Pest control experts swear by these products to keep bugs and mice away

Summer brings more than sunshine — it also brings ants, mice and other unwanted pests. To find out the best ways to get rid of them, we asked pest control experts which products they use to protect homes and yards. Their recommendations include liquid ant bait , classic wooden mouse traps and preventative products that help stop infestations before they start.

Original price: $12.99

Many of the experts we talked to mentioned  Terro's liquid ant bait as one of the best options for ant control.

"For ants, avoid using sprays," said Jeff Schumacher, owner of All-Safe Pest & Termite in Texas. "That will only kill the ants you can see but won't do anything to eliminate the colony. Slow-acting bait products like Terro work because ants think it's food and will carry it back to the colony."

Original price: $13.99

Combat Max kills cockroaches using bait in containers that helped prevent odors on your end.

"Products like Combat Max gel work better long term compared to sprays," Schumacher said. "Similar to the ant bait, roaches will share this 'food' with the colony and it will effectively eliminate dozens of roaches at once rather than killing one at a time with spray."

Original price: $24.99

This  12-count of gel bait goes a long way. It’s a "professional-grade" product according to Kyle Turner, Pro Active Pest Control founder, president and CEO.

"A small dot placed in cracks, under appliances and along the back of cabinets will outperform most sprays," Turner said. "Sprays push roaches around, bait eliminates the population."

Original price: $19.99

If you have a mouse problem, old-fashioned  snap traps are still the way to go, according to the experts.

"Where you put them is what matters most," Schumacher said. "Put them where mice will naturally run — along walls and baseboards."

Original price: $12.99

Rid your home of mice with a 12-pack of classic  Victor mice traps . Joel Miller, owner of Miller Pest Solutions, which services Iowa, Nebraska, Missouri and Kansas, vouches for these traps, saying, "Plain old Victor wooden snap traps still beat almost everything else. Bait [the traps] with a smear of peanut butter, place them flush against walls where mice run, and you'll see results overnight."

Catching mice is only part of the task. You also need to find where they're getting in and block those spots. To seal gaps, Nicole Carpenter, President of Black Pest Prevention out of Charlotte, N.C., recommends two products: "First is  steel wool or  copper mesh , and second is  exterior-grade caulk . You can’t just use caulk or foam because some pests, especially mice and rats, can chew through anything besides metal, and the two-layer method is just a standard."

Original price: $25.99

Another way to protect your home's perimeter is with an insect killer. Ortho works for up to 12 months, so you can apply just once per year.

" Ortho Home Defense applied along the foundation, around windows and entry points creates a barrier that holds up reasonably well between treatments," Turner said.

Original price: $12.99

Protect your plants from getting decimated by bugs with  neem oil . It uses naturally derived ingredients to keep plants safe from common pests.

"I have personally used this product in my garden to target aphids and ants, as one of its functions is to repel," said Ralph Masferrer, Aruza Pest Control director of technical and training.

Another product that Masferrer uses personally is  diatomaceous earth . It treats for ants, roaches, fleas and other bugs. This food-grade option is safe to use on fruits, veggies and herbs.

"It is a fine powder that is sharp for insects," Masferrer said. "As a result, it damages the insect's cuticle (waxy outer layer), dehydrates [it] and causes death."

Still battling mosquitoes and other pests? These bug protection deals can help you enjoy more time outdoors.

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To ensure we recommended the best products, we connected with experts via LinkedIn and journalist platforms like Qwoted. All experts have verifiable credentials and have used these products themselves.

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