If you live in Texas, you already know bugs are just part of life. Ants, roaches, spiders, fleas, ticks, chiggers, earwigs — they all want to live in your house as much as you do. Years ago I hired pest control a few times, and after watching what they actually did and researching the products they used, I realized something important.
Most professional exterminators are not using magic chemicals.
They are using a few simple homemade pest control methods:
- Boric acid / Borax baits
- Diatomaceous earth dust
- Insect growth regulators
- Residual barrier sprays
- Exterior foundation treatments
Once I learned that, I started doing my own pest control around the homestead for a fraction of the cost, and honestly it works just as well.
This is now my regular homestead pest control routine.
The 4 Things Professional Exterminators Basically Use
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Most pest control companies rely on these four methods:
1. Boric Acid / Borax Baits
This is the secret weapon for ants and roaches.
Instead of spraying bugs and killing only what you see, exterminators use bait that bugs carry back to the nest. This wipes out the entire colony.
Effective Homemade Pest Control Methods
You can make this at home very cheaply.
Homemade Ant & Roach Bait
Mix together:
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup borax
- Add a little water to make a paste
Put small amounts on:
- Bottle caps
- Cardboard pieces
- Under sinks
- Behind refrigerator
- Cabinets
- Garage
- Bathroom
- Near ant trails
The ants and roaches eat it and carry it back to the nest. This kills the whole colony, not just the ones you see walking around.
This is one of the most effective pest control methods you can use.
2. Diatomaceous Earth Pest Control Dust
This is another thing exterminators use, especially in attics, wall voids, and along baseboards.
Diatomaceous earth is a fine powder made from fossilized algae. It kills insects by drying them out and damaging their exoskeletons. It is non-toxic to humans and animals if you use food-grade diatomaceous earth.
I use it:
- Along baseboards
- Under appliances
- In the garage
- In the attic
- Chicken coop
- Around trash cans
- Around house foundation
It works on:
- Ants
- Roaches
- Fleas
- Ticks
- Spiders
- Earwigs
- Silverfish
- Beetles
This is one of the best homestead pest control tools you can keep around.
3. Exterior Barrier Treatments
One of the biggest things pest control companies do is treat the outside of the house, not the inside.
If you stop bugs before they enter, you don’t have to fight them inside.
On my homestead, I make a dry barrier mix and spread it around the house foundation.
Homestead Bug Barrier Mix
Mix together:
- 2 cups Diatomaceous Earth
- 1 cup Garden Lime
- 1/2 cup Cinnamon
- 1/2 cup Garlic Powder
- 1/4 cup Cayenne Pepper
- 1/2 cup Epsom Salt
I sprinkle this:
- Around house foundation
- Around doors
- Around windows
- Around AC unit
- Around trash cans
- Around garden beds
- Around chicken coop
- Around shop and garage
I reapply every 2–3 weeks or after heavy rain.
This helps control:
- Ants
- Roaches
- Spiders
- Fleas
- Ticks
- Chiggers
- Earwigs
- Beetles
Most bugs won’t cross this barrier.
4. Residual Bug Spray (Soap-Based Spray)
Exterminators also spray around doors, windows, and foundations with a residual spray. You can make a simple version at home that works very well.
1 Gallon Homemade Bug Spray
Mix in a pump sprayer:
- 1 gallon water
- 2 tablespoons Castile soap
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
- 1 tablespoon vinegar
- 10 drops peppermint oil (optional)
Shake before spraying.
Spray around:
- Doors
- Windows
- Porch
- Foundation
- Ant trails
- Trash cans
- Garden pests
- Outdoor furniture
This works on:
- Ants
- Aphids
- Mites
- Roaches
- Beetles
- Flies
- Mosquitoes
- Spiders
My Monthly Homestead Pest Control Routine
Instead of calling pest control, this is what I do around my homestead.
Once Per Month:
- Spread powder barrier around house foundation
- Put borax for ants bait under sinks and behind appliances
- Spray doors, windows, and porch with bug spray
- Sprinkle diatomaceous earth in garage and attic
- Spread yard mix for fleas and ticks
- Check for ant hills and treat them
Doing this regularly keeps the bug population very low.
The Homestead Pest Control Supply List
These are the items I always keep on hand:
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- Diatomaceous Earth
- Borax
- Garden Lime
- Cinnamon
- Garlic Powder
- Cayenne Pepper
- Epsom Salt
- Castile Soap
- Vinegar
- Peppermint Oil
With just these supplies, you can handle most pest problems without hiring an exterminator.
Final Thoughts
Living in Texas, bugs are just part of country life, but that doesn’t mean they have to live in your house. After seeing what professional exterminators actually use, I realized most pest control comes down to a few simple methods: bait, dust, barriers, and sprays.
Now I handle pest control myself around the homestead using borax bait, diatomaceous earth, homemade sprays, and a foundation barrier mix. It costs very little, takes about an hour each month, and keeps ants, roaches, spiders, fleas, and other pests under control.
Sometimes the old homestead way works just as well as the expensive way — you just have to know what the professionals are really doing.
If you enjoy learning old-fashioned homestead skills and DIY home solutions, you might also like some of our other guides including our natural sprays for spiders, our East Texas planting calendar, our Texas companion planting guide, and our homemade washing powder recipe. These are all simple, practical homestead solutions that help you live more self-sufficient and save money around the home and garden.
