This document provides control methods for 25 common household pests, including rodents, snails, bats, ticks, flies, spiders, ants, bedbugs, mosquitoes, wasps, beetles, mites, lice, millipedes, cockroaches, and more. For each pest, it lists 2-4 specific control techniques such as removing food sources, sealing entry points, using traps, cleaning, and applying pesticides. Many methods emphasize sanitation, exclusion, and eliminating breeding grounds to manage pest populations without widespread use of chemicals.

1. Control of 25 Household
Pests
(Pests of Medical
Importance)
Watentena Amos
April, 2018

2. Rodents
Control
 Sanitation.
 Barrier exclusion particularly for
mice
 Once rodents are established,
use traps and baits
 If using baits, think about
children and pets
 Dead rodents produce noxious
odors, particularly if they die in
wall voids, be vigilant
 Keep kitchen garbage in
containers with tight fitting lids
 Turn compost piles to cover the
newly added food scraps

3. Snails
Control
 Found in moist areas such as
basements, near patio doors, or in
garages, feed outdoors on
vegetables matter
 Keep ground-level entrance areas
free of rotting leaves and debris
 Sweep up and discard snails in
garbage bins
 Use diatomaceous earth
 Use deterrents/copper
 Sprinkle crushed egg shells

4. Bats
Control
 Determine the species of bats
 Locate the entry point in your
home
 Carefully remove the entire colony
of bats using traps or repellents
 Completely seal up their entry
point
 Clean up their droppings and
consider repainting with a
different colour

5. American Dog Tick, Ticks
Control
 Control treatment should begin
with pet; check with your local
veterinarian
 Avoid tick-infested areas if
possible
 Stay in center of trails and
paths
 Wear light-colored, long-sleeved
shirts and long pants with
bottoms tucked into
socks/boots
 Check yourself, pets, and
children frequently
 Repellents are available
commercially

6. House Fly, Also
Blow, Blue Bottle,
Cluster, Deer, Face and
All Flies
Control
 Eliminate breeding areas: manure,
garbage, piles of grass clippings,
and other decaying organic
matter
 Spread to dry
 Sticky flypaper is useful in
entryways if flies congregate
there
 Vacuuming up flies is helpful.
When done vacuuming, place bag
into a plastic bag and store it in
the freezer for a couple of day
to completely kill the flies
 Dispose of dead flies to prevent
other insects.

7. Brown Recluse Spider
Control
 Keep spiders out with proper
screening and weather stripping
 Remove indoor webs and spiders
with broom; discard outdoors
 This may take some time, but
eventually spiders will be
controlled
 Control insects on which spiders
feed
 Never pick up a spider without
gloves
 It is better to herd the spider
into a paper cup or dustbin

8. Sow Bugs
Control
 Sow bugs are lighter in color,
softer shelled, and do not roll
into complete ball like Pill bugs do
 Repair cracks in foundation; caulk
around basement windows and
other entryways.
 Keep ground level entrance areas
free of rotting leaves and debris;
trim shrubs or other planting to
promote air circulation and drying

9. House Cricket
Control
 Remove accumulations of moist
debris from basement and ground-
floor entrances and windows
 Be sure doors fit well and are kept
closed during autumn months. Keep
storage areas clean and dry
 Sticky roach traps may also help
catch crickets. Feed on most
vegetation and will also eat pet
foods left outside or in basement,
often enter homes in late fall when
outdoor food is scarce.
 Some crickets are attracted to
light at night—switch to yellow
bulbs

10. Flea
Control
 Small, brown insects that jump and
bite humans as well as animals
 Flea larvae fed on detritus, shed
skin, hair from animals
 Check pet bedding often in warm
 Spot treat and limit area used as
bedding, wash bedding regularly
 Thoroughly clean hair, bits of food,
and debris from animals’ quarters
 Thoroughly clean or discard animal
bedding and treat animal
 Flea-comb pets regularly
 Vacuuming daily can control fleas
 Keep cats, dogs out of your yard

11. Odorous House Ant
Control
 Not all ants are attracted to bait
in traps, so bait traps may not
work
 Ant traps containing baits of
boric acid or other poisons
attract pest to poison without
need for applying poison
throughout the environment
 Newer baits offer ants a choice
of protein food or sweet food
 When using these baits and traps,
do not clean near area where the
baits are placed because chemical
foraging trails may be disrupted
 If an infestation occurs outdoors,
boiling water poured on shallow
nests may be effective.

12. Bedbugs
Control
 Take beds apart and vacuum
mattresses, around seams/tufts
 Thoroughly vacuum bedstead, floor,
concentrating on baseboards, cracks,
and crevices, dispose instantly
 Clean infested bedding with hot
water in detergent, and place in
dryer for 20 minutes on a high heat
setting to kill bedbugs, repeat
cleanup weekly
 Check all used bedding or bedroom
furniture items before use
 Never put plastic-wrapped items in
the oven! Use thermometer set at
120o Or freeze the items for several
days

13. Mosquitoes
Control
 Keep doors and windows tightly
screen and closed to prevent
entry into home
 Check for indoor water sources
that were not drained
 Home electric light traps/baits
not very effective
 Check with your department of
environmental conservation on
legality and health safety before
you apply any pesticide to a yard
area or to water

14. European Hornet And Paper
Wasp
Control
 Use screens in buildings and
screen ventilators to attics
 If one or two enter, use a
flyswatter. Use caution—insects
indoors may be irritated and can
sting
 Painting or oiling exposed wood
 Stop, think, and plan very
carefully to locate nest
 You may encounter up to 400
wasps, that can sting repeatedly
 Wear protective clothing
 Contact an environmentally-
friendly pest control professional
for complete eradication

15. Red Flour Beetle And
Carpet Beetle
Control
 Locate and discard infested food;
decorative items, cans, clean
shelves and cupboards thoroughly
 Remove food and dishes; vacuum
and scrub storage containers, or
keep in the freezer and store in
tight containers
 Larvae are found infesting wool,
hair, feathers, leather, mounted
“trophy” animals, and dead insects
 They may be associated with mice
if there is a mouse problem
 Vacuum wool lint and bet hair from
between floorboards, remove
accumulations of dead insects
from attic areas
 Store only cleaned woolens
 Dry-cleaning kills carpet beetles

16. Red Spider Mite And House
Dust Mite
Control
 Microscopic, insect-like arthropods
 Often found on mattresses,
carpets, and upholstered furniture;
they thrive in warm, moist
conditions, feed on shed scales
from human skin and other debris
 Waste particles from mites may
cause reactions in allergic people
 Avoid over-humidification and keep
dust to a minimum
 Use allergen-trapping air filters.
 Wash bedding in hot water with
detergent, dry on a high heat for
20 minutes to kill mites/use a cloth
moistened with alcohol

17. Book Lice And Head Lice
Control
 Small, transparent insects about 1
mm in size, feed on paper stored
 Do not store books, paper, or
cardboard in damp areas
 Ventilate and dry infested areas
using a fan to increase air
circulation or possibly a
dehumidifier
 Seal the book in plastic and
freeze it in the freezer for 2-3
days after dehumidifying.
 Do not share combs, brushes,
hats, or scarves
 To kill eggs, dry-clean clothing or
wash in hot water and detergent
at 125o for 10 minutes

18. Millipedes
Control
 Elongate, segmented, wormlike
creatures with two pairs of legs
per body segment
 Found in moist areas such as
basements, near patio doors, or in
garages, feed outdoors on
decaying vegetable matter
 Keep ground-level entrance areas
free of rotting leaves and debris;
trim or remove shrubs to promote
air circulation and drying near
foundation
 Sweep up and destroy millipedes
daily

19. American Cockroach And
Oriental Cockroach
Control
 They hide during the day in warm,
moist, dark places and come out to
forage at night, prefer starchy or
sugary foods, but will feed on many
different kinds of foodstuffs, as
well as book bindings and dead
insects. When disturbed,
cockroaches run blindly for shelter.
 Homeowners can use sticky traps
 Baits and insect growth inhibitors
are also available in some traps
 Shed skin and/or feces from
cockroaches may cause asthma
and/or allergic reactions in children
and adults
 Boric acid is one of the most
effective cockroach control agents
if it is used correctly

20. Drain Fly
Control
 Woolly, stout-bodied flies
commonly seen around drains or in
sinks; breed in grease and soap
scum in drains
 Clean up breeding sites scrape
pipes with wire brush to remove
slime in which moths may lay eggs
 Use a caustic drain-cleaning
product, and follow all directions
carefully
 The next day, use commercial
bleach to rinse
 NEVER combine chlorine and
ammonia because deadly fumes are
produced
 Use a flyswatter to kill adults

21. Boxelder Bug
Control
 Damage from these bugs occur
when they winter indoors and
stain fabrics or paint
 Locate and seal openings through
which bugs enter
 Vacuum up to destroy bugs
 Empty vacuum bag immediately
after use

22. Silverfish And Firebrats
Control
 Shiny, silver grey or mottled gray
insects with three long, tail-like
structures on hind end, nocturnal
 Active at night and hide during
the day, prefer dry/moist places
 Remove residues of high-protein
foods
 Store valued books, papers, or
clothing in dry areas or in sealed
heavy plastic bags
 Seal cracks and crevices. Special
caulking is available for sealing
around pipes
 Keep area near foundations dry

23. Algae
Control
 Clean the gravel with a siphon in
order to remove debris and
wastes
 Clean the aquarium filters
 Increase water flow with a higher
related filter or supplemental
power heads
 Reduce feeding of fish to as little
as once per day
 Keep the environment clean and
moisture free

24. Carpenter Ant
Control
 New infestations associated with
wet or moist wood
 Repair moisture problems around
windows, chimneys, plumbing, and
porches and clean out clogged
gutters, remove stumps and logs
 Locate and eliminate ants in nest by
using a bagged vacuum cleaner
 Baits may eliminate a colony
 Located the nest and carefully drill
1/8” holes in the wall into the nest,
and puff boric acid into the holes
 NEVER introduce a liquid or insert
metal-tipped devices into the all
near an electrical outlet

25. Fruit Fly
Control
 Fruit flies are often seen
around kitchens, larvae feed on
spoiled fruits and vegetables
 Discard garbage regularly;
discard all spoiled fruit. Be
patient—flies may be present
for a few days after food
source is removed
 Bits of banana sprinkled with
yeast make good bait that will
last about 2 weeks
 Larvae in the trap can be killed
by hot tap water, (at least 150o
F)
 Commercial traps using vinegars
or other baits may be
purchased.

26. Bird And Rodent Mice
Control
 These mites may enter the home
through infested nests in attics or
windowsills, and in eaves by
creeping or blowing through
ventilation
 Screen birds from common nesting
areas on buildings
 Wear rubber gloves and do not
breathe ‘fecal dust’ when cleaning
out abandoned nests
 Clean infested surfaces with warm,
soapy water to remove mites, or
use a cloth moistened with alcohol
 Wash bedding in hot water with
detergent and dry on a high heat
setting for 20 minutes to kill mites

27. Thank You