Most people think of insects or bugs when they hear of pests. Other think of rodents such as mice, rats, or raccoons. The exact definition of a pest is any insect, rodent, or wildlife considered undesirable because it either invades your home or business, causing damage and heightening the risk of communicating illnesses or diseases.
Ergo, pest control is the process of managing (using repellents or deterrents) or removing pests from your home or place of business.
Managing Pests
You can control or manage pests using several methods. Killing them is often an option (either using the services of a professional exterminator or doing it yourself), but there are other humane methods of controlling pests available too. These include using sound to repel or deter pests and making changes around your property to prevent them from entering.
Preventing a pest issue is a far better option than dealing with an outbreak or infestation. However, if the problem already exists, then you have no other option but to have the pests removed.
Insects and rodents enter buildings and property primarily to seek food, warmth, and shelter. The areas most affected are your attic, basement, and roof.
As a homeowner, you can do some things to ensure that you do not provide an attractive environment for pests. For instance, you can keep your spaces uncluttered and clean to remove easy hiding places and seal any cracks and crevices where pests can enter and hide.
Likewise, for areas outside your home, ensure that you do not stack firewood or other items close to the house, drain any stagnant water, and trim your hedges or tree branches.
Hire a Professional Service
Professional pest management and control services, like this inland exterminator, can help you prevent and control pests in and around your property. They carry out a thorough inspection of your entire premises to determine whether or not you have pests. Sometimes it is difficult to definitively determine if you have a pest problem and the degree of severity.
Professional services can:
• Figure out where pests enter your property.
• Identify the type of pest problems you have.
• Deal with any pests already living in your home.
• Advise whether the pests have caused any damage.
• Spray regularly to prevent insects.
• Advise you on proper pest prevention measures to use depending on your situation. For instance, some products are harmful to children, elderly persons, pregnant women, people with allergies, or pets.
Some services prefer to use traps or baits, while others specialize in humane pest prevention and removal. If you have pets on the premises, it is best to ask whether the methods your hired service uses are toxic to them.
The Bottom Line
The goal of pest control is removing any insects, rodents, and wildlife from areas where you live or work. The type of approach to use in pest management is your choice, but the situation may also dictate it. While humane methods are increasingly becoming popular, they do not always work in all cases. Regardless, your goal is preventing structural and other damage that pests cause and reducing the risk of spreading or contracting illnesses.
