Let’s be honest, we’ve all wondered if pest control is important or not. Can’t I just spray some of my disinfectant on the ants and sweep them up? Here we are going to highlight some of the important reasons to have a professional pest control company.
Treat the Source
A common phrase our salesman will hear throughout the summer is, “Well, I treat pests on my own for a fraction of what it would cost you guys to do it.” It may be true that it’s cheaper in the short term to self-treat but that thought process is similar to an individual who is lactose intolerant eating a big bowl of ice cream and then taking a Tums. Sure they address their symptoms in the moment, but they aren’t eliminating the source of their discomfort. The reason that home treatment appears to be so effective is because it is a surface level treatment. When you spray a product on a group of ants, they will die, but you only took care of that small handful of the colony. What about the other hundreds of ants? They will continue to come back to your home, in visible areas, or more likely in areas out of sight, like in the walls or around pipes.
Here at Insight, our products treat the source of the problem. Ants will walk through the product, take it back to the colony and spread the pesticide around to other colony members; thereby treating the source of your infestation, rather than just what you see.
Health and Safety
Pests will commonly carry diseases that can be transferred to humans and pets. Some of these diseases include Lyme Disease, Hantavirus, the West Nile Virus, Cholera and Typhoid Fever. Some of these diseases are deadly to humans and unfortunately can be transferred without a homeowner even knowing about an infestation. At Insight Pest Solutions we use commercial grade products that will keep pests out of your home.
In past blog posts, we’ve talked about different pest specific diseases. Read some of our other posts such as How Can Ticks Affect My Health? for more information.
Property Damage
One of the biggest worries of pest infestation is the possibility of property damage. Insulation, wood, electrical wiring and piping can all be ruined by pests such as rodents, carpenter ants, termites and even crickets. The annual cost in the US for damage due to termites is estimated to be approximately $1 billion dollars (Lewis, 2008). Pest such as termites and carpenter ants can cause structural damage to homes as they chew through wood framing. Rodents can infest crawlspaces and even walls, also causing structural damage and leaving strong odors from their urine and feces. Other pests, such as earwigs, crickets and box elder bugs, will chew through fabrics, carpets and curtains.
Preventative Care
Maybe your pest issues are minimal right now, the ants get a little annoying in the summer, and the spiders in the fall, but for the most part, things are good. That is great! It is much easier to prevent an infestation than it is to treat one that has been going on for months or even years. At Insight our professionals will create a protective barrier between your home and the outside world. This barrier will lose its potency overtime, which is why regular treatment is recommended, rather than a one time service. We will also knock down wasp nests, check your crawl space and seal up minor access points to your home.
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Check out the other posts on our blog for more information! We send licensed technicians for regular treatments, get Robert’s perspective here about life as a tech!
Lewis, V.R., 2008. Isoptera. Encyclopedia of Insects, 2nd Edn., Academic Press, New York, pp: 531- 534. ISBN: 0125869908
