Why Use a Professional Pest Control Service?
Since
you can simply buy a spray or a bug bomb at your local drugstore, why would you
pay for professional treatment? The truth is you might not have to. However,
while ant traps and other cheaper methods may work for minor problems, an
infestation usually calls for more. You can always experiment with a few home
remedies before, or even during, professional treatments. Some users swear by
electronic pest control devices, which are also referred to as ultrasonic pest
control devices. You simply plug a nightlight-sized unit into your wall and
then forget about it. It is designed to use the wiring in your house to
irritate the nervous system of mice, roaches, spiders and more. If none of the
things you try on your own work, it is time to call in professional exterminators.
Even
the pros might not be able to solve the problem right away. Ants, spiders,
roaches and other pests can reproduce quickly, and they can be at any stage of
development when an exterminator visits your home, so removing them completely
can take a while – often requiring several treatments. Most pest control
companies offer at least a 30-day guarantee on one-time treatments, so you can
request a return treatment within that period if you’re unhappy with the
results.
What are the different types of Pest Control?
- Bed bugs
- Cockroaches
- Termites
- Ants
- Rodents
- Flies
- Mosquitoes
- Fleas
- Spiders
- Wildlife
The Importance of Pest Control
While
your main desire for eliminating insects, rodents and other pests from your
home probably has something to do with annoyance or disgust, pest control is
mainly important for your health. The most infamous pest epidemic resulted in
the bubonic plague, a fatal Medieval disease that caused millions of deaths.
While it's unlikely that a similar event will influence you, common pests like
insects, bats, bugs, rodents and raccoons can all carry harmful diseases that
could affect you and your loved ones.
If
you own a business, having rodents and bugs on your property can negatively
influence your production rate, your reputation, and the health of your workers
and guests. Whether at home or at your business, it is important to keep those
pests under control through DIY tactics or licensed professionals.
What Can I Do to Control Pests?
Bugs
often thrive in dark, warm or humid places, so it's best to keep your home
clean, uncluttered and dry to discourage bugs from settling in. Pets' food
bowls are easy targets for rodents, ants, roaches and other pests if bowls are
always left on the ground and are hardly ever cleaned. Keeping your plants at
least 2 feet from your house lowers the likelihood of pests wandering straight
from bushes or tree branches to your house walls. Window screens might get in
the way of your view, but they can also keep out hundreds of bugs. Any area of
your home with openings like chimneys, vents, pipes or cracks in the walls can
be front doors for pests. You can fix many of these problems by adding screens,
filters, weather stripping and caulking to your home.
If preventive measures do
not work or the problem is already past prevention, there are many home
remedies and store-bought pest poisons and traps that you can use to deter or
kill unwanted intruders. Break open your seasoning cupboard because there are
several natural insect repellents. Common cooking ingredients like mint, red
chili powder, cinnamon, black pepper and turmeric repel and deter ants.
Sprinkle these powders in ant-heavy areas to act as natural ant pest control.
Consider wiping down your pantry and kitchen with vinegar. This not only repels
ants but wipes away their chemical trail so they can't easily find their way
back. Mixing borax into sugary water can eliminate ant, roach and other bug
problems. Borax slowly kills by messing with a bug's digestive system. Ants
will take their sugary borax load back to their homes and spread the treat with
their friends, which will eventually kill the entire colony. Ideally, eliminating
and discouraging pests yourself is the best way to go, but if these approaches
don't work or if they seem like too much work, you might want to call a
professional