Top Pest Control Products for a Pest-Free Home
Pests are a homeowners’ worst nightmare. Ants, termites, rats and cockroaches are just some of the unpleasant guests that can infiltrate your home and, once inside, can spread disease or cause damage to your property.
The hard truth is that getting rid of pests isn’t easy, and the longer pests reside in your home the greater the possibility that the health of you and your property will suffer.
It doesn’t have to be this way; to win the fight against pests, you simply need to buy the best pest-busting products on the market. Building on Episode 11 of our How To Home Podcast, we’ve listed our 6 favorite pest control products below so you can wave goodbye to those filthy lodgers once and for all.
1. TERRO Liquid Ant Killer Baits
If you’re struggling with an ant infestation, this liquid ant killer from Terro is just what you need. Suitable for use both inside and outside your home, these plastic trays contain an irresistible bait irresistible to ants. The convenient design means you won’t have to handle any chemicals; simply snap open at one end and leave in areas where the ants congregate.
TERRO Liquid Ant Killer Baits are weather resistant, so you needn’t worry if you place a tray outside through a rainstorm. The compact size is also a perfect fit for corners, nooks, and crannies within your home where ants might congregate.
The deadly ingredient in TERRO Liquid Ant Killer Baits is boric acid, a derivative of borax. This pesticide is moderately toxic and capable of completely exterminating irritating ant colonies within a couple of weeks. Ants won’t drop dead immediately after coming into contact with the bait; rather, they’ll take some of the poison back to their colony before dying a few hours or days later. Eventually, the entire colony will become exposed and perish.
It might sound scary, but boric acid is EPA approved for household use by the public without a license. Due to the plastic coating, pets and kids will struggle to reach the liquid contained inside, but you should still keep them away from this product just in case.
Key points:
- Handy plastic trays mean you won’t have to handle any chemicals
- Small enough to be easily placed in areas ants like to forage
- Weatherproof and suitable for use indoors and outdoors
- Design is difficult for children and pets to access
- Will kill an entire ant colony within a couple of weeks
- EPA approved
2. Advion Cockroach Gel Bait
Cockroaches are perhaps one of the most reviled pests you can encounter in your home. These scuttling insects can squeeze themselves into the smallest and darkest spaces, usually coming out to scavenge once the lights are off.
This gel bait from Advion can help you win the fight against these pesky nocturnal creepers. Coming in a pack of 4 pre-filled syringes, this gel bait can be safely placed outdoors and indoors, including areas where food is prepared. All common species of cockroach are targeted, even those like German cockroaches that are usually averse to gel bait. This means you won’t need to identify the offending species first, which will surely be welcomed.
To use, screw the plastic nozzle onto the syringe and squeeze drops of gel anywhere you see roaches. This could be in the back of your cabinets, underneath your sink, kitchen counters, around the back of your toilet, or in your basement. These drops will remain effective for up to two months after application. The cockroaches will be drawn to the bait, eat it and die, so you’ll have to keep replacing the gel as it gets consumed. They’ll also bring the poison back to their nest, though, to expose other hidden roaches to the toxin.
This chain reaction means Advion Cockroach Gel Bait is incredibly fast-acting. Many users have found that this product eliminated serious cockroach infestations in a matter of days, and studies have shown an almost 100% reduction after two weeks. You must be prepared to do some cleaning up, though. Cockroach corpses will litter your floor for a while until they’re all dead and removed.
Advion Cockroach Gel Bait can be safely used if you have pets and children, but steps should be taken to ensure it isn’t ingested. Another benefit of this gel bait is that you can carefully control where it’s placed, which isn’t the case with sprays and foggers. Application may be a little messy, but you can place the gel onto some tape to make cleanup easier.
Key points:
- Comes with 4 pre-filled syringes
- Easy and safe to use
- Remains effective for up to 2 months
- Kills most species of cockroach fast
- Poison is taken back to nest for rapid ‘chain-reaction’ effect
3. Vet’s Best Flea and Tick Home Spray
Contrary to popular belief, you don’t necessarily need to own pets to suffer from a flea infestation. These blood-suckers originate outdoors and can easily hitch a lift into your home on your clothing or within second-hand furniture.
Once inside, fleas reproduce at an astonishing rate. Their eggs and larvae remain hidden deep in your carpet or within the cracks of wooden flooring, waiting to emerge weeks later. Therefore, fleas are notoriously difficult to remove, especially if you don’t target them at the pre-adult stages.
Vet’s Best Flea and Tick Home Spray offers the perfect solution. This highly-rated spray features an all-natural formula free from chemicals, which is perfect if you have children or pets to consider. The formulation includes the essential oils of peppermint and eugenol, which are known for their insecticidal properties. These oils will kill adult fleas on contact and render their eggs unviable, thus eliminating the population over a couple of weeks.
Vet’s Best Flea and Tick Home Spray can be sprayed liberally all over your carpets, flooring, furniture and even your dog, if you have one. This enables you to get right to the core of the infestation by killing the pre-adult fleas lurking in your home.
The formula will not stain your fabrics, but you can always do a patch test to make sure. You will have to re-apply the formula regularly for a few weeks to be sure all the fleas and eggs have been killed.
Key points:
- All natural formula free from insecticides
- Kills adult fleas on contact
- Prevents eggs and larvae from developing
- Safe to use around children and pets
- Gets rid of fleas within a few weeks
- Doesn’t stain furniture
4. Flowtron Electronic Mosquito Killer, 1/2 Acre Coverage
If mosquitoes are ruining your summer evenings in the yard, it’s time you got yourself a Flowtron Electronic Mosquito Killer. This flying insect zapper makes short work of biting menaces and has a range of up to ½ an acre.
Completely weatherproof and highly durable, the Flowtron Electronic Mosquito Killer attracts mosquitoes and immediately kills them as they come into contact with an electrified grid. Unlike some other products, debris from destroyed insects won’t clog up the unit but rather falls to the ground where it’s harmlessly absorbed into the environment. No harmful chemical insecticides are required, and the bright UV light is incredibly cheap to run. In fact, it’s so bright that it can even double up as a security light if required.
As this mosquito killer is so powerful, you should place it 25 ft from where you like to sit. This is so you’ll be safely out of the way as mosquitoes flock to the deadly light and won’t get sprinkled with debris. After a couple of evenings, you should find the frequency of zapping slows down as the mosquito population dwindles. You should then be able to enjoy the outdoors without any bug repellent at all.
Key points:
- Highly effective at attracting and killing mosquitoes
- Range of ½ an acre
- Weatherproof and durable
- Doesn’t clog up with insect debris
- Cheap to run
- Doubles as a security light
5. Spectracide Terminate Termite Detection & Killing Stakes
Termites can strike fear into the heart of any homeowner. These ravenous insects are capable of eating through concrete and, if left unchecked, are able to completely destroy a property.
Luckily, Spectracide Terminate Termite Detection & Killing Stakes enable you to detect and kill termites before they strike. These clever little stakes are available in packs of 15. They must be positioned around the perimeter of your home in 10 ft increments and 2-3 ft from the foundation for optimal protection.
They’re easy to install. Simply use the specially provided auger and then press them into the ground so that the top is flush with the surface. The kit includes a step by step guide to help you plan where to install the stakes for your circumstances.
The inside of the stake is filled with a bait which draws any termites in before they reach your property. Once inside, the termites are killed and an orange indicator pops up to alert you of their presence. This gives you a crucial head start against these dreaded pests, so you can get professional help before it’s too late.
If your property perimeter is up to 1,200 ft, a single pack will be enough; larger properties, though, might require additional stakes. These are available as refill packs of 5.
Key points:
- Helps you to detect and kill termites before they cause serious damage
- Simple to use
- Contains 15 stakes, enough for a 1,200 ft perimeter
- Kit comes with everything you need
Final Thoughts
Even though they’re a common problem, the realization that pests have invaded your home can sometimes feel like enough to make you want to move out. Thankfully, you don’t need to vacate your property just yet. As this article has shown, there are a number of powerful products on the market that can stop these pests in their tracks before they cause damage to your home or your health.
If you’re struggling with cockroaches, rats, ants, fleas, mosquitoes or termites, we hope our top 6 pest control products will help you finally regain control over these nasty invaders once and for all.
