Good morning again friends I’m going to take some time to teach you about #pestcontrol for the winter so let’s fucking go
The first snow of the season fell yesterday where I’m at so I might as well share some knowledge.

First of all, common misconception: Bugs don’t just die off during the winter. They go into a state of suspended animation, usually in the cracks and crevices of trees, houses, or underground. Underground we can’t help really, but if you’re going to spray inside for bugs

You’re going to want to start at the part of the house where the foundation meets the ground. Oftentimes this is the basement, but it can vary from home to home. Peppermint oil and vinegar mixed with water (1:1 ratio) is a good homemade way to help keep the bugs away.

As for keeping mice and rats away from the home, your best bet is to go around the outside of the home and find and patch up any holes. Remember the hang loose symbol: Anything your pinkie can fit through is a mouse, and anything your thumb can fit through is a rat.

Another misconception: Having mice and rats isn’t necessarily a sign of filth or a dirty home; more often than not, it’s just a misstep in keeping food properly stored. You want to keep any sort of grain, rice, or beans in a seal tight container so mice won’t be

tempted to get inside. This also goes for dog and cat food, and that can also help prevent ants from coming inside as well.

Should you decide to use bait stations, DO NOT PUT THEM INSIDE. I know, it seems wrong, but you want to put bait on the outside of the home if you’re having a seriously bad infestation, because this way it will attract the mice to leave the interior.

For the inside, snap traps are recommended to at least help monitor the population. Should never have traps less than 10 feet apart from each other, and if those aren’t working, you may have to move them to another area.

Glue boards are a way to monitor as well, but I and others I know have said they’re inhumane due to the fact that the mouse does starve to death, whereas with snap traps they usually die instantly.

Last thing I want to mention- to plug up holes, I highly recommend using a mixture of foaming caulk and steel wool or copper mesh, at least as a temporary solution.

This is my profession, I am licensed to take care of these things in the United States, but these are all things that the common man can do that don’t require a license to obtain. I once again want to stress: Having bugs doesn’t 100% mean you’re dirty. Means you live near nature.