At one point or another, most homeowners or renters will deal with unwanted pests in their houses. From rats to cockroaches, unwanted visitors in your house can pose serious health risks, cause extensive damage to your house itself, and are overall an unpleasant sight that no one wants around.
If you’ve noticed pests or their tell-tale signs, like rat droppings or scratches and bite marks on wooden fixtures, time is of the essence. Delaying pest control and letting the colony or infestation get more established can make it much more difficult to remove, and every day you wait the problem gets worse. By the time you notice them, it might already be too late – which is why it’s important to get rid of them fast.
Even if you follow basic precautions, like keeping the kitchen free from crumbs, sealing up any holes or cracks, ensuring that water doesn’t pool anywhere near your house, and maintaining a clearance of a few feet between your house and any shrubs or branches, you can still get pests. Dirty neighbors, bad luck, or general environmental conditions can lead to a serious infestation through no fault of your own. When this happens, it’s time to look into pest control options.
What Are the Three Main Methods of Pest Control?
Pest control has been an issue humanity has dealt with for our entire existence, and people have always tried to find new ways to keep pests from invading their domiciles. In the modern day, there are three main methods used to keep pests at bay.
Contact a pest control company
This is the #1 most surefire way to deal with pests in your home. If you were sick, had a broken bone, or needed stitches, would you deal with it yourself or go to a doctor? A pest infestation is similar to a virus invading our bodies, in that it must be dealt with correctly, promptly, and ideally by professionals who study the right methods to use.
Using a pest control company has many benefits over the other two options we will cover. While the upfront cost might be slightly higher, this is the only way to obtain complete peace of mind. Most pest control companies offer a guarantee to come back if you notice the pests have returned, so you won’t have to worry in the future.
Additionally, pest control companies have access to far more tools, information, and experience than you will have. Not calling them and dealing with the issue yourself runs the risk of costing far more down the line. Termites, for example, can destroy housing foundations, beams, and joints, which will cost exponentially more than a pest control company would charge to fix.
Likewise, mice or rats can chew through wires and start a house fire that could even cost you your life, and shockingly, fire investigators estimate that mice or rats are responsible for up to 20% of all undetermined structure fires. This leads to thousands of incidents, hundreds of millions of dollars in property damage, and priceless damage to people’s lives from injury or losing important possessions that can’t be replaced. Don’t take this risk – it’s always best to call a pest control company.
Traps
However, two further methods can be combined with contacting a pest control company or used immediately while you wait for them to arrive. One of the most common ways to control pests is by using traps.
Pest control traps come in all shapes and sizes, from a “roach motel”, to mouse traps, to fly strips, or almost any other configuration you can imagine. Traps work well at abating pest infestations, and pest control companies will often set them when they leave and instruct you on how to check and replace them periodically.
Pesticides
The other most common and effective method of pest control is pesticides. Part of what makes pest control companies so worth it is their experience and access to pesticides. While household consumer-oriented pesticides are available, they aren’t a perfect replacement for an actual pest control expert with a pesticide sprayer.
Pesticides, when applied by consumers, pose some safety risks. If you have children, pets, or elderly people living in the home, it’s smart to call the professionals and follow their recommendations. This is a more effective strategy that pays off in the long run.
Pest control is just a part of life. Nature is all around us, and it’s important to remember that pests are just doing what they are designed to do. Mice must chew constantly because their teeth never stop growing, and insects forage for crumbs to stay alive.
However, that doesn’t mean you have to accept them in your home. If you are having issues with pests, contact a pest control company today and they will get you started on the right track to eradicate them effectively, quickly, and permanently.
