Getting rid of pests and weeds can be a challenge, but it doesn’t have to be. The first step is finding the best remedy to address the problem. If you are concerned about using certain chemicals around your home or yard, there is good news. There are plenty of safe, natural, and organic products you can use for DIY prevention to help control an invasion of insects, rodents, and weeds. Let’s explore some of the natural and organic pest and weed control solutions Bug & Weed Mart recommends.
DIY Pest Control
The best way to keep pests out of the house is to eliminate their shelter and food sources. Below are some of the most common ways to keep pests out.
Eliminate standing water
Where there is water, there are pests. Bugs rely on water for survival, so it is important to check hoses, hose bibs, sprinklers, and condensate drains for any drips around the house. After that, make sure any buckets, toys, or other containers that can collect rainwater are properly stored and covered.
Keep it clean
It’s important to take out the trash often and keep garbage and recycling bins sealed at all times. Don’t let them overflow either – this provides an all-you-can-eat feast for all kinds of pests and rodents. Unfinished or open food wrappers, beverage containers, or packaging scraps should be properly disposed of. Crumbs on counters invite bugs on counters. Dirty dishes left around invite rodents and insects to dine with you. When eating outside, clean up any spare food waste and make sure there is no food left around the yard.
Banish clutter
Any clutter, both indoors and outdoors, has to go. Clutter not only gives pests a place to hide, it also prevents treatments from being effective. Outside, organize landscape debris, stacks of firewood, and anything else pests can make their home in. Inside, make sure boxes, piles of clothes, papers, and toys are properly stored to keep from providing pests with the perfect shelter.
Maintain the yard
Yard and outdoor maintenance can prevent pests from infesting your property and leading into the home.
- Mow the lawn regularly and remove any vegetation within 18” of the home.
- Pick up fallen fruits and nuts pests like to eat.
- Dispose of animal poop frequently and responsibly. Left untouched, it can attract rodents like mice and rats.
- Remove cobwebs from the underside of awnings, patio covers, beams, and other frequent spider hangouts.
- Caulk or seal small areas around the home where bugs can enter. This includes pipes, door thresholds, the base of the house that meets the wall and around openings like dog doors.
Update outdoor lighting
Pests love bright white lights, but soft yellow lights aren’t as attractive. Installing yellow bug lights in outdoor light fixtures can deter pests from hanging around the house. Pests are also drawn in by lights that are left on. Installing motion sensors on outdoor lights is another good way to keep flying pests away.
Use Pyrethrin Products
Pyrethrin products are derived from chrysanthemum flowers – the original insecticide ingredient. These products will kill any type of insect but lack long-lasting effects. Pyrethrin products come in many forms including ready-to-use canisters, aerosol foggers and liquid sprays. Aerosol foggers made from pyrethrin products are a natural alternative to more harmful bug bombs. Pyrethrin sprays are completely safe to use in and around sensitive areas like the kitchen.
Set out traps
If pests and rodents are still making themselves comfortable in and around the house, it’s time to set out some traps. Bug & Weed Mart carries a wide variety of traps tailored for each specific pest that can be used with a variety of safe, natural attractants (mice love peanut butter!). Any of our experts are happy to help find the right trap for your pests.
DIY Weed Control
The best way to naturally control weeds is to prevent them from growing in the first place, but there are still ways to eliminate weeds after they start to grow.
Landscape with mulch
Landscaping with mulch keeps soil cool and moist, starving weeds of the sunlight they need to thrive. Mulch can be made from a variety of materials like leaves, stone, or compost. We recommend installing mulch that is about 2 inches deep. This ensures the soil can still receive the oxygen it needs to keep other plants healthy and thriving while providing a physical barrier that weeds typically can’t grow through.
Remove weeds manually
The oldest method of weed control is using muscle and manual labor to pull them from their roots. It’s also still one of the most effective solutions – if you don’t mind a little dirt. Mowing, hoeing, shoveling, and pulling are all effective ways to remove growing weeds. The best time to pull weeds is when the ground is wet. If the ground is dry, we recommend hoeing or shoveling.
Spray with vinegar
The acidity in vinegar acts as a natural weed killer. The best time to spray weeds is when it’s warm and dry outside. The sun combined with the vinegar helps kill the weeds by drying them out. Avoid applying when it’s windy. This can cause the solution to come into contact with and harm surrounding plants. Vinegar should be distilled using water and applied with a bottle or sprayer. For best practice, apply every 2-3 days until the weed has died.
If natural, organic solutions aren’t working and you are still having problems with stubborn weeds, it’s time to use a safe and effective pre- or post-emergent.
Apply pre-emergent
Applying a pre-emergent early in the spring to areas where weeds typically grow can prevent weed growth for six months up to a year. Bug & Weed Mart carries a variety of pre-emergents that effectively prevent weed germination but are safe to apply around flowers, shrubs, and grass.
Apply a post-emergent
If unsightly weeds are already popping up around your lawn and garden, we recommend applying a safe and effective post-emergent. Post-emergents work best when applied to young weeds that are actively growing. Bug & Weed Mart carries post-emergents designed to kill a variety of weeds without harming plants in lawns and gardens.
Bug & Weed Mart only sells safe, professional-grade DIY pest control products proven to keep pests and weeds under control. Visit one of our Valley-wide locations Tuesday through Sunday and our experts can help you find the best DIY solution to your pest and weed problems.