Can You Do It Yourself (DIY)?

Our purpose is to help you understand enough about pest biology and integrated pest management to be able to effectively deal with many of these situations yourself. We'll also point out those few times when we believe you should seek outside help, and we'll help you find it. All major pest insect and mites are covered. Use the links below and the Topics Index to find the information you need.

DIY pest control situations

Ants - easily controlled with baits. Don't use dangerous sprays indoors.

Bedbugs - infestations are increasing because we've stopped using residual insecticides indoors.

Boxelder bugs - cause great anxiety among homeowners. These nuisance pests are easily handled with soap and low toxicity siding sprays -- to a point.

Carpenter ants - require a bit more muscle than regular ants. New perimeter sprays and low toxicity wall void treatments are now available, however.

Cockroaches - infestations in single-family homes are easily handled by homeowners. Use baits combined with good sanitation.

Dust mites - live on bits of skin we leave behind and excrete allergens. The trick is to eliminate the indoor allergens and reduce overall mite activity.

Fleas - easily managed these days with new medications applied on pets. No need to treat outdoors.

Garden and lawn pests - most can be easily managed with a few simple techniques.

Head lice - nit, or egg, removal is the most important step followed by medicated shampoos or lotions to control active lice.

Mosquitoes - can be managed around homes with new traps, habitat modification and the use of personal repellents.

Yellowjacket nests - may need to be destroyed if located where they can come into contact with people.