Do-it-yourself pest control, from mice to pigeons
Practical guides and a ranking of traps, sprays and deterrents for mice, rats, bed bugs, wasps, moths, flies and pigeons, with typical prices in euros and the safety points for kids and pets.
Three products from the ranking
Protect Home Electronic Mouse Trap (Victor)
Electronic trap for mice. Typical price: €29.99. Our score: 8/10.
See the rankingNeudorff Sugan Rat Bait Station with Monitoring Bait
Closed bait station for rats, used with monitoring bait. Typical price: €22.99. Our score: 7/10.
See the rankingCompo Wasp Foam-Gel Spray 500 ml
Foam-gel spray for wasps. Typical price: €15.49. Our score: 7.5/10.
See the rankingWho is squatting where in your home
Kitchen and skirting boards
Mice slip through gaps you would barely notice. Snap, humane and electronic traps compared room by room.
Read the guideGarden, shed and compost heap
Rats follow food and cover. Traps and bait stations sorted by setting: house, garden or shed.
Read the guideBedroom and mattress seams
Bed bugs hide in seams and frames. A DIY plan, method by method, and the signs that it is time to call a professional.
Read the guideLedges, balconies and roofs
Pigeons like a flat spot with a view. Spikes, nets and gel sorted by surface and budget.
Read the guideWardrobes and drawers
Clothes moths go for wool in the dark. A pheromone glue trap shows whether they are there.
See the productFruit bowl and bin corner
Fruit flies arrive with the bananas and never leave on their own. A simple bait trap for the worktop.
See the productWhere the trouble usually starts
The corners pests love, and the simple tools that deal with them.
Three figures worth knowing before you start
From first droppings to a quiet house
Name the pest
Droppings, bites, holes in a jumper or a nest under the eaves: each pest leaves its own calling card. Start with the guide for the one you have.
Pick the right tool
Trap, spray, bait station, glue board for insects or deterrent: compare typical prices, target pest and indoor or outdoor use in the ranking.
Read the label first
Biocide labels say where, how much and how often. Follow them to the letter, even when the pest is winning the argument.
Keep it away from kids and pets
Store products in their original container, sealed and out of reach. Rodent bait sold to the public goes in a closed bait box, never loose on the floor.
Our guides
Best mouse traps: snap vs humane vs electronic, picked by room
Kitchen, loft or a home with children and pets: which trap fits which room, and what to do after it fires.
ReadBest rat traps for house, garden and shed
Traps ranked by setting, with safety for children and pets, EU and UK rules, and when a bait station beats a trap.
ReadBed bug treatment: a DIY plan, method by method
Heat, cold, sprays and traps: which method fits which stage, what EU biocide rules mean for you, and when DIY has stopped working.
Read
Ready to show your uninvited guests the door?
Twelve products for mice, rats, bed bugs, wasps, moths, flies and pigeons, with typical prices in euros, the target pest and whether they are safe around kids and pets.