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How to Solve a Pest Infestation on a Budget

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As a homeowner, you already know that home repairs and other issues often arise at the least convenient of times. And if you’ve found yourself with a pest infestation, it’s sometimes hard to know how to solve it without spending a considerable amount of money. Before calling in a professional, here are a few things you can do on your own that just may save you money.

Understanding the Situation

So, you’ve just seen a mouse or roach in your home. Yes, I know it’s bad and not something you wanted to see, but you mustn’t panic. It’s important to first get a sense of how bad the situation is by thoroughly inspecting your home for evidence of these pests.

With mice, you need to look for holes in your walls, little black mice turds that look like pellets or rice, and shredded paper, tissue or other things they may have eaten.

Roaches leave what looks like a bean and is reddish-brown or black in color. These are eggs, and you’ll usually find them stuck behind picture frames, in tiny cracks and crevices, drawers, pantries, along the base of countertops, and in appliances.

This evidence left behind by these nasty critters lets you know some of the places they’ve been in your home. It’s also a sign that you probably do have a pest infestation.

Getting Control of the Pest Infestation on a Budget

In some cases, you can manage a small invasion of mice or roaches at home, provided you have a sense of what to do. That being said, the following are a few recommendations that have been effective for many who tried them. A word of caution first, though. It should be noted that the solutions can be harmful to pets and children, so make sure you place the poison in areas where kids and pets can not get to them.

If you have just one or a few mice, you can try putting out mouse traps that you can easily bait with peanut butter. Placing the traps with the trigger end against a wall is most likely to be successful.

The best way I found to solve a pest infestation of mice is to place Tomcat place pacs throughout your home. The best spots are near mouse holes in the walls and other areas where you’ve seen evidence of mice.

I had a bad pest infestation of mice in my home due to us living in front of a hayfield, and these were the only things that took care of our problem. And when I say bad infestation, I mean BAD!

Warning: Once mice begin dying, your home will smell of dead mice for about a week, but in our case, it was worth it just to get rid of them for less than what a professional was going to charge us, which was over $100.

When it comes to cockroaches, several people I know had success with the Advion gel. It costs about $30 for four 1.06 oz. tubes, but it is less expensive than calling in a professional.

Picking a Pest Controller

Some pest issues can easily get out of hand, making them almost impossible to treat yourself, especially with a large pest infestation. If that happens and you feel you’re in over your head or are unsuccessful with the aforementioned solutions, you’ll probably have to call a professional pest control company.

While hiring a professional can sometimes be expensive, it doesn’t have to be. Some companies, such as Insight Pest Solutions, offer guarantees, first-time customer discounts, and if the upfront cost is more than you can pay at once, some may even have a payment plan that you can work into your monthly household budget. Look for these service benefits if you’re especially concerned about cost.

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