Pests such as rats, cockroaches, ants, termites, and spiders can damage your house, health, reputation, peace, and wellbeing. Before they ruin your life, you need to have them removed from your premises.
Preventative Measures
There are things you need to do to prevent an infestation. How well you take care of your home goes a long way in keeping pests at bay. These practices therefore matter:
- Keep the house clean. Dirt all over your kitchen, living area, bedrooms, and even outside is quite attractive to pests. Prevent these catalysts of an infestation.
- Keep the house dry. Apart from dirt, moisture is also another element that attracts pests. It not only gets pests to come over to quench their thirst but also makes for a favorable environment for dirt to rot and mold to grow. Your house becomes even more attractive to pests.
- Store food well. Keep leftover food in air-tight containers, preferably in the fridge. Store your ingredients in proper containers and on shelves or any surface other than the floor. Easy access to food helps pests multiply.
- Practice proper garbage disposal. Carelessly throwing dirt around the garbage bin, forgetting to cover the garbage bin, and not regularly emptying the garbage bins are some ways to create an oasis for pests to thrive.
- Pay attention to your landscape. A well-trimmed lawn and fence, properly pruned trees, a well-tended garden, and ample lighting ensure that no pests find the exterior of your house attractive.
- Keep the residence clutter-free. You need to dispose of items you do not need. Hoarding items in the house, no matter how well-arranged, creates corners, dark sections, and quiet places for pests to reside and multiply.
Do You Have an Infestation?
In most instances, taking preventative measures should curtail the probability of developing a pest infestation. If, however, you notice the beginnings of an infestation, you need to seek professional help. The question is, how can you tell you have such a problem?
Pest droppings are the most common sign. You will notice small dark pellets on the floors and in cupboards. You will find even smaller droppings when you do a thorough cleaning, indicating that smaller pests are present.
You may see grease marks and other pest tracks. Pests tend to travel along the same routes, thus leaving tracks that become visible over time. Ants are usually visible on those tracks, needing no further signs.
Damage to the structure. Termites, for example, like to chew through wooden beams in the house. If you notice holes and scratches on the wood, inspect further, and you are likely to encounter termites. Holes on the walls, especially in dark sections of the house, are another indicator of an infestation.
You may also encounter nests. Pests will construct nests in which to raise their offspring. You will find grass, leaves, shredded paper, or pieces of cloth in nooks and crannies you didn’t put there yourself. During a thorough cleaning session, you may even find those nests occupied.
What Do You Do Next?
The moment you notice the presence of pests, you need to take action. Do not assume spraying your house with pesticides, for example, is the right solution. It is, at best, a short-term solution. You need to hire pest control services. Pest control services offer professional-grade inspection, extermination, and preventative measures, with regular check-ups to ensure you do not suffer from an infestation. They will have solutions to your house’s specific infestations and execute them well. Here are several reasons they are the better option:
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Proper equipment
Chances are, you may have discovered only part of the problem. You most likely have no way of inspecting between your walls, your basement, or your plumbing for pests. These professionals have the necessary equipment to check your house to that deeper level.
1. Effective pesticides
Store-bought pesticides and other over-the-counter solutions do not work long term. Pest control services have more powerful solutions. They have the right equipment for administering those solutions and the expertise required. At the same time, they can do follow-ups safely.
2. Right pest disposal methods
Each pest should be disposed of the right way. Certain animals should not be killed. They need to be captured and released into the wild, for example. You wouldn’t know how to do so, and attempting to get rid of them could put you in danger and most likely violate certain laws in your area.
3. Effective pest control tips
Once they have removed pests from your house, they can then advise you on the best course of action to take going forward to ensure your home remains pest-free. Apart from follow-up visits, they will advise you on what to do in specific areas of your house to keep pests away. Getting the best pest control service provider is not easy; read more to help you inform your decision.
