No one wants to share their home with a bunch of creepy crawlies. To keep pests out of your space, you can use insecticide sprays, baits, and dusts. Insecticides can be used to control active infestations and to prevent bugs from sneaking into your house. Check out when it’s best to treat inside your home for bugs.
Treating an Active Infestation
Anytime you’re dealing with an active infestation, you can treat your home for bugs. Though bugs are most active in spring and summer, they can be a problem throughout the year. It’s important to remember that different types of insecticides work in different ways. Plant-based insecticide sprays kill pests on contact, while baits have to be consumed by pests. This will affect how you treat for bugs.
Application Tips:
- If using an insecticide spray, it is best to spray pests directly. Try to make contact with as many pests as possible.
- For ants and cockroaches, baits can be placed in areas where pests have been seen. You should also place bait near any ant trails you see.
- Insecticide dusts can be applied in and around inaccessible areas where you have seen pests. It is best to apply dusts in cracks, crevices, and void areas where pests are likely to hide.
Treating Your Home for Bugs in Spring
In spring, the warming temperatures allow bugs to become active. These bugs are hungry and aren’t afraid to head indoors looking for something to eat. A preventative treatment in spring can help to deter pests from moving into your home. Our Home Bug Spray and Spider & Insect Dust have repellent properties that can be used to create a protective barrier. This barrier will help to keep pests out of your home.
Application Tips:
- If using a spray, apply near common entry points like windows and doors.
- Dusts can be applied in cracks, crevices, and common hiding spots. A small paint brush can make it easier to brush dust along edges and into cracks.
- If using a spray or dust with repellent properties, don’t apply to areas where bait has been placed. You don’t want to repel pests away from the bait.
Treating Your Home for Bugs in Fall
When fall arrives, pests start preparing for the approaching cold weather. Some pests, like stink bugs and boxelder bugs, will try to find a warm and secluded hiding spot in your house. These overwintering pests release pheromones that alert other pests to their location, causing them to invade in large groups. A preventative treatment early in fall can help to protect your home from overwintering pests.
Application Tips:
- Focus spray applications on spots where overwintering pests are likely to sneak inside. Before entering homes, they gather on the warm and sunny side of the house.
- Insecticide sprays can be reapplied every few weeks or as needed for on-going protection.
- Overwintering pests gravitate to attics and basements. Insecticide dusts can be applied to these areas for longer-lasting protection.
It’s never easy when uninvited guests show up, which is why it’s important to treat your home for bugs. Whether you’re dealing with an active infestation or trying to prevent a bug problem, we’re here to help! Check out our Maggie’s Farm Simply Effective™ Pest Control products for a more environmentally and family-friendly solution.