I came across an article recently entitled "Don't Do It Yourself: 8 Jobs You Should Leave to the Pros." The list is actually pretty interesting, and right on in my opinion. Among those listed are things like;
- Electrical Work
- Tree Removal
- Pricing Heirlooms
- Oil Changes
- Read the full article and see the rest of the list here.
Number 8 on the list, and the topic for today's conversation is Pest Control, or "Getting Rid of Bugs" as it was phrased in the article. This got me to thinking about some of the crazy things I've seen people do since I've been in pest control. As the article states, it's not always as easy as just throwing down some pesticides in certain areas to get rid of pests in or around your home. Different insects react differently to specific pesticides, ants versus beetles for instance. Or cockroaches versus fleas. Some are easily susceptible to residuals left behind by treatments, some must be contacted directly by pesticides to feel any effects. Some insects are properly controlled using repellent pesticides, and some must be controlled using non-repellent pesticides.
The list of variations is not a short one I assure you, which is why it is critically important that you have a professional assist you when it comes to cleaning out your home or workplace of insects or other pests. Often we see people try it themselves and take multiple cracks at it before finally calling us in for help. One of my favorite lines I like to hear is, "I've been battling these things for months!" Clients of ours are quite often surprised, and maybe a bit frustrated, when they find out that one call to us, and a quick assessment and treatment by one of our professionals is all it would have taken to solve their problem. One call, one appointment, and it will most likely cost less than what you spent on all the stuff from the hardware store. Not to mention all the heartache and significant others' complaining you have to deal with, it's really not worth it in the long run. We have specific, targeted treatments designed by a Board Certified Entomologist, Dr. Scott Lingren, that we guarantee will solve all of your pest issues, typically in one visit.
Now let's talk about what some people do wrong when trying to do it themselves.
- Misidentification of pest
- Doing so could result in an improper treatment and could potentially make the problem worse, or at best be a huge waste of time and money.
- You're still left with a pest infestation.
- Over use of product
- Not only does a little bit go a long way in most cases, but by applying more product than recommended by the label could be harmful to the environment, or worse your family or pets.
- This would include the use of "bug bombs" inside your home and other remedies, why would you want to spray or fog this stuff all over all of your belongings?
- Miss the source of the infestation
- Often where the pests congregate or nest is not where you see them, they have to search out food the same as we do. So, simply treating the areas where you might see something pop up will not necessarily cure your problem as they could be living elsewhere.
- Some insects have multiple colonies within one structure, or will scatter to create multiple colonies without eradicating the problem at all after an improper treatment.
Worst of all is what people are actually willing to spray or dump in and around their homes to deal with some situations. We pride ourselves on environmentally
friendly programs and strive to protect your homes and workplaces without putting any people, animals, or anything else in the environment at risk. Technology really has come a long way in recent years where we can now effectively cure peoples' pest problems without putting anyone at risk, but it does still take proper techniques and the right materials, which only comes from a professional.