Know your pests and keep your home critter free without poisons

Pests are living things. They’re looking for food and shelter to survive and reproduce, and the fine suite of options we offer them with our storage areas and compost bins, full of dust bunnies and food scraps, are very enticing. They are also extremely annoying in your home.

Understanding who our unwanted house and garden guests are and why they are there will get to the root of the problem. That’s why the first two steps of integrated pest management are to inspect and to identify. That’s right, it’s not just about eradication!

When it comes to treatment options, you have two main types at your disposal: mechanical and chemical (and combinations thereof). Mechanical treatments are physical barriers that separate the pests from you or your property (bug nets, wasp traps) or treatments that kill the pests on location (mouse traps, bug zappers, cleaning). Traps are generally safe for your family, although setting up a mouse trap requires a light and confident touch.

We’re looking for pest control chemicals that are not toxic to humans, pets, or the environment, but that deter or attract and kill pests. The most common are plant oils, enzymes, and plain old soap and sugar water.