Residential pest control is more than just eliminating existing pests; it also focuses on prevention. Professionals offer preventative services on a monthly or quarterly basis to protect homes from pest infestations in the first place.
This keeps household items like fabrics, books and wooden goods free from pests, extending their lifespan and saving on replacement costs. It also prevents health risks like contaminated food and rodent-related property damage.
Preventative Services
Taking care of your home or business requires a lot of effort. There’s cleaning, structural maintenance, appliance upkeep, yard work and more to keep track of. A pest infestation can throw off all of that, and can even be dangerous to the people living there.
Preventative services are a great way to help protect your property. Whether it’s mice looking for warmth in the winter or ants crawling through your garage, preventative services can keep pests from causing damage before they can be controlled.
Many pests enter homes and buildings for one of three reasons: Food, water or shelter. Cleaning, storing foods properly and keeping woodpiles away from the house can help mitigate your risk, but pests also enter through cracks in foundations, loose siding and roofs, utility lines, overgrown lawns and more. Year round preventative pest control services can prevent these problems from getting out of hand. Keeping pests out is far easier and less expensive than treating an existing infestation.
Inspections
The pest inspection process involves a thorough examination of both the interior and exterior of a building. During this walk-around, a pest control residential technician looks for signs of infestation, such as droppings, chewed material, webs, and tunneling. They also inspect for conditions that encourage or facilitate pest infestation, such as food sources, moisture, and inadequate sanitation.
Pest inspectors often examine crawl spaces, basements, attics, and walls for signs of pests. They also look for potential pest entry points in the roof, gutters, foundation, vegetation, and landscaping.
A pest inspector can provide homeowners with a report that describes the type, extent, and treatment of any problem areas. Treating pest problems in these hotspots helps protect the health and safety of occupants, as well as reduce the likelihood of future infestations. Taking preventative measures, such as storing food in sealed containers and regularly disposing of garbage, can also make a home less attractive to pests. These habits also help to keep pests out of places like garages and utility rooms, where they often hide.
Treatments
Treatments offered by residential pest control companies often are customized for the specific pests causing infestations. This helps to ensure that these treatments are effective, which minimizes the risk of further infestations. These services typically involve eliminating hiding places and points of entrance, cleaning up food sources, sealing cracks and crevices, and removing clutter. Bringing in natural predators or introducing microbiological agents that target specific pests also can be part of these treatments.
People often choose residential pest control services because they have an existing problem that they want to get rid of immediately. Other reasons may include preparing to sell their property or wishing to maintain a comfortable living environment. Pests can contaminate food and cause other health risks, so getting them removed quickly is important for health and safety. Having a pest-free home also preserves the structural integrity of buildings and protects family members from disease. In addition, it reduces the need for expensive repairs and replacements that can result from pest damage.
Follow-Up
When pest infestations occur, homeowners usually require residential pest control services to eradicate them and prevent their return. These services focus on preventing pests like termites, cockroaches, ants, bed bugs, rodents, mosquitoes, and ticks from entering homes by sealing entry points, practicing proper sanitation, and conducting effective treatments.
While many people consider pests a nuisance, they can also pose health and safety concerns that go beyond simply being an inconvenience. Some have a frightening or grotesque appearance, bite or sting (like spiders, wood wasps, mud dauber wasps, cluster flies, fleas and house centipedes) or are a direct threat to the family’s safety by carrying diseases (like cockroaches and ants). Collaborating with a reputable residential pest control company eliminates these issues and helps safeguard homes for years to come. A pest-free home provides unparalleled peace of mind.