DIY Pest Control Mistakes We See Weekly

We get it. You see a bug, you grab a can of spray. It seems like the quickest, cheapest fix. But after years of serving Montana homeowners, we see the same DIY mistakes every week—mistakes that often make the pest problem worse or more dangerous.

Here are a few common blunders and why it pays to call a pro:

1. The "More is Better" Spraying Approach:

   • The Mistake: Dousing every corner, baseboard, and window sill with store-bought pesticide.

   • The Problem: Many common sprays only kill the pests they directly hit and leave a repellent residue. This doesn't eliminate the nest; it just scatters the pests, pushing them into new, harder-to-reach areas of your home (like deeper into your walls). You've now turned one problem into three.
     

2. Sealing Up Rodents (The Stinky Surprise):

   • The Mistake: Finding a hole where a mouse or rat entered and immediately sealing it with caulk or foam without eliminating the pests first.

   • The Problem: You’ve locked live pests inside your walls. Not only will they frantically chew new ways out (often into your living space), but when they eventually die, you'll be dealing with an odor problem that can last for weeks and requires costly wall removal to fix.
     

3. Ignoring the Source, Treating the Symptom:

   • The Mistake: Swatting the occasional ant or treating a small area of mold without looking for what’s attracting them (leaky pipes, food crumbs, etc.).

   • The Problem: Pests are attracted by moisture, food, or harborage. Unless you fix the root cause—the water leak, the gap in the foundation, the poorly stored food—you'll be spraying forever. A professional targets the source, not just the surface.
     

Skip the Trial and Error.

When a pest issue becomes more than just a single bug, you need a long-term solution that’s safe and effective. Don’t waste time and money on tactics that backfire.

Contact Montana Pest Solutions today. We’ll correctly identify the pest, eliminate the source, and seal the entry points to keep your Montana home pest-free for good.

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