Kits are available to help you control pests around your home. If your yard has a soft, spongy feel to it, you may have an infestation of moles, which tunnel under the surface of the lawn, leaving raised tracks. To find out if the mole tracks in your yard are active, press down several areas of the track. If they've popped back up within 24 hours, the track is active. If that's the case, purchase a mole poison kit that will eliminate your problem. Dig out a few areas of the mole track, and pour in the poison (figure A), which usually consists of poisoned corn or peanuts. Some kits come in a container with a special shape to help you make holes for pouring the poison (figure B). After you've placed the poison, cover the hole with dirt. The mole problem should be eliminated in a few days.
A gopher gasser (figure C) can help you eliminate larger burrowing animals. To use it, cover one gopher hole with dirt. Then ignite the fuse on the gopher gasser, drop it into the remaining gopher hole, and cover the hole with dirt. The gopher gasser sends out toxic fumes that kill the gopher.
If you don't want to handle the mice caught in your mousetrap, try a "no see" disposable trap that completely encloses the mouse (figure D). An indicator pops up to let you know when a mouse has been caught.
If you're having persistent mosquito problems, drop a larvae-killing tablet (figure E) into any standing water around your house. As the tablet dissolves, it releases poisons that kill mosquito larvae. Check the label before using the product to make sure it's safe around your pets.
To solve roach problems, use a roach-killing gel (figure F) that comes in a tube and may be squeezed into cracks and crevices in your home.
For ant infestations, try an "ant motel" (figure G), which attracts ants with poison bait. The ants take the bait back to the colony and feed it to the queen. When the queen dies, the rest of the colony dies as well. A similar product is available for killing termites. The main difference is that termite poison (figure H) must be placed underground, near the wood the termites are using as a food source.
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