DIY Pest Control, Weed Killers and Fertilizers

Pest control, weed killers and fertilizers help you get pests out of the house, clear unwanted growth and feed your lawn and garden. The right purchase handles the problem you have: a trap for mice, an insect treatment for ants or roaches, or weed and feed for a lawn that needs both jobs done. You can do your own pest control when you identify the pest, choose a treatment for that location and follow through until activity stops.

Quick picks: your problem, what to buy

The problem	What to buy	Why
Mice in the house or shop	Mechanical, multicatch or no-touch traps, plus sealing gaps over 1/4 inch	Traps catch the ones inside; sealing keeps new ones out
Ants in the kitchen	Liquid or solid ant bait stations	Ants carry bait back to the colony
Ants, roaches and spiders indoors	Ortho Home Defense MAX	One spray labeled for all three
Wasp or hornet nest	Spectracide or No-Pest wasp and hornet spray	Sprays from a distance
Yellowjackets at the picnic table	Yellowjacket trap with bait cartridge	Pulls foragers away from you
Weeds in the lawn	Weed and feed or a lawn-selective weed killer	Kills weeds, spares the grass
Weeds in gravel or a fence line	Ortho weed and grass killer or GroundClear	Kills everything it touches
Deer and rabbits in the garden	Deer and rabbit repellent, plus fencing where pressure is heavy	Repellent alone loses when food is scarce

Mouse traps: choose the catching method first

Buy a mechanical mouse-trap two-pack when you want individual traps for separate mouse travel routes. A multicatch mouse trap suits a job where you want to catch multiple mice in one unit. Choose a no-touch mouse trap when reducing handling is your priority.

Mouse glue traps give you another catching method, with four-packs and covered three-packs to choose from. Keep traps where children and pets cannot reach them. A covered trap still needs careful placement.

Mouse-control item	Package quantity or size	What you are choosing
Mechanical mouse traps	2 traps	Individual mechanical traps
Multicatch mouse trap	1 trap	A multicatch design
Mouse glue traps	4 traps	Glue-based capture
Covered mouse glue traps	3 traps	A covered glue-trap design
Tomcat mouse gel attractant	One ounce	Attractant for a baited trap

Tomcat mouse gel attractant belongs with the trap purchase when you need an attractant. The trap does the catching. Put traps along walls and beneath things where mice travel, and check whether activity actually stops.

Can pest control get rid of mice? Yes. Trapping, removing food sources and closing entry points work together. Seal rodent openings greater than ¼ inch with suitable exclusion materials such as screen, flashing, door sweeps or heavy-duty sealants. Wood alone is a poor patch because mice can chew through it.

That matters in Montana as fall temperatures drop and mice seek shelter in homes, sheds and barns. Buy the traps and address the openings in the same job. Leaving entry points open is how a mouse problem becomes a repeat purchase instead of a finished repair.

Weed and feed: buy it when the lawn needs both jobs

Landscapers Select weed and feed combines fertilizer with weed-killing herbicide. Buy it for a lawn that needs feeding and weed control together. That combination is its reason to be in the spreader.

Plain fertilizer supplies nutrients; it does not automatically kill weeds. A soil test helps you choose nutrients your soil needs. More nitrogen is not automatically better: excess nitrogen pushes blade growth at the expense of a strong root system.

Match lawn herbicide to your grass variety as well as the weed. Even selective herbicides can damage certain grasses. Keep the treatment suited to the lawn, and choose a separate treatment for weeds among desirable garden plants.

The Flathead Valley’s average frost-free window, roughly May 19 to September 22, makes spring lawn work and later seeding part of the same buying decision. Those dates describe the growing season, not an application schedule. Choose weed control with your next lawn job in mind, especially when you plan to seed.

Insect sprays and foggers: match the insect and the treatment area

For ants, roaches and spiders, Ortho Home Defense MAX ant, roach and spider killer comes in a fourteen-ounce aerosol. That is a direct match when those are the insects you need to treat. The twenty-four-ounce Home Defense spray is another spray format; choose the treatment by the pest and use site before choosing the container.

Use chemicals approved for home use inside the house and keep outdoor chemicals outdoors. Treat targeted locations rather than spraying whole rooms. Removing food, fixing leaks and closing gaps gives the insect treatment a better job to finish.

Does pest control get rid of roaches? Yes, but lasting control takes more than killing the ones crossing the floor. Cockroach baits must be eaten, and food, moisture and structural gaps help keep an infestation going. Keep food sealed, remove food scraps and correct leaks alongside treatment.

For German roaches or insects you call water bugs, identification comes first. Daytime cockroach sightings can indicate a severe infestation. Use baits and crack-and-crevice treatments where they hide, and keep at it until the sightings stop.

For wolf spiders and other spiders, WBC’s indoor spider glue traps catch them along walls and in basements.

Bed bug pest control takes repeated work and can last weeks to months. Preparation matters whether you tackle it yourself or hire help. Bed-bug interceptors beneath furniture legs catch bugs and help you monitor activity; ordinary sticky traps are unsuitable for this job. Choose treatment specifically approved for bed bugs and inspect at least every seven days during control.

An indoor insect-fogger three-pack is for a job that specifically requires a fogger. It is not the default purchase for a few crawling insects, and foggers alone do not resolve bed bugs hidden in cracks and crevices. Targeted treatment is the better starting point for those hiding places.

For wasps and hornets, choose the eighteen-and-a-half-ounce Spectracide Wasp & Hornet Killer3 aerosol or the fourteen-ounce No-Pest wasp and hornet aerosol. These are the pest-specific spray choices; follow the can’s directions for when and how to spray a nest. For yellowjackets around a deck or picnic table, a yellowjacket trap with its bait cartridge pulls them away from where you’re sitting; it catches foragers, it doesn’t remove a nest beside a busy door.

For flies in a shop or barn, fly ribbon hangs out of the way and catches them without spray. On the patio, citronella candles and burners (eight-hour burn) add some help against mosquitoes; wind and placement limit how much, so set them close and upwind.

Ant baits, dusts and granules: choose for the ant problem

After removing food, water and shelter sources, ant bait is a good first chemical purchase. Choose the six-pack of liquid ant bait stations or the four-pack of solid ant bait stations for bait-based control. For a treatment that calls for dust, TERRO ant killer dust comes in a one-pound package; granular ant killer provides another dry treatment form.

Bait, dust and granules are different approaches. Match the form to the ant and the place you need to treat. A product for outdoor perimeter work belongs outside, even when the ants eventually appear in the kitchen.

Carpenter-ant pest control deserves attention around Flathead homes. Flickers and pileated woodpeckers drill siding for carpenter ants, so recurring bird damage is a reason to investigate insect activity behind the siding. Identify the ants and locate the problem before choosing treatment. Persistent activity inside is worth tracking down: follow the ants to see where they’re coming from, inside or out.

Weed, grass and brush killers: choose what stays and what goes

Buy Ortho weed and grass killer in the twenty-four-ounce ready-to-use spray for a job calling for premixed weed-and-grass treatment. Ready-to-use products require no mixing. That is a worthwhile convenience for occasional spot work.

For the gallon format, choose Ortho GroundClear with a wand or a gallon ready-to-use grass and weed killer. Ortho weed and grass concentrate comes in a thirty-two-ounce size for jobs where you want a concentrate. For ivy and brush, choose the thirty-two-fluid-ounce Ortho GroundClear ivy and brush concentrate.

The important distinction is the vegetation you want to keep. Nonselective herbicides can kill lawn grass along with weeds. Use a lawn-selective treatment where the grass needs to survive, and match weed-and-grass or brush treatment to areas where that unwanted growth needs to go.

Pre-emergent treatment belongs before weed seeds germinate. Post-emergent treatment targets weeds already growing. For a moderate number of weeds, spot treatment puts the purchase to work where it is needed.

Montana spring snowmelt can leave ground wet for weeks. Choose the application around actual conditions and the treatment’s weather requirements. A date on the calendar does not make saturated ground ready for another lawn or garden job.

Fertilizer analysis: buy the nutrients your soil needs

N, P and K mean nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. Nitrogen supports plant health; phosphorus supports roots, blooming, fruit growth and seed production; potassium supports growth, water retention and disease resistance. Choose fertilizer to replace nutrients your soil lacks. The biggest nitrogen number is not automatically the best bag.

Keep soil amendments separate from fertilizer decisions. Lime neutralizes soil acidity and belongs in the purchase when a soil test recommends it. Gypsum supplies calcium and sulfur and is not expected to change soil pH. Great Falls’ expansive clay makes soil questions especially relevant, but clay alone is not a reason to choose an amendment.

Repellents, lawn insect killers and other pest controls

Buy deer and rabbit repellent to discourage browsing, and add physical protection where feeding pressure is heavy. Repellents can lose the contest when animals have little alternative food. Around Montana plantings, account for expected snow depth when protecting stems from rabbits; snow changes how high they can reach.

For fleas in the lawn, choose a lawn insect treatment approved for fleas and that treatment site. A household infestation needs the indoor problem addressed as well. The same pest name does not make outdoor and indoor treatments interchangeable.

For mice, rats, moles or gophers, identify the animal before choosing traps, repellent or poison bait. For moles and gophers in the yard, WBC carries mole and gopher pellets; place them as the label directs, and keep pets from digging them up. Repellent discourages activity; a trap catches the animal. Rodent bait stations reduce accidental exposure to bait, while mole and gopher baits need particular care around pets that may dig them up.

The Pick

Buy a mechanical mouse-trap two-pack for separate trapping locations, a multicatch trap for multiple captures in one unit, or a no-touch trap to reduce handling. Choose liquid or solid ant bait stations for bait-based ant control, and Ortho Home Defense MAX for ants, roaches and spiders.

For lawn weeds plus feeding, buy Landscapers Select weed and feed. For premixed weed-and-grass spot treatment, choose the twenty-four-ounce Ortho ready-to-use spray; for ivy and brush, choose Ortho GroundClear ivy and brush concentrate. Match the purchase to the pest, plant or surface, and you have a product with a clear job to do.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I do my own pest control?

Yes, when you can identify the pest and reach the places that need treatment. Ready-to-use products save you the mixing step, but the treatment still needs to match the pest and the location. Keep chemicals in their original containers, and use targeted treatments after removing the food, water and shelter supporting the problem.

What does pest control do for mice?

Mouse control combines trapping with removing food sources and closing entry points so new mice don’t replace the ones you catch. Along with setting traps, store food in glass or metal containers with tight lids and clear debris that provides hiding places. Door sweeps, screen and flashing are useful for closing openings; wood alone is a poor repair because mice can chew through it.

Does pest control get rid of roaches?

Yes, but killing visible roaches is only part of the job. Cockroach eggs are protected from many over-the-counter insecticides, so follow-up checks matter even after activity drops. Baits have to be eaten to work, and correcting leaks and removing accessible food helps address what keeps the infestation going.

Can pest control get rid of ants?

Yes, and bait is a sensible first chemical treatment after you’ve removed food, water and shelter sources. Choose a bait labeled for the ants and the treatment location, and keep it away from children and pets. For activity around a foundation, removing leaf litter and cutting back vegetation touching the building are useful parts of the same job.

Can I get rid of bed bugs myself?

You can tackle bed bugs yourself, but the work can take weeks to months and may need repeating as eggs hatch. Preparation and cooperation from everyone in the home matter as much as the treatment. Put bed-bug interceptors beneath every leg of infested furniture, keep linens off the floor and check and clean the interceptors weekly.

How often should pest control be done?

There’s no single schedule that fits every pest or treatment. Check for continuing activity and follow the product’s permitted repeat-treatment interval instead of applying more on a routine calendar. When pests keep returning, inspect food sources, moisture and entry points before repeating the same treatment.