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Pest Control Tips

Getting rid of what has got in, and closing the way it came.

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The rule that covers most of them

Remove the food, close the gap, then treat. In that order, because treating alone never holds.

Nearly every pest problem is two jobs rather than one: getting rid of what is inside, and closing the route it used to get in. Do only the first and you will do it again in a month. Most of the second job costs almost nothing.

What it covers

AntsMothsMiceSlugsWaspsFlies

Every tip in pests

1042
How to get rid of ants in the kitchen

Follow the trail to where they are coming in and seal it, wipe the trail away with hot soapy water to destroy the scent path, and use bait rather than spray.

Ants
1043
How to get rid of moths in a wardrobe

Empty the wardrobe completely, wash or freeze everything, vacuum the carcass thoroughly including the joints, and then use pheromone traps to monitor for the next generation.

MothsFreeze what you cannot wash
1044
How to get rid of mice without poison

Block every gap bigger than a pencil with wire wool and filler, remove all accessible food, and use snap traps baited with chocolate spread rather than cheese.

Mice
1045
How to stop slugs getting at your plants

Go out with a torch after dark and pick them off, which sounds primitive and is by far the most effective thing available. Then remove the damp hiding places.

Slugs
1046
What to do about wasps in the loft or roof

Leave it alone and call a pest controller. A wasp nest in an enclosed roof space is one of the few household problems where the DIY version is genuinely dangerous.

WaspsCall a professional
1047
How to get rid of fruit flies

They are breeding in something wet and fermenting, usually a drain, a bin or a forgotten piece of fruit. Find that and the flies stop within days.

Flies

Household chemicals can be dangerous in combination. Never mix them, keep the room ventilated, and test anything on a hidden patch first. Full disclaimer.