How to AFK Pest Control in OSRS: A Complete Guide for Easy Points
Pest Control is one of the most popular minigames in Old School RuneScape (OSRS), offering players a chance to earn valuable rewards like Void Knight armor while training combat skills. But let’s face it—grinding Pest Control can feel repetitive and time-consuming. If you’re looking to maximize efficiency with minimal effort, learning how to AFK Pest Control in OSRS is the way to go. This guide will walk you through everything you need to know to semi-AFK this minigame, rack up commendation points, and still enjoy your Netflix binge or chores on the side. Let’s dive in!
Pest Control is a cooperative, combat-based minigame located on the Void Knights’ Outpost. Players team up to defend a central Void Knight from waves of monsters while destroying four portals that spawn these pests. It’s a safe activity, meaning you won’t lose items if you die, and your stats (like Hitpoints and Prayer) reset after each game. The goal? Earn commendation points to trade for rewards like Void Knight gear or combat XP.
Why AFK Pest Control?
AFKing Pest Control lets you earn points with minimal clicking, making it perfect for multitasking or low-effort grinding. While you won’t be fully AFK (the game has an activity bar to prevent total idleness), you can reduce your input to just a few clicks per game, freeing up time for other activities.
Requirements to Get Started
Before you can AFK Pest Control, you’ll need to meet some basic requirements:
- Combat Level: 40+ for Novice, 70+ for Intermediate, 100+ for Veteran.
- Location: Void Knights’ Outpost (accessible via Port Sarim docks or Grouping teleport).
- Gear: Decent combat gear suited to your level (more on this later).
- World: Use World 344, the official Pest Control world, for faster games.
How to AFK Pest Control: Step-by-Step Strategy
The key to AFKing Pest Control is maintaining your activity bar with minimal effort while letting your team handle the heavy lifting. Here’s how to do it effectively.
Step 1: Gear Up Smartly
Your gear depends on your combat level and the boat you’re using (Novice, Intermediate, or Veteran). The goal is to deal enough damage to keep your activity bar up without overcomplicating things.
- Melee: Use non-degradable gear like Rune or Dragon armor with a decent weapon (e.g., Dragon Scimitar or Abyssal Whip).
- Ranged: Black D’hide or Void Ranger gear with a Rune Crossbow or Magic Shortbow works well.
- Magic: Mystic robes and a staff (e.g., Staff of Fire) with autocast spells like Fire Bolt.
- Prayer Boosts: Activate quick prayers (e.g., Piety or Eagle Eye) to boost damage—prayer resets each game, so it’s free!
Step 2: Teleport and Board the Boat
Get to the Void Knights’ Outpost quickly:
- Use the Grouping teleport (under the Grouping tab, 20-minute cooldown).
- Or sail from Port Sarim by talking to the Squire.
Once there, hop on the boat matching your combat level. On World 344, boats fill fast, and games start when 25 players board or after a 2-minute wait with at least 5 players.
Step 3: The AFK Strategy
Here’s the core of AFKing Pest Control:
- Pick a Portal: At the start of the game, run to one of the four portals (e.g., West or East). Don’t stand in the middle with the Void Knight—too much competition for kills.
- Attack a Monster: Turn on auto-retaliate and attack a pest near your chosen portal. This keeps you in combat with little effort.
- Hit the Portal: Once the portal’s shield drops (announced by the Void Knight), attack it once or twice. Each portal has a weakness (e.g., melee for purple, ranged for yellow), but any damage counts for activity.
- Chill Out: With auto-retaliate on, you’ll keep fighting pests until the game ends. Check back every 1-2 minutes to ensure your activity bar isn’t red.
Pro Tip: You need at least 100 damage per game to avoid being flagged as inactive. A few hits on a portal or pests will cover this.
Step 4: Rinse and Repeat
Games last about 2-3 minutes on busy worlds. After each round, you’ll respawn on the boat with full stats. Hop back in and repeat the process. With this method, you’re clicking 2-3 times per game—pretty AFK-friendly!
Optimizing Your AFK Pest Control Experience
To make AFKing even smoother, consider these tweaks and tips.
Choosing the Right Boat
Pest Control has three tiers, each with different point rewards:
| Boat | Combat Level | Points per Win | AFK Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Novice | 40+ | 3 | Easiest but slowest points. |
| Intermediate | 70+ | 4 | Balanced option for mid-level players. |
| Veteran | 100+ | 5 | Fastest points, best for AFKing at high levels. |
For max efficiency, wait until you’re combat level 100 and use the Veteran boat. You’ll earn points 66% faster than on Novice!
Boosting Points with Combat Achievements
Completing Combat Achievement tiers (e.g., Easy, Medium) increases your points per game:
- Easy: +1 point per win.
- Medium: +2 points per win.
- Hard: +3 points per win.
Even the Easy tier (doable early) bumps Veteran wins to 6 points, cutting your grind time significantly.
Avoiding Common AFK Pitfalls
The activity bar is your biggest hurdle. Here’s how to keep it green:
- Don’t Idle: Standing still without attacking drops your bar to red, costing you points.
- Avoid Crowds: The middle area near the Void Knight is packed—fewer kills mean less activity.
- Watch for Spinners: These heal portals. Kill them if they’re near your spot to maintain damage output.
Rewards and Time Investment for AFK Pest Control
So, what’s in it for you? Let’s break down the rewards and how long it takes to get them while AFKing.
Key Rewards
Pest Control points can be traded with Void Knights for:
- Void Knight Armor: 200 points per piece (helm, top, robe, gloves).
- Elite Void Upgrades: 200 points each for top and robe.
- Combat XP: Scales with level—great for boosting Ranged or Melee.
- Coins: 10x your combat level per win (e.g., 1,200 GP at level 120).
How Long to Get Full Void?
Full Void (top, robe, gloves, and three helms) costs 1,250 points. Elite Void adds 400 more (1,650 total). Here’s the time estimate based on boat tier, assuming 25 games per hour:
| Boat | Points per Hour | Time for Full Void (1,250) | Time for Elite Void (1,650) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Novice | 75 | 16.5 hours | 22 hours |
| Intermediate | 100 | 12.5 hours | 16.5 hours |
| Veteran | 125 | 10 hours | 13 hours |
With Combat Achievement bonuses, you could shave off 1-3 hours. Not bad for a semi-AFK grind!
Tips and Tricks for Effortless AFK Pest Control
Ready to master this? Here are some final pointers to streamline your experience.
Multitasking Made Easy
Since you only need to check in every couple of minutes, AFKing Pest Control pairs perfectly with:
- Watching YouTube or Netflix.
- Doing light chores (e.g., folding laundry).
- Chatting with friends online.
Team Dynamics
On World 344, teams are usually strong enough to win without much effort from you. Focus on your activity bar, not the portals—your teammates will handle the rest.
Scaling with Levels
Higher combat stats mean more damage per hit, making it easier to maintain activity with fewer clicks. If you’re low-level, consider training up first for a smoother AFK experience.
Final Thoughts: AFKing Pest Control in OSRS is a fantastic way to earn Void gear or XP without burning out. With the right setup and strategy, you can turn this grind into a chill, low-effort task. So, grab your gear, hop on World 344, and start racking up those points—semi-AFK style!