Pest Free Housing

We offer training, education, support, and resources to help housing providers, landlords, and residents prevent and reduce pest activity and pesticide use. Our goal is to create healthier, pest-free homes in Boston.

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Pests like mice and cockroaches can make your family sick, trigger your asthma, and damage walls and wiring. Using toxic chemicals to get rid of them can make you sick, damage the environment, and even risk explosions.

Instead, we use Integrated Pest Management (IPM) as our main pest control plan. IMP helps keep homes pest-free without using harmful pesticides. IPM works best when residents, property owners, and pest control companies work together. With IPM, we aim to improve quality of life for residents, property owners, and managers.

Learn how you can bring IPM practices to your home below.

Questions? Contact us:
info@bphc.org
617-534-5965
1010 Massachusetts Ave.

2nd Floor

Boston, MA 02118

Request an Inspection

Contact 311

How to Prevent Pests

Reduce food and water sources that attract pests

Use covered trashcans and take out garbage daily
Store food and pet food in closed containers
Limit food to the kitchen and dining areas whenever possible
Empty pet bowls between meals
Use caulk to seal leaks around sinks and showers
Wipe up spills when they happen
Inform housing management of leaks so they can be fixed

Declutter your property so there’s fewer places for pests to hide

Remove items stacked against fencing or walls

Limit piles of compost and dirt, etc.

Locate pest entrances and seal them with suitable building materials such as caulk, steel wool, sheetrock, mesh, etc.

Repair window screens

Cover vents with wire mesh

Repair cracks in baseboards and around pipes

Block holes in walls and cabinets

Clean up old newspapers, shopping bags, laundry and other clutter

Erase their directions by washing their travel routes with soap and water

Place low toxicity, humane, traps

Only use pesticides when absolutely necessary
Pesticides can pose health risks when they are misused, overused, or improperly stored, with children and older adults potentially more vulnerable to exposure.

Talk with your property manager when pest problems arise

For renters, talk with your property manager when pest problems arise.

For property owners or managers, talk with a pest management professional when pest problems arise.

What's Wrong with Pesticides?

Pesticides may seem to work in the short run, but in the long run, the mice and bugs just keep coming back. Integrated Pest Management (IPM) works by pest-proofing your home. The same chemicals that kill insects and rodents are also dangerous for humans, especially children and older residents.

Sticky traps and gel baits are safer than liquid, powder, and sprayed chemicals. Place them where pests travel or where you see droppings but where children and pets can’t reach them.

How do these chemicals get into your body?

Breathed into lungs

Absorbed through skin

Dust settles on food

Eat or drink from unlabeled containers

Symptoms of pesticide poisoning:

Nausea
Vomiting
Headaches

Diarrhea

Stomach pains

Download Materials

What to Know about Pests and Pesticides

Check out these resources on how to protect the health of your family, roommates, and tenants.

English

繁體中文 (Traditional Chinese)

Tiếng Việt (Vietnamese)

How to Transition your Property to IPM

Check out these resources on how to transition your property to use Integrated Pest Management (IPM) practices.

IPM Guide for Managers and Owners of Affordable Housing

A Guidebook on IPM and Structural Repairs

Overview and Outcomes of The Healthy Pest Free Housing Initiative

Sample IPM Specifications

Sample Standard Operating Procedures for IPM

Getting the Bugs Out

Signage for Your Property

Check out our educational posters for your kitchen, bathroom, bedroom, and hallway

Boston Housing Authority Tenant Information

Boston Housing Authority helps by hiring residents as Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Tenant Coordinators. Their job is to educate other residents about IPM and their role in it. Learn more about becoming an IPM tenant coordinator below.