Dead bugs, animal droppings, insect shells and wings, damaged foods, bloodstains, fecal spots, ant hills, and moles holes are some serious pest infestation signs you are likely to come across your property.
When faced with such instances, you will want to get rid of the pests immediately to avoid the damages, inconvenience, and frustrations they cause.
Like many other homeowners, you most probably will be torn between doing it yourself and hiring a pest control professional for the task. Here’s an unbiased comparison between the two options and what will work for your specific pest control needs.
What Is a House Centipede?
Once pests find their way into your home, you’ll be tempted to try controlling the problem on your own. However, some pest problems are best left out to experts.
Besides, professional pest handlers have sufficient knowledge and tools to do away with all kinds of pest infestations. Hiring a professional pest exterminator is crucial in the following situations.
1. When DIY Pest Control Fails to Work
If online home remedies don’t keep you safe from pests, you should save your energy and look for a professional pest control company.
An expert will inspect the problem, give you a free estimate, and discuss with you suitable solutions to your pest infestation. Handing over your pest problem to an exterminator doesn’t mean you are a failure. In fact, it shows that you care about your health and that of your family.
2. When You Have a Stinging Insect Infestation
Fire ants, wasps, and yellow jackets are insects can sting and cause serious injuries.
Insect stings account for more than 6 million emergency room visits per year. If you are allergic to stinging insects, you are particularly at risk of having fatal attacks.
3. When There’s an Infestation of Termites and Wood-boring Insects
Wood-boring insects such as carpenter ants, bees, powder post beetles, and termites can severely cause damages to the support beams of your house, leading to costly repairs that are rarely handled by insurance covers.
Termites alone are estimated to cause damages close to $5 billion around the world every year. Since they are silent destroyers with an ability to chew through wood, wallpaper, and flooring, you can imagine the damage they can cause on your property in just a few weeks.
In severe infestations like these, it’s recommended to hire a professional service for inspection and remedies.
4. Hardy Pest Infestations Like Bedbugs
Bedbugs are elusive and hide in areas you can hardly detect like behind electrical switches and under wallpapers.
Additionally, they are hardy pests – meaning that can live for months without feeding on blood. Even worse, they survive through a wide range of temperatures – from freezing points to temperatures as high as 122 degrees.
Hardy pests are difficult to control yourself – especially with their quick reproduction. If you have this problem, call a pest control company for a comprehensive solution. Even with a professional, it will take a number of specialized treatments before you can completely eliminate the bedbugs.
5. Recurring Infestations
Irrespective of the pest problem you are having, you need to contact a professional if the specific pest infestation keeps coming back. In most of these cases, there is usually an underlying cause that needs to be addressed first. A professional is able to inspect and identify the root cause as well as come up with a reliable treatment plan.
Benefits of Hiring a Professional Pest Control Expert
Here’s why you need to hire a professional.
1. Experience and Expertise
Each type of pest requires its unique control strategy. Even different species of the same kind of pests need different control approaches.
In most cases, it will be difficult for you to identify the pest invading your space. Is it a rat or a mouse? Are they ladybugs or Asian lady beetles? Are those bees or yellow jackets?
If you use the wrong control tools, you’ll certainly not see ideal results – you’ll just waste a lot of time. Pros are well-trained, experienced and know how to identify and control all the pest problems.
2. A Pro Will Address the Cause, Not Symptoms
While a DIY solution might kill and sweep away pests from your property, it most probably will not address the root cause of the problem.
Exclusion is the most important part of a pro’s pest control, not just eradication. It is important to know why pests got into your property and how to completely get them out. In short, most DIY pest control options are short-term solutions to pest infestations.
3. Safer Treatments
Most pest control products are poisonous. Using them will require extreme caution.
Pest control pros offer a totally safe alternative compared to handling the chemicals yourself. What’s more, the pros will know when to use chemicals and when not to. A good pest control company will only use pesticides when it is necessary.
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The company will also apply the pesticides in precisely administered and controlled doses. If you are not careful when handling pesticides, you could put yourself, your family, and pets in jeopardy. Working with a pest control professional will give you some peace of mind.
4. Lasting Care
Professional pest controllers use methods that completely eliminate pests in your home, other than killing them.
Before experts begin to work, they will identify where the pests are coming from, why they get in the house in the first place, and a suitable process for stopping them. They will design and implement a strategy based on your exact pest problems, needs, and timeframe.
You’ll get a pest control program that’s specifically designed for you, and have your home permanently protected from pests.
5. Saves You Money in the Long Run
If you think that DIY pest control will save you money, you are wrong.
DIY may sound cheaper, but this isn’t always the case. Purchasing pest control supplies can really add up especially if the pest infestation is persistent and huge. What’s more, these measures may not work, and you may end up spending more and more money on them.
On the other hand, a pest control company will give you a one-time solution, saving you from having to constantly spend money on DIY pest control supplies. You’ll save more money in the long run.
Pros of Do-it-yourself Pest Control Projects
DIY solutions do have some advantages. They include:
1. Economical
If you are on a budget, you might not want to spend lots of money getting rid of pests. While hiring a professional pest exterminator might be cheaper in the long run, do-it-yourself pest control will cost you less, especially if the infestation is small.
What’s more, DIY pest control supplies are sold at fair prices.
2. You’re Able to Choose the Products You Love
You might not be satisfied or comfortable with some products that pest control companies use. You can, however, choose to control pests on your own using your preferred treatment approach.
3. You Know the Exact Places Where Pesticides Were Applied
In homes with pets and kids, safety is a critical issue. You’ll certainly feel safer if you are aware of the places you applied the chemicals.
Other benefits of do-it-yourself pest control are:
- Convenience: You don’t need to schedule visits and time for external exterminators.
- Easy learning: There are a lot of online pest control information sources and DIY pest control products come with easy-to-follow instructions.
- Easy follow up.
- Wheezing
- Privacy of your home.
- Easy maintenance: You can use leftover pest control products you used previously.
Cons of Do-it-yourself Pest Control
1. Lack of Expertise
While you might want to save money and have the assurance of your family’s safety from dangerous chemicals by using DIY pest control techniques, you might not have all it takes to achieve the desired results.
2. Safety Risk
You might not know much about a pest control product’s specification and its application. Therefore, you might end up purchasing the wrong control products or even apply them wrongly. This may cause a health hazard to you and your loved ones.
3. Probability to Spread Infestation
When tackling pests such as mites, you could carry some with you to other areas of the house and worsen the situation. Also, inappropriate DIY pest handling of pests like ants could make them shift from their current nests to other multiple nests within your yard
Professional Vs. Do-it-yourself Pest Control: What Works for You?
The option you choose will entirely depend on the nature of the pest infestation, infestation extent, and budget. If your infestation problem is not that big and threatening, you can try out some DIY pest control measures. However, if it’s too complicated for you, don’t hesitate to look for the services of a reputable pest control company in your area.
Last update on 2022-06-02 at 02:16 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
