When bugs, rodents, or other pests move in and infest your home, you want to do everything you can to eliminate the infestation. A quick online search or trip to the store and you are met with a wide range of sprays, baits, traps, and other DIY ideas like essential oils to address just about every pest infestation you can imagine. With all these items available, you may be tempted to simply address the infestation on your own instead of calling in the professionals. Unfortunately, chances are you will spend more money, waste a lot of time, and still end up sharing your home with unwanted pests. In the end, hiring a professional pest control company is usually your best bet.
Key takeaways
- Oftentimes, seeing a trail of ants or rodent droppings in your home often mean you already have a major infestation. While home DIY treatments are available, they can’t always address the signs you don’t see and leave pockets where the pests can hide until it is safe to come back out.
- Hiring a professional pest control company not only eliminates the troublesome pests but also helps address things like entry points, so you can keep your home pest-free in the future.
Benefits of professional pest control
A single trail of ants or a mouse running across the kitchen floor may be easy enough to treat yourself with a can of ant spray or a mouse trap. While this is definitely a much cheaper solution than calling in a professional pest control company, chances are your DIY solution is only putting a Band-Aid on a severed limb. While the ant trail may disappear and you may not SEE any more mice, the fact is there are likely many more pests still hiding within your home, creating a never-ending, costly battle that could have been avoided by simply calling the pest control company at the first sign of an infestation.
Here we look at the many benefits offered by professional pest control services.
1. Technicians are armed with knowledge and the right equipment
Pest control technicians have a deep understanding of pests and their behavior. Not only will they be able to come in and identify the pests you are dealing with, but they can locate common hiding places, points of entry, and what may be attracting the pests into your home. They bring the proper insecticides and rodenticides to deal with any pest infestation you may have.
2. Eliminates health risks and structural damage
Many pests, such as rodents, cockroaches, and termites, can spread illness to your family as well as cause structural damage to your home. While DIY solutions may eventually eliminate these pests, their presence can be dangerous to your home and your family. Professional pest control eliminates pests quickly and safely, reducing the risk of illness and structural damage.
3. Provides safe treatment options
Chemicals used by professional pest control services are regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency and all pest technicians undergo specific training and education on how to use and apply these chemicals safely. Unlike DIY options, this means that professional pest control will be safe for you, your family, and your pets.
4. Creates a prevention plan to prevent future infestations
As we mentioned above, professional pest control technicians understand pests and what they look for when it comes to food and shelter. They can identify things around your home that may be attracting these pests as well as identify points of entry that are allowing these pests to enter your home. By creating a unique pest prevention plan, they can help ensure that your home remains pest-free.
5. Saves time and delivers results
Eliminating a pest infestation through DIY methods can take time, often meaning you are fighting pests for days or weeks before you might be able to get them under control. Professional pest control addresses infestations immediately, often eliminating the pests with one simple treatment, letting you return to normal activities the same day, without the presence of pests.
6. Guaranteed pest-free results
While DIY pest control may eliminate pests for a short time, you have no guarantee that they are really gone. With a professional pest company, you can feel confident that your pest infestation is taken care of the first time, and, should the pests return, most companies offer a guarantee, meaning a technician will return to address the pests at no additional cost to you.
Is it better to hire pest control or do it yourself?
| Professional | DIY pest management | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | Costs more upfront but less in the long run | Can be less expensive at first, but often costs more due to the need for multiple treatments |
| Time | Quick and effective treatments | Can require multiple treatments over days or longer |
| Infestation Severity | Can address pest infestations of any size and type | Best for treating pests at initial signs before the presence of an infestation |
| Safety concerns | All products are EPA-regulated and technicians undergo advanced training to protect you, your family, and your pets. | You are responsible for the application of chemicals and any potential damage or sickness the chemicals can cause. |
| Pest Prevention | Technicians will locate and address potential attractants as well as points of entry to help prevent future infestations | It is up to you to identify potential pest attractants and points of entry |
Pests that require professional pest control services
While there are DIY pest solutions for just about every pest that can invade your home, there are certain pests that really require residential pest control in order to ensure they are eliminated and do not return.
Here we look at some of the most troublesome pests that require professional extermination.
1. Termites
Termites are pests known to cause severe structural damage to the home. Unfortunately, by the time you find evidence of a termite infestation, there is likely already damage. These pests build and grow colonies within the home, often completely hidden from homeowners. In the case of a termite infestation, professional termite control is necessary to identify potential damage and ensure that the termite colony is completely eliminated.
2. Rodents
While you may be tempted to set a few traps and try to deal with a rat or mouse infestation on your own, this can take time, leaving you and your family at risk of the potential diseases and allergens that rodents can spread. Professional rodent control locates nesting areas and trails, ensuring that mice and rats are eliminated as quickly as possible.
3. Cockroaches
When you find one cockroach scurrying across your kitchen counter, chances are you have many, many more that you can’t see. Cockroaches spread bacteria and disease on everything they touch, making them a danger to you and your family members. Professional cockroach control immediately addresses the infestation, locates their hiding spots and eliminates the danger.
4. Spiders
While the presence of spiders, such as garden spiders or daddy long legs, may not require professional pest control, keep in mind that an increase in spiders often means an increase in other pests that they feed on, meaning there may be more pests that you don’t see infesting your home. In addition, spiders such as the desert recluse and widows can pose a risk to people and infestations require professional treatment in order to ensure their removal and your safety.
5. Ants
While any spray may be your answer to a trail of ants, this DIY solution can often make your ant infestation worse. This is especially true with sugar ant infestations. While spraying that trail may kill the ants it comes into contact with, it will not spread to the colony. And when those ants don’t return, the colony senses danger and boosts reproduction, often resulting in a much larger colony and a bigger problem for homeowners.
6. Bed Bugs
Bed bugs can be one of the hardest pest infestations to manage and it is important to call in professionals at the first site of bed bugs. While DIY treatments may kill off some live bugs, they do not address all stages of the bed bug and your infestation is likely to grow again, leaving you to become an overnight buffet to these bugs. Professional bed bug control addresses all stages of bed bug growth, helps identify hiding places and eliminates these pests once and for all.
7. Wasps
While a new, small wasp nest can often be dealt with by DIY sprays, larger, more established wasp nests can be dangerous to try and treat yourself. Unlike bees that only sting once, wasps are aggressive and can sting over and over again. When their nest is threatened, they become even more aggressive and can deliver hundreds of stings in a short time frame. Professional pest control technicians have the equipment necessary to deal with these aggressive pests.
Creating a pest-free zone in your home
While DIY pest control can be effective for the occasional bug or pest, once an infestation occurs, professional pest control is your best option over the long run. Professionals can come in and address the pests immediately, often eliminating them with one simple treatment. In addition, they can help develop a prevention plan that helps ensure that these pests never return.
Helping you keep your home pest-free
At Insight Pest Management, our expert technicians understand pest behavior and how and why they enter your home. If you have a pest infestation, our experts identify the pests, their points of entry, and what may be attracting them to your home. Once eliminated, they will work with you to address points of entry and help eliminate potential attractants while also creating a prevention plan that will help ensure your home stays pest-free. To learn more, schedule a consultation today.
