosquitoes and spiders by burning citronella or by using essential oils as diffusers.
• Regularly vacuum your place to remove spider eggs and webs. 
• Eliminate clutter like cardboard, newspapers, unused toys, etc. 

• Tips For Managing Rodents & Other Small Pests

• Sealing entry points is the crucial tip of your plan to manage the entry of rodents into your home. 
• Use electronic traps, live traps and snap traps to catch rats and mice once you notice their activity.  
• Keep your food in secure places and away from rodents and other pests. 
• Clear away the pet food in your pet bowl and don’t let it sit overnight. 

Safe Handling & Disposal 

Certainly, there are a few guidelines for safe handling and disposal of pests like wearing gloves, double-bagging, sanitising the traps, and ensuring there are no openings in sealing bags. In addition to this, there is a proper way to safely trap and release harmless pests. The steps are as follows:

• Identify the pest as a harmless pest and ensure it isn’t a carrier of harmful diseases before trapping it. 
• Use either a plastic or glass container to carefully capture pest(s) without harming them in the process. 
• Once the pest is captured, carefully slide a piece of paper to understand the container to create a lid for it. 
• Then, take this container (with pests) outdoors and let the pest escape into a terrestrial area. 

In fact, there are also guidelines for dealing with aggressive pests like rodents, bees, wasps and rodents. The first thing you need to keep in mind while handling and disposing of an aggressive pest is to prioritise your safety. Then, avoid provoking them by not making loud noises and avoiding sudden movements. The next step is to immediately call for professional pest control assistance.

Timing & Seasonal Considerations

It is true that pest control measures can be done based on seasonal patterns for both residential and commercial properties. For example, if it is spring season in Perth, measures should be taken by ceiling pest entry points quickly addressing best breeding sites and trimming your garden. However, if it is summer you need to install screens on doors and windows to reduce the entry of pests indoors. You must inspect and clean sewer lines to avoid water from getting clogged and attracting unwanted pests into your home. 

In fact, there are also a few steps on how to identify and address pest problems early before they start infesting your property inside out. Firstly, you need to conduct a regular pest inspection for your property to identify pest activity by cross-checking with multiple signs. Then, monitor changes according to their activity depending on different seasons like summer, winter fall and spring. The final step is to start with early interventions. However, for long-term pest control planning, you have Integrated Pest Management and professional pest control services. 

Evaluating DIY Pest Control Success

To confirm everything you did with DIY pest control tips is successful, you must evaluate the whole process by monitoring it. Here, keep monitoring the places that are treated look for any science of pest activity and compare the results with before DIY tips for pest control. Then, maintain a record where you can document what you have done to date for effective pest control at home. In case, if your DIY tips fail to show success, you can seek help from professional pest control services as they have licensed and certified exterminators to assist you. For better pest management, keep researching pests, experiment with different DIYs, look for professional guidance like seminars, etc. 

Conclusion 

We have explained how different DIY pest control tips work on two different pests and the results you can expect from the same. By following these homemade tips, ideas, traps and baits, you can maintain your property to become a pest-free area. The measures you can adopt for pest control at home are sealing entry points, trimming the lawn, following sustainable practices, etc. However, despite taking these measures, you shouldn’t forget about the importance of regular inspections and monitoring for pest activity. Also, if you want to use safe ingredients for trapping and baiting pests, then there is no better option than eco-friendly practices. Because they balance the environment you live in and help in easy pest management.