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Best Pest Control Products
Keep nasty pests away from your body and property with an array of trusted pest control products ranging from sprays, baits, traps and powders to zappers and ultrasonic deterrents. How do they all work and what are their limitations? Keep reading…
Best Pest Control Product
This is the original Possum Deterrent with a built-in motion sensor and a range of 14 metres. It uses ultrasonic frequencies to keep your lawn possum-free.
- Value for Money3.5 (11)
- Ease of Use4.2 (11)
- Pet OwnerYes (5) · No (7)
Talon’s Cockroach Killer Gel kills all common cockroaches which encounter the gel through a delayed response, allowing them to spread the gel to the colony, attacking the infestation at the core.
- Value for Money4.8 (17)
- Ease of Use5.0 (17)
- Pet OwnerYes (5) · No (13)
Talon Ant Killer Gel is a highly versatile insecticide gel that attracts ants who transfer it to the brood and queen of the nest, ensuring effective ongoing control throughout the colony.
- Value for Money3.5 (33)
- Ease of Use4.8 (33)
- Pet OwnerYes (16) · No (16)
Latest review: I've tried clove oil, I've tried posion pellets and I've even opened up posion pellet bags just to speed up the process and nothing. I saw this by chance and purchased 2 after reading raving reviews.
- Value for Money4.1 (33)
- Ease of Use3.9 (33)
- Pet OwnerYes (19) · No (12)
Pestrol’s Rodent Free uses electromagnetic, ultrasonic and ionic technology to make your premises rodent and cockroach-free without the use of toxic chemicals.
- Value for Money3.4 (52)
- Ease of Use4.3 (52)
- Pet OwnerYes (31) · No (18)
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Proven performance for over 20 Australian summers, the EnviroSafe Fly Trap is guaranteed to help you enjoy the outdoors, fly free.
- Value for Money3.8 (23)
- Ease of Use4.1 (23)
- Pet OwnerYes (20) · No (8)
Latest review: This product is horrific. We put one out, and the next morning I found the mouse with its head clamped in the trap, very much still alive and running around the trap around it’s head, scared to death
- Value for Money3.9 (22)
- Ease of Use4.1 (22)
- Pet OwnerYes (12) · No (10)
Latest review: Easiest thing to put together x the most efficient fly catcher I've ever used x catches hundreds x hundreds of the little beggars x quickly. Smells terrible when emptying, but I put through sieve x
- Value for Money3.2 (46)
- Ease of Use4.0 (45)
- Pet OwnerYes (31) · No (12)
Latest review: 1st thing anyone wants to know is "Did it work?" I am on a bush block and every year for some weeks over summer we get swarms of mozzies, usually followed by dragon flies which reduce the numbers.
- Value for Money3.9 (10)
- Ease of Use4.8 (10)
- Pet OwnerYes (8) · No (2)
- Pests TargetedMosquitoes
- Application AreaOutdoors
- Application TypeTrap
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Latest review: Bought 2 at Bunnings giving 1 as gift. Mine lasted 3 months. Back to Bunnings for exchange. Again lasted 3 months no docket. The present lasted 3 months. rubbish
- Value for Money2.8 (14)
- Ease of Use4.1 (11)
- Pet OwnerYes (7) · No (6)
- Pests TargetedFlies, Mosquitoes and Moths
- Application AreaOutdoors
- Application TypeTrap
Latest review: Bought this item, initially it caught a small crawly bug?? Now nearly everyday the light flashes to indicate a kill/capture - but nothing. So a waste of money I'm thinking - should have spent the
- Value for Money4.1 (12)
- Ease of Use4.3 (12)
- Pet OwnerYes (5) · No (7)
- Pests TargetedRats/Mice
- Application AreaIndoors
- Application TypeTrap
Latest review: Consistently effective in ridding my kitchen of ants. Works within 24 hours. I wonder if it is only effective on ants in my region (Perth hills), as many people have reviewed it as not effective. A
- Value for Money2.3 (26)
- Ease of Use3.5 (26)
- Pet OwnerYes (11) · No (15)
Pests targeted
The first thing you should consider is the type (or combination) of pests you’re dealing with. Common Australian pests may include cockroaches, termites, flies, moths, ants, rodents, fleas, mosquitoes, spiders, silverfish, birds and possums.
While they are generally harmless, they can cause damage to your property, garden, furniture or carry and spread diseases - on top of being an unpleasant sight.
While the treatments outlined can tackle small numbers of pests, if you have a full-blown infestation, it may be a better solution to consult a professional pest control service to help you.
Types of pest control products
Over-the-counter solutions for killing pests come in a range of choices, and some are safer than others if you have pets or children around the house.
Sprays
Sprays are ideal for targeting flying insects and crawling bugs. They can come in aerosol or liquid form and two varieties: repellents and pesticides. Repellents keep pests away from an area of your house (or your skin), whereas pesticides kill them.
A type of pesticide is a surface spray that creates a barrier that can kill bugs that come into contact with it. Knockdown sprays may be something you’re common with as these are the types of sprays that you can use directly on flying or crawling insects to kill them.
To keep your space bug-free even when you’re not there, you can invest in an automatic spray. These come in plug-in and battery-powered forms, and they control the number of flies, mosquitoes, cockroaches and other insects in the vicinity by releasing a repellent in the air every few hours or when they detect motion.
Bug repellent sprays are made to protect yourself from mosquitoes and other flying insects. Diethyltoluamide (DEET) is one of the most common active ingredients in insect repellents. It doesn't kill mosquitoes but works by making it difficult for mosquitoes to detect you as prey. It can be applied in spray format to your skin and clothing to keep you concealed and bite-free.
Baits and traps
Chemical baits and traps are mainly designed to tackle rodents and cockroaches. They work by luring pests out of their hiding places and poisoning them. Cockroach baits also allow contaminated cockroaches to return to their nest and contaminate others.
Bombs
Pest control bombs can be used to rid of a range of pests including fleas, ants, silverfish, bed bugs, spiders and cockroaches. They work by releasing a mist into the air which kills any pests on the surface and in the open. However, they come with health and safety risks and need to be used with caution. Remember to follow the instructions closely to keep yourself and those in your house safe.
Powders
Powders are designed to kill fleas, ants and bedbugs through poisoning and can be used both indoors and outdoors. Be careful if you have pets as this method may not be suitable for your household.
Zappers
Electronic zappers work by attracting insects towards them with their ultraviolet light and sending a fatal volt of electricity to kill them. Dead bugs will drop into an in-built catcher tray. They are chemical-free and suitable for use both inside and outside the house.
Ultrasonic technology
Ultrasonic rodent and possum deterrents can be highly appealing since they get rid of pests without the use of chemicals. They are small devices that emit high-frequency sound waves that humans can’t hear, but rodents find intolerable. They have limits however as they have a range of 3-6 metres.
Pest control products and safety
Be sure to keep yourself and everyone in your home safe by reading the instructions closely and following them. Dealing with insecticides can be toxic and poisonous, especially to vulnerable members of your household such as pets and children.
These safety instructions can tell you how to store the product safely, how to use it and what to do if you come into contact with it.
Many pest control products are classified as schedule 5 or 6 poisons under the poison standard and will be printed on the label. Some products with a low toxicity level are not required to have a signal heading, but you can still expect to see warnings like "Keep out of reach of children" on them.
As a general rule, you should:
- Keep pets and children away from areas where pesticides have been applied.
- Pesticides (excluding bombs) should only be applied to targeted locations and not sprayed over the whole room.
- Check the label to see if it is approved for use indoors or outdoors. You shouldn’t use outdoor products inside since the chemicals will remain toxic longer inside than they would outdoors, making them very dangerous.
- Dispose of leftover pesticides and pesticide containers in an appropriate manner.
Natural pest repellents
If you don’t want to break out the chemicals, there are plenty of simple things you can do to keep your home free of pests. Tasks like keeping your home clean, not leaving out containers of water and tidying away food scraps can help keep pests under control.
Some insects are naturally repelled by certain scents such as lemon or eucalyptus. You can find bug spray that use essential oils (lemongrass oil, peppermint oil, rosemary oil, citronella, geraniol) to repel mosquitoes, spiders and other unwanted guests.
Keep in mind that these products tend to be less effective than those with synthetic active ingredients and will need reapplying more frequently.
Installing flyscreens, keeping all food preparation surfaces clean and ensuring your bins have tightly sealed lids will keep flies and mozzies at bay.
Things to consider
Label information
Check the label to find out what pests you can use the product to kill. If you're looking to tackle multiple pests, you may need to invest in more than one product. The label will also give you valuable information such as the active ingredients, poison category, intended application area and application instructions.
How long it lasts
How much you invest in the product will depend on how long it’s supposed to last. Bug sprays and oils may need refills whereas zappers and ultrasonic devices are guaranteed to last longer. It may be useful to look out for devices with warranties or money-back guarantees if it doesn’t work for you.
Price
The price of pest control products varies depending on the type of product you buy and the insect it's designed to kill. Many aerosol knockdown sprays are priced affordably in the $4-7 range, while an ultrasonic rodent repellent or possum deterrent can go for up to $150.
You can read reviews to see which pest control products worked best for others by scrolling up.