Controlling Pests without Spraying

While the idea of environmentally friendly pest control may seem like an oxymoron, it is simply the conditioning of the average person that pest control automatically involves spraying; This is, in fact, completely false. There are many instances where spraying exacerbates the original pest problem; a case in point is the pharaoh ant. Spraying causes these ants to "bud", or split, into separate colonies, resulting in many new colonies in addition to the one that was originally the problem. "Perimeter spraying" is another reason why homeowners in the Southern US experience the "kill one fire ant mound, ten more pop up around it" sydrome. Wanton use of chemicals also leads to poisoning of pets and children, either through using too much by thinking "if a little is good, more is better", or through keeping unused chemicals around the house within reach of the youngsters.

Can environmentally friendly pest control include pesticides? To a limited extent yes, considering that products such as Drione, Tri-Die, Boric Acid, Cayenne Pepper Extract, Diatomaceous Earth, and Silica Dust are used to kill pests and are, therefore, considered pesticides in this capacity. However, exclusion and maintenance should be your first priority, followed by using baits to reduce insects (and reduce food sources for spiders) and glue traps (to remove both insects and spiders).

Product	Active Ingredient's)	Controls
Niban™	Boric Acid	Granular bait controls variety of ants, silverfish, and cockroaches. Not effective against fire ants or pharaoh ants. Low mammalian toxicity makes it a perfect choice as an insect bait. While targeted at insects, Niban can be an important part of a spider control program. It reduces the numbers of insects in and around the house, which in turn reduces the available food for all types of spiders, but doesn't result in poisoning the "good" spiders and insects.
Drione™	Silica Powder, Pyrethrins, Piperonyl Butoxide	Drione is an effective tool against virtually all arthropods. It has two modes of action; the silica acts as a desiccant drying out the insect and the pyrethrins as a contact poison synergized by piperonyl butoxide. Use only in void areas e.g. crawlspace, attic, weepholes, arond and behind pipes in kitchen and bathroom.
Tri-Die™	Silica Powder, Pyrethrins, Piperonyl Butoxide	Tri-Die is similar to Drione, except that it is a pressurized aerosol. Can be used to effectively control virtually any arthropod. Use only around cracks and crevices, pipes, and weepholes.
Borid™	Technical Boric Acid	Boric acid is one of the most commonly available insecticides on the market. Used properly, boric acid can control a large range of insects from ants to roaches to crickets and more. Boric acid must be lightly dusted onto surfaces in areas where control is desired. Large clumps of boric acid are avoided by insects and do nothing more than create a hazard to young children who might accidently eat it.
OutSmart™	Boric Acid	Outsmart is a non-drip, sweet bait for sweet feeding ants. It works well on pharaoh ants, odorous house ants, carpenter ants, and little black ants. 30cc syringe provides enough bait to wipe out the biggest sweet feeding ant problems.
Dap™		Wonderfully versatile sealant; can be used to seal all manner of cracks in molding, baseboards, around window frames, and to close holes in dry wall where holes were needed to put bait or dusts into wall voids.
Capsaicin	Capsaicin (Cayenne Pepper Extract)	Useful in repelling a large number of unwanted pests including pill bugs and ants. While not lethal to fire ants, it does turn them away.
Sticky Traps	Glue	An excellent tool to use against spiders, scorpions, and insects in general, earwigs in particular. Glue traps can alert you to the presence of dangerous arthropods like Brown Recluse spiders and scorpions. Can be used to control spider numbers by trapping them for later disposal.
B.T.	Bacillus Thuringiensis	Known as BT, this microorganism can give you target specific control of plant destroying lepidopteron (caterpillars). An excellent tool to use against bagworms, BT will not kill helpful insect or arachnid predators and other non-target organisms.
Fly Strips Flyswatters	Glue Arm power	More effective than indiscriminately spraying RAID around the home. Second only to the flyswatter in effectiveness; no resistance to either flyswatters or fly strips have been observed ;-)
Milky Spore	bacillus popilliae and milky spore disease	Japanese Beetles in particular
Nematodes	Nematodes	Fleas, grubs, and to a lesser extent, ants. Highly effective, but best used on a warm, overcast day, or on a rainy day. The nematodes do not do well in very hot, dry conditions, so keep an eye on the weather report.
Caulk and Sealant	Elbow Grease	A must-have. You must have these to make the necessary repairs to exclude insects and spiders from your home. Look on the section on spider control to see the gaps between the old caulk and the window frame that could allow pests as large as fully grown wolf spiders to easily enter the home.