How to get rid of any pest in your home or yard—for good

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Who doesn’t love seeing beautiful creatures out in nature? The flick of a cardinal’s crimson wings, the delicacy of a dragonfly. But a mouse skittering across your kitchen floor? That’s a different story.

Animals and insects inside your home aren’t just a nuisance; they’re potential trouble, spreading pathogens and harming property. When can you manage the situation on your own and when do you need professional help? And what can you do to fortify your home—and yard—against unwanted visitors in the first place? Read on for smart, safe, effective solutions.

Insects

Protecting your house from insects starts outside. Richard Cooper, PhD, an entomologist and owner of R Cooper Consulting, a pest management firm in Yardley, Pa., says that ground cover, shrubs, and mulch encourage pest activity. So make sure they’re not touching your house’s foundation. They can be an express lane for bugs.

How to get rid of ants

There are more than 700 species of ants in the U.S. Of those, 25 often come indoors, says Jim Fredericks, PhD, an entomologist and senior vice president of public affairs at the National Pest Management Association. Ants usually make their way inside in warm weather or after a heavy rain, searching for food and shelter.

Get them out: If you see ants, don’t reach for sprays like Raid. These usually contain chemicals called pyrethroids, which can sometimes lead to even more ant colonies. Instead, wipe them up with a paper towel dampened with soapy water. Then place bait stations where you’ve seen activity—on the kitchen floor or under the sink, for example. If you have pets or small children around, place the stations out of reach, like under the stove. Ants will take the bait back to the nest, where it will poison the whole colony. Products that contain both sweet and protein-based bait are a good bet because they attract a range of ant types. If you’re still plagued by ants, call a pro.

Keep them out: Close up cracks with a sealant or caulk and plug leaky doors or windows with weather stripping.

Keep the kitchen crumb-free and the floor mopped, because even a drop of a sweet drink can be a feast for ants. Wipe down sticky containers (like those for honey or syrup) before storing them, Fredericks says. If you bring potted plants indoors, always wipe off the leaves first, and/or use aphid-killing sticks. Ants love the sweet substance that aphids excrete.

Some natural sprays with peppermint or vinegar are claimed to repel ants. But Cooper says these products aren’t required to undergo the same testing for effectiveness as those with standard chemicals, so it’s hard to say if they work.

How to get rid of bees, wasps, and hornets

Outside your house, these insects do more good than harm, pollinating fruits, vegetables, and flowers. But it’s a problem when they nest on the exterior of a house, often under eaves and in walls. They can sting and occasionally do structural damage.

Get them out: Before you do anything, check insectidentification.org to find out which type of stinging insect you’re dealing with. Some of them (yellow jackets, killer bees, wasps) are aggressive and best left to pros. If you think it’s safe, use an insecticide spray (such as a wasp and hornet killer) on the nest at or after dusk, when hives are less active. These sprays can shoot a stream up to 20 feet (6 metres) into a nest, keeping you a safe distance away. But Roger Dickens, a wildlife expert and technical service manager for the national pest control company Terminix, says it’s hard to get a liquid spray into the back of a nest where it can reach the colony and kill off the population. The advantage to hiring a pro is that they can apply a powder form of insecticide, which the bugs will trail into the far recesses of the hive, and you won’t risk getting stung. It typically takes 24 to 48 hours to see results from applying insecticide.

Keep them out: Sealing your house is job No. 1. Make sure screens are intact and that windows and doors close tightly. In early spring, if you see a bee or wasp repeatedly buzzing around a specific area (say, near shutters), it’s likely a queen scoping out a nesting spot, so caulk any cracks and crevices. By the summer the insects have already made their nests or hives, so at that point the only recourse may be professional help.

How to get rid of moths

Adult pantry moths (aka Indian meal moths) and clothes moths live only a few weeks or months, but they can ruin kitchen staples and wreck sweaters, rugs, and more.

Get them out: With clothes moths, it’s not the adults that feed on fibres but the larvae. And the larvae are practically impossible to see, so you probably won’t know you have a problem until you notice mature moths fluttering around or find holes in your clothes. Dry-clean or wash potentially affected fabric items in hot water to kill the larvae and eggs, then store them in sealed bags. Freezing clothes in plastic bags for four days can also kill larvae and eggs. Large items like rugs will need a specialty dry cleaner.

Putting sticky moth traps in your closet will catch some adult bugs but might not eliminate the problem because larvae may already be hatching. Don’t use mothballs; they’re not effective, and their ingredients can irritate your eyes and nose. Extended exposure can even lead to liver and kidney damage.

Pantry moths typically enter your house via already infested dry foods (say, a box of cereal or bag of dog food) and fan out from there, say experts at the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Cornell University in New York. So if you spot tiny wormlike larvae or full-fledged moths in your cupboards, act fast. Inspect grain- and flour-based products (spread them out on a cookie sheet for easier examination) and dispose of anything that’s been affected. Then vacuum and wipe down cabinet surfaces.

Keep them out: Clothes moths can piggyback on used items you bring home, like a tag-sale blanket. Wash the items in hot water or freeze them before storing them with your things. To minimize pantry moth problems, keep dry goods in sealed containers.

How to get rid of flies

House flies can carry 100-plus pathogens, including malaria, salmonella, and tuberculosis. Some research shows that fruit flies can transfer pathogens among their food sources.

Get them out: If you see just a few house flies, place flytraps or flypaper around your house. For an infestation, it’s best to call in a pro to locate and treat the source.

Fruit flies feed on overripe produce, so toss old fruit and veggies, then set a trap near the trouble spot that consists of one centimetre of apple cider vinegar and a couple of drops of dish soap in a small bowl. Cover with plastic wrap secured with a rubber band, and pierce the wrap a few times with a fork. Drawn to the vinegar, fruit flies will slip through the holes and get stuck. You can also buy fruit-fly traps.

Keep them out: May we repeat: Seal your house well. And keep rodents out. A dead mouse in a wall could lead to a sudden flurry of “blow” flies (the kind with a blue-green sheen). To prevent fruit flies, rinse and dry produce as soon as you bring it home (even bananas and citrus). Though invisible to us, a cache of fruit fly eggs lurking on fruit can be 500 strong, so don’t leave a bowl of fruit on the counter. Either refrigerate fruit (24 hours in the fridge can kill eggs) or keep it in a sealed container. If you don’t compost or use a garbage disposal, store fruit rinds in a zipped plastic bag in the freezer until trash day to keep the kitchen bin free of fruit flies.

How to get rid of roaches

For some 140 million years, roaches have roamed the planet. “They move around dirty surfaces and can contaminate food and trigger allergies,” says Changlu Wang, PhD, an extension specialist in the department of entomology at Rutgers University.

Get them out: Roaches love kitchens (for the food) and bathrooms (for the dampness). If you see just a few, suck them up with a bagged vacuum and throw out the bag with the trash right away, Wang says. (The same advice applies to stink bugs, ladybugs, and crickets, which head indoors in cool weather—although you could scoop them up and take them outside; all are considered beneficial.) If you’ve seen one roach, there may be more. Wang recommends placing gel bait under the stove, refrigerator, and sinks.

Keep them out: Gel baits—and maintaining a clean, well-sealed house—are your best defence. For an ongoing problem, call an exterminator.

How to get rid of termites, carpenter ants, and carpenter bees

Termites, carpenter ants, and carpenter bees can eat or burrow into wood components of a house—the foundation, beams, or joists—and cause structural problems, not to mention aesthetic ones.

Matt Frye, a rodent and structural pest management specialist at the New York State Integrated Pest Management Program at Cornell University, suggests doing a walk-through of your house’s interior at least annually to check for signs of these types of pests. Be especially alert in high-moisture zones like the basement. Signs of termites include pencil-sized mud tubes along a foundation wall or hanging under floor joists, as well as discarded wings near windows and doors. With carpenter bees, you’ll see what’s known as frass, a mix of chewed-up wood and insect pieces, says Roger Dickens of Terminix. Carpenter ants are primarily nocturnal. Flick on a light at night and you might see them scurry.

If you find evidence of these pests, don’t buy a DIY treatment. Instead, call a pro.

Rodents and other small critters

Summer is a great time to close gaps and cracks before rodents seek shelter indoors in the fall, Frye says.

How to get rid of mice

These critters can squeeze through tight spaces, climb to reach holes in a roof, and chomp through drywall, insulation, and wires, potentially sparking fires. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, they also contaminate food and can carry salmonella and hantavirus, which can be fatal to humans.

Get them out: A classic snap trap is fast and reusable. Newer no-see/no-touch traps, which have a snap mechanism inside a closed box, can spare you some unpleasantness, but they aren’t reusable. Bait stations are another choice. Rodents die a couple of days after eating the bait—but this could happen inside your walls, leaving you with another (smelly) problem. If you’d rather not kill mice, you can use a “catch and release” trap baited with peanut butter (which rodents prefer to cheese), then free them far from home. There’s another option many people swear by: Get a cat.

Keep them out: Mice can get through even a dime-sized hole, so seal cracks with caulk and fill larger gaps near baseboards, doors, and windows with steel wool, which mice tend not to chew because of its sharp edges. Keep food, including pet food, in airtight containers, and sweep regularly. You can also hire an exterminator to find and close up entry points and/or use rodenticides only available to pros. You might see sonic devices that manufacturers claim emit sound waves (inaudible to us) that deter critters. While they may be helpful, more research is needed.

How to deal with squirrels and possums

They may not get inside as frequently as mice, but these creatures can wreak havoc when they do. Squirrels can chew through electrical wires and carry rabies, fleas, and ticks. Possums cause damage by scratching and gnawing, and can carry toxoplasmosis and tuberculosis, which can be transmitted through bites.

Get them out: It’s best to close off the area where they are until you can get help from a wildlife pro, especially if the animals are in a hard-to-reach spot. If there’s just one critter in an area with an exterior door, you could try to shoo it out with a broom. But don’t get too close—it might bite.

Keep them out: Squirrels can get onto a roof from nearby trees, so cut branches 1.8 to 2.4 metres back from your home. Place hardware cloth (a heavy-gauge mesh) of 1.27 centimetres or larger over vents, cap the chimney with an animal guard, and seal cracks around windows and doors. For louvered attic openings, use window screening inside, then cover that with hardware cloth.

Bats, birds, and snakes

These animals often pop up in horror movies, which means no one wants to encounter them inside. While there are a few ways to protect your house and potentially shoo away these pests, in many cases you’ll need to call a professional.

How to deal with bats

Bats are a misunderstood species, playing a vital role in pest control, plant pollination, and seed dispersal. Still, they can carry pathogens (it’s rare, but humans can contract rabies from a bite) and leave heaps of harmful poop, or guano.

Get them out: If there’s a lone bat lost in your house, turn off interior lights, open the windows, and turn on an exterior light to encourage it to exit. (Bats eat bugs, which are drawn to light.) But if you have several bats living in, say, your attic, call a licensed wildlife professional. They’re protected in certain regions, so they need special handling.

Keep them out: Install screens over vents, cover chimneys with animal guards, fill obvious holes with steel wool, and caulk cracks. Bats can slip into spaces as small as 1 centimetre wide. But wait until the weather cools: April through August is breeding season, and sealing off areas could trap babies.

How to deal with birds

Gutters, soffits, and eaves offer convenient nesting sites, but birds settling into these spots can clog drainage and ventilation paths, as well as leave acidic droppings.

Get them out: You’ll probably have to wait until late summer. Once you confirm that a nest is inactive, cover yourself up in long pants and a long-sleeved shirt, and put on rubber gloves and a mask because bird droppings can transmit diseases such as histoplasmosis (a fungal lung infection). Dispose of the nest in a zip-top bag; double bag it for safety. Scrub away bird droppings with a solution of 1 part bleach to 10 parts water. If you need help—or if you discover a nest during breeding season in a hard-to-reach place like a chimney—call a pro.

Keep them out: Protect enticing outdoor spots. Use a metal guard on the dryer vent and place mesh covering over gutters. If birds are drawn to the corners of window sills, deter them by installing metal bird spikes, which usually attach to the sill with screws or construction adhesive.

How to deal with snakes

Snakes can get washed inside by flood waters or slither into dark cellars for shelter or food, then stay to hibernate.

Get them out: If you’re absolutely sure a snake is harmless (go to cdc.gov/niosh and search for “snakes”), you could put on gloves, grab it, and toss it into the yard, or buy a snake trap. But it’s generally safer to call a pro.

Keep them out: Seal holes exceeding0.6 centimetres in diameter in a basement or crawl space, and replace missing door sweeps and vent covers. Minimize scrap heaps and woodpiles near your house. You can also buy snake repellents, but read the warning labels carefully.

Other backyard pests

Critters both large and tiny that enter your yard can cause a variety of problems. Here’s how to address them.

Mosquitoes and ticks

“The deadliest creature in the world isn’t a shark, snake, or spider,” says Jim Fredericks of the U.S. National Pest Management Association. It’s the mosquito, which can spread diseases including malaria, yellow fever, dengue, encephalitis, West Nile virus, and Zika virus. Mosquitoes are attracted to standing water and need only 1.27 centimetres of it to lay eggs, Fredericks says, so eliminate pools in flower saucers and clogged gutters. Plant basil, catnip, marigold, mint, lavender, or lemon balm; their scent may help repel mosquitoes.

Ticks, which can carry Lyme disease, tend to live in dense landscaping, tall grass, and wooded areas. Mow often and thin out dense plantings. Patio furniture, play sets, and a dog’s invisible fence all need a 1.8-metre buffer of manicured, unused lawn from woods or meadows that abut your property, says Richard Cooper, an entomologist. Ticks can travel inside on pets (even those treated with protective meds), so inspect them after they’ve been outside. Having a pro spray your perimeter and in wooded areas can help. Wear long sleeves, and tuck pants into socks for longer outdoor stints.

To protect yourself against bites, cover up and use a repellent.

Raccoons and skunks

These creatures look for a cozy spot to make a den. They can damage property, carry disease, and, in the case of skunks, spray a noxious odor. To ward them off, keep your yard free of debris and block spaces under porches and decks. You might need to hire a pro to cover open areas with hardware cloth or wire mesh, which should extend 5 centimetres down into the soil (these animals can dig). Make your property less appealing by placing open jars of vinegar or ammonia-soaked rags (natural deterrents) near areas you want to protect. Wear a mask and gloves when handling these materials. If you have pets, don’t use ammonia; it can be toxic. Opt for vinegar instead.

Deer, bears, and coyotes

Deer can transport ticks and eat up your garden; coyotes and bears can tear into trash and threaten pets. To avoid attracting them, thoroughly clean your grill and even clear away fruit that has fallen off trees. Find certified bear-proof trash containers; these can also stop coyotes. If you see a bear or coyote loitering, stay inside, turn on outdoor lights, and make loud noises to scare them off. Deer like to eat hostas, coleus, hydrangeas, and vegetables, but they avoid strongly scented and flavoured plants like herbs, geraniums, and alliums, so try planting these nearby.

By Janet Siroto, Consumer Reports