Spring Cleaning? Do a Pest Spray!

With the temperature warming up, everyone thinks about clearing up the yard for outdoor entertaining, which often leads to cleaning out the garage and then the house – a good Spring clean! If you are giving your house and yard the once over, now’s a good time to be carrying out a general pest treatment, to prevent an insect explosion later in the season.

In most parts of New Zealand, insect activity slows down during the cooler months, but when the temperature starts warming up insects become more active and start looking for places to nest and produce young. Carrying out preventative treatments inside and outside the home in Spring, when the pest numbers are low, helps prevents insect population build-up avoiding a potential pest explosion in Summer. As we all know, a pest infestation can be upsetting and annoying, as well as a lot harder to control.

Some homeowners use a professional pest controller to carry out their pest treatments, but with a bit of knowledge and the right products, it is pretty straightforward to do the job yourself. There are a number of key maintenance steps that keep pest numbers down as well, which should be carried out before a pest treatment. Here are our tips for your Spring pest treatment inside and outside your home. It’s always worth starting with the outside, as in most cases pests are outside trying to get in!

Pest Prevention and Treatment Outside the Home

Maintenance Tips:

• Clean up any garden beds adjacent to the house – ideally plants next to the house should be kept to a minimum
• Throw away any rubbish around and under the home
• Prune back any branches over hanging the roof
• Fill any cracks / holes which may allow pests to enter
• Check insect screens and draft excluders are in good condition

Pest Treatment:

Use a long lasting residual spray to treat the following areas

• The perimeter of the house – 1m up the wall and 1m out from the wall
• Around windows and doors, cracks / crevices and other insect entry point
• Under eaves
• Under the sub-floor (if you have one)

PestXpert Outdoor Perimeter Spray – a ready to use 3L pump pack with 1m spray wand, is a great option.

If ants are showing signs of activity in lawns and pavers, treat nests directly with a insecticide spray to treat the required area. 

Pest Prevention and Treatment Inside the Home

Maintenance Tips:

• Clear up any dropped food in cupboards and under appliances
• Clean in and under the cooker, fridge, dishwasher, microwave and toaster
• Check kitchen, bathroom and laundry for any leaks (and fix them – insects love moisture!)

Pest Treatment:

Use a long lasting residual spray to treat the following areas:

• Spray around the perimeter of the kitchen, laundry and bathroom and under cupboards / appliances
• To keep pests out of kitchen cupboards, remove food, appliances and utensils and spray around edges.
• To keep fabric pests out of wardrobes and drawers, remove clothing and spray around edges of drawers, shelving and at the base of built-ins

PestXpert Pro-Spray Crawling aerosol is a great option for internal treatments as it has an extendable nozzle to get under cupboards and penetrate cracks and crevices.

Using a pest fogger / bomb, such as PestXpert Pro-Fogger, can also be a great option. Although most people only use them if they have a flea or cockroach infestation, they can be a great preventative option, providing many months protection. When used in bedrooms, the fine mist can get into all cupboards and drawers providing protection against silverfish and other clothes pests.

Carrying out your own pest treatment not only saves you the cost of a professional, but a pest treatment makes you feel in control – safe and secure in your home.

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Recommended PestXpert Products

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  PestXpert Pro-Spray Outdoor Perimeter

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  PestXpert Pro-Spray Crawling

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  PestXpert Pro-Fogger Multi-Insect Bomb