Seeking Do It Yourself Pest Control

C. -

I know you are looking for a home ready but try Henry's Pest Control - inexpensive great guy who took care of our problem with 2 visits Henry Pest Cell ###-###-####
Henry Pest ###-###-####
It was cheaper then buying bombs and continuing the fight. He comes now every quarter and we no longer have any insect problem. We live next to a park and wooded area. They were in our attic and under the house.

C.,

I share your concern about pesticides...there are just too many risks to our precious little ones. A good website to check out is www.dirtdoctor.com. He has wonderful recommendations for pest control. Just look under the index section...it's free advice. I do agree with many of the recommendations that have been give to you: orange oil, Solumel, borax products like Roach Proof are all great. You can roll some up with flour mixture and put in attic, cracks, etc.. Just make sure it's not close to pets. One service to consider is All-Safe. They would be great for identifying the problem to be roach or water-bug. They are great about safety for your family. Good luck!

Try boric acid, it is kryptonite for roaches. It's not for dogs or children to ingest, but just be wise as to where you use it. You can find it at Home depot in the pest dept.

Here is an exerpt I found at a website on pestisides:

http://www.beyondpesticides.org/infoservices/pesticidefac...

"Boric Acid is a low-toxicity mineral with insecticidal, fungicidal, and herbicidal properties. It does not evaporate or volatilize into the air or pose the considerable health concerns associated with synthetic pesticides; however it can still pose health hazards and should be used with care. As with any pesticide, keep boric acid pesticide products out of reach of children and only use it in locations where it will not come in contact with people or animals, such as in cracks and crevices, behind counters, and in baseboards. While boric acid is somewhat slower acting than the synthetic pesticides, like chlorpyrifos, diazinon, or pyrethrins, it is highly effective over a long period of time."

i always use ortho home defense max 2 times a year it works great with roaches and german roaches
http://www.homedefensemax.com/scotts-sites/ortho-hdm/inde... you can find it at walmart

The best thing I have ever used to control roaches is AMDRO fire ant killer. They sell it at WalMart, HomeDepot, Lowe's, almost everywhere in the garden section. It comes in a small plastic bottle. The smell is horrendous, but if you are going out for a few hours or can possibly leave for a day on the weekend -you will return to no (live) roaches. They must carry it back to wherever it is they stay. The stuff works and quick. The best places to put it are around any water sources. Sprinkle in the kitchen sink, bathtubs, bath sinks. I usually sprinkle around on the floors also. When you return just clean with soap and water. It wouldn't be safe for your children to come into contact with though-so it would definitely need cleaned up before they have access to it. I know you wanted advise for a safe-for-children product, but I had to tell you about this because it works better than any product I've ever tried. I learned about it when I lived in a townhouse and the neighbors were remodeling. I started having a roach problem. I tried everything and someone told me about this. I went to my moms one weekend and sprinkled it in the kitchen and baths before I left. When I got back I cleaned up the product and a lot of dead roaches and I never saw another roach again. It was truly amazing.

Hi C.,
Good for you for recognizing the harmful effects of pesticides, so many do not realize this. I am a home educator on toxins so this is close to my heart. I am with a company called Melaleuca. There cleaning products work wonderful for pest control and are NOT harmful. Unfortunately to purchase them you do need to set up an account similiar to a Sam's Club or Costco membership but only $29 and not an annual fee.
Let me know if you want a risk free 4 month trial.
M.

Orange Oil does wonders. All bugs hate the stuff (including spiders). It's a common ingredient found in most organic pesticides and is usually cheaper than buying some fancy organic concoction created especially for pest control. Orange Oil contains a high concentration of citric acid. Citric acid eats through the bug’s carapace killing the bug or making it vulnerable to disease and parasites.
I water down 1 part orange oil to four parts water and spray it on all baseboards, under the furniture, and around vents, outlets, and doors. Then re-apply it every three to four months.
Let it dry before allowing children and pets to play near it because it can cause mild irritation if it comes in contact with their eyes.
You can get orange oil at HomeDepot or Lowes in the organic gardening or cleaning supply area. One quart bottle will last you well over a year and costs anywhere from $15 to $21.
BTW it's also a good stain remover for oily stains and helps to resolve gooey gummy messes.
You can spray it in the backyard on ant beds too and they will abandon their nest.

If you are moving you might spray lightly the inside of all the moving boxes and furniture drawers ect. To make sure they don't hitch a ride to the new place.
RPocai

I'm sorry to say, but the big roaches (some call them water-bugs, but they are just roaches...) live in Fort Worth and have no intention of leaving. We have fought for years and I have used almost everything that the others have recommended. I tried everything organic first - very expensive and didn't work. (I love organic everything else, so I was intent to try that first) Then, we tried to use chemicals ourselves. Also - no results.

Everyone else in the neighborhood uses a service, and if this is true in your neighborhood, you will notice that your problem is worse the few days after your neighbors are exterminated. I promise this is true. Those monsters do not die - they just move from house to house. We had no choice but to use an exterminator - Terminex - the cheapest is to sign a contract, and mine comes out to less than $30 a month. He will come every 3 months, but also any time I see anything. I no longer buy fire ant killer, because I just call him, and we rarely ever see a roach - unless the neighbors have just been exterminated. If you ever have problems with anything (like if you see a mouse outside!) they will show up and put traps inside and out. They are probably not making any money off of me because they are at my house so much, but the bill stays the same. I would never give this service up.

Good luck!

Try Diatomacous Earth. It is a fine powder made up of crustacions and sea shells. Sprinkle it where the bugs crawl and when they come in contact with it it is like razors to them. It is non toxic. In fact there is a food grade type that is used for animals for intestinal parasites. It can be found at garden stores, especially organic ones.

M.