Common pests such as insects, termites, birds, and rodents can contaminate your food, destroy your property, and even spread various diseases. Pest infestations have always plagued humans as long as houses and commercial establishments have existed. Any type of rodent, bug, termite, or insect can attack your walls, floors, furniture, and food.
Typically, you can control household pests via a combination of preventive procedures, including sanitation, and proper home maintenance practices. However, there might be infestations that are hard to control and would require you to hire a company that offers pest control services. If you want tips on how to choose a good pest control company, then this blog will be of great help to you. Here are some things you need to take note of before deciding to hire one.
What Do I Need to Know About Pest Control?
You would have to eventually tackle pest control since it’s a crucial part of managing a property. Fortunately, pest control methods have drastically improved over the years. Nowadays, there are several effective solutions for pest problems. Let’s talk about the 4 different types of pest control.
- Biological Pest Control
Biological pest control requires the use of living organisms to control a pest population. Predators, parasites, and plant pathogens are usually introduced as biological control factors. For example, the lady beetle will feed on the larvae of potato beetles. Likewise, chalcid wasps will devour whiteflies. Certain strains of fungi, viruses, and bacteria can infect a variety of pests. Larger predators include cats, dogs, and ferrets. They are usually trained to hunt after rodents and snakes that infest the rural areas. - Chemical Pest Control
This method uses chemical treatments to deter any kind of pest. Chemical treatments are one of the most popular types of pest control because it’s highly effective. As for severe infestations, chemical pest control methods like space fumigation work best. You can choose organic chemical treatments that use fermented or botanic products to kill pests. Organic and synthetic insecticides can also be used. - Electronic Pest Control
Latest technological innovations have allowed for alternative methods of dealing with pest infestations. There are electromagnetic gadgets that target the nervous systems of certain pests and repel rodents, mice, ants, and other insects. On the other hand, ultrasonic devices that emit high-frequency sound waves affect small vermin species. - Physical Pest Control
Folks who lack biological, chemical, and electronic means of controlling pests will usually rely on physical methods. Physical pest control uses natural barriers such as plastic sheets or nets to protect plants or crops.
How Do I Choose a Pest or Termite Control Company?
Just like any other service, you should choose a pest control firm based on quality and value. Remember, that costs and competency are vital factors. Furthermore, when you choose a pest control company cost should not be the only consideration. You should also make sure that you choose a competent one. The possibility of pesticides being misused can damage both health and property.
What Do I Need to Do Before I Partner With a Pest Control Agency?
- Do Your Research
Normally, when people discover a pest problem, they want it eliminated right away. Yet, most pest concerns can wait a few days so you have enough time to choose an efficient, reasonably priced pest control firm. It’s highly recommended to obtain several estimates from prospective companies. Most pest control firms are willing to provide free estimates.
Questions to ask a pest control company:
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- How many years have you been in business?
- Can you provide me a list of references/ clients?
- Will the person performing the services be a certified, licensed technician or pesticide applicator?
- Each pest control firm must have at least one certified, licensed pesticide applicator.
- Can you provide me with a copy of your pest control license, copies of the labels for all pesticides used,
- and how they will be applied?
Reliable companies will show you credentials and will be able to give you copies of pesticide labels that show how the product should be used, including the proper application method, and the necessary precautions.
Be Wary of These Red Flags
- Companies that offer pest control as part of a package deal, such as home repairs or tree trimming, or that will give you a special price if treatment is done right away.
- Individuals or companies that sell services door-to-door and target the infirm or elderly persons who live alone.
- Arrive unexpectedly and show you the pests they’ve found in your neighbor’s property as evidence of an infestation problem.
- Firms that don’t have a listed or working telephone number.
- Claims to have leftover material from a previous job and offers a discounted price for immediate treatment.
- Tries to pressure you into signing a contract by suggesting your property may collapse if not treated right away.
- Firms that claim to have a top-secret formula. Registered pesticides should have a list of active ingredients on their labels.
- Companies or individuals that claim to be endorsed by government agencies. These agencies would never endorse a specific pesticide brand or pest control company.
- Individuals or companies who quote a per-gallon price. Pest control can require several gallons of diluted insecticide.
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When Should You Hire Pest Control?
- Time
The saying “time is gold” would also hold true in this situation. And it could determine whether you should hire a pest control professional or not.
For instance, if you work part-time or from your home, then you may find it easy to do pest control on your own. However, if you’re very busy with your work and you also commute, then you may not have time to do it yourself. Not to mention, if you’ve never done it before, you’ll also need to research how to do it properly. Figure out whether you have time to do it and then treat your home or if you’ll just call a pest control expert. Ask yourself: is pest control worth it?
- The Number of Pests
Another factor to help you decide is the number of pests or insects you’re dealing with. Is this a manageable problem or a full-blown infestation? If you have problems like the occasional ant, then you can do everything on your own. You can buy over-the-counter sprays to keep pests from entering your house (or kill them if they do). The bottom line is if there are too many pests to handle on your own, then it’s time to Google pest control near me. - Seasonal Needs
Certain pest threats are more likely to come out during certain seasons. For instance, termites are more likely to swarm during summer and spring. These warm seasons are also the prime time for various other pests, so you may have to hire professional help. On the other hand, the colder months may naturally drive pests away. If you have the option, it may be worth it to hire pest control professionals for part of the year and DIY pest control for the other part.
What Else Do I Need to Know?
It’s important to follow the instructions that the service person asks you to do before or after the pesticide application. For example:
- If you are asked to empty your kitchen cabinets, remove your pets and personal items from your floor, then make sure to do all these before their arrival.
- Don’t allow pets or children into the treated areas unless the pesticide spray has already dried up.
- Cooperation between you and the pest control firm will help get rid of pests and reduce pesticide use at the same time.
Are you looking for a trustworthy and dependable pest control company? Mr. Pest Control is here to help you. We have been providing professional pest control since 1991. Call us at (705) 739-7378 or email us at peteb@mrpest.ca.
