Do you remember the last time you heard the shrill scream of surprise followed by a loud smack of a shoe or any other object within grabbing distance? Perhaps you were the one doing the screaming. Either way, pests in the home are never welcome guests and there are several methods to give them the boot for good without breaking the bank.
Before rushing to the page in your phone book marked "exterminators" after seeing a cobweb in the garage, you should familiarize yourself with basic, DIY pest control solutions. The number one reason pests come into your home is because of the food and shelter it provides. If you can remove both or even one of these, many of your pest problems will decrease if not disappear entirely.
Prevention is key for any type of lasting pest control. You should always begin by doing a thorough cleaning of your home and yard. I am not just talking about getting out the vacuum cleaner. You need to really inspect and clean the hard to reach places that go unnoticed during regular cleaning inside your home (e.g. underneath and behind your kitchen appliances).
The outside of the home is just as important. Unkempt yards with tall grass and weeds or rotting wood piles are pest havens. Be especially careful with any sort of wood sources near the foundation lines of your home as these can act as conduits for termites and other destructive pests. Another tip is to make sure that you do not pile mulch more than 2-3 inches deep around your home as it acts a breeding ground for various pests. Knocking down spider webs from your eaves and fence line will also discourage pest activity in these areas.
With the food sources limited inside and around your home, pest exclusion is the next step to restrict access to your home from the outside. Carefully inspect the following applicable entrance points for gaps and replace or cover as needed: door and window sills, air conditioning or heating lines/vents, dryer exhaust, roofing, chimney, and crawl spaces. Any exposed entrance point pests have into your home can eventually be exploited if left uncovered. Also trim back any branches that come close to your house or roof as this will discourage pest movement from the trees to the inside of your home.
If prevention alone does not eliminate your pest problems you can turn to several store-bought products to give you the extra edge over the bugs. Always follow the directions EXACTLY as pesticides can be harmful if not applied and mixed correctly. You may want to purchase commercial grade sprayers and products for serious pest problems. If your bug problems persist or you just are not particularly excited about keeping up the regular maintenance that pest control can require, calling the pros might be your best solution.
Make sure to get multiple quotes from local companies and compare their varying services and guarantees to make sure you get the right company at the right price. You should plan on having them come out at least every 3 months for a minimum of 4 treatments until your problems are under control. This is because insects have different breeding cycles at different times of the year and the only way to disrupt their egg cycles is to follow a precise treatment cycle. Always ask each pest control company about treatment and coverage of the pests you are having problems with. You should plan on paying about - a month for general pest control service. Companies that offer service for significantly more or less than this may be cutting corners or overpricing their service.
No comments:
Post a Comment