More than 80% of homeowners have experienced pests at some point inside their home. So chances are high that if you’re a homeowner you will too. It’s tempting to want to handle the problem on your own instead of hiring professionals. But that’s always the best idea and often doesn’t end in the desired results, leaving you with a bigger mess to take care of. We’ve compiled a list of the top six reasons to avoid do your own pest control.
1. Health and Safety Risks
While there are natural remedies you could try to do your own pest control, they are often not as thorough, effective, or quick. This is why most people end up using stronger chemicals to get rid of their pest problem.
Most of the chemicals on the market for pest control are safe to use, as long as you use them correctly and follow instructions perfectly.
You must be careful to wash your hands and not inhale the chemicals as their being applied. They could leave burns or damage your respiratory system. It’s also important for some products to be kept away from children or pets for a certain time period.
Every product is different, from their application process to the possible issues. So to avoid pest control failure you have to be extra diligent.
2. Requires Several Tactics
In order to get rid of a real, serious pest problem like a termite or bed bug infestation, you’re likely going to need more than one tactic.
These pests are often so well ingrained in your home and have created a huge mess before they’re discovered. They’ve normally entered more than one area, are behind walls, and can be hard to reach.
Without the knowledge of professional pest control, it can be very difficult to devise a plan that will cover all of your bases.
But a professional pest control service will know all of the steps that need to be taken to get rid of the pests completely. They’ll do an initial evaluation of the situation to determine the severity and which course of action will work best.
3. Less Effective Process
The pest control products that are available to you are much less intense than the ones available to a professional pest control service.
These technicians have taken courses and exams to become certified to use these much stronger chemical agents. They have been well prepped on the potential consequences and the best, safest way to use them.
For the average person who’s buying pest control at the grocery store, it will likely take several applications to the job done.
The need to continually try different pest control options to really get rid of the problem can result in a much higher cost than originally anticipated. If you’re purchasing several different pest control options, you might end up paying more than just working with a professional to begin with.
4. Negative Side Effects
The possible negative health risks of using pest control chemicals are pretty commonly known. But they can also have negative effects on the property they’re used on as well.
It’s very important to know how these chemicals can affect different materials in your home before you choose to do anything on your own. Each chemical could react differently with each material so it can be difficult to make a plan.
This is especially true for the environment and the landscaping around your home. Even do your own pest control options can lead to dead plants or harm to wanted animals.
There are no shortcuts in pest control, each option needs to be handled just right and thoroughly in order to really get positive results.
5. Ignores the Root of the Problem
At the end of the day, if you have any kind of infestation, you won’t get rid of the pests until you get to the root of the problem.
You have to figure out where they’re coming from, how they’re getting in, what’s attracting them to your space, what are they doing once they’re in, what are their travel patterns. All of these things affect your home and can factor into clearing them out.
Unless you have a thorough knowledge of the type of pest in your home and how they operate, it can be difficult to know the answers.
A professional pest control service will have those answers. They can get rid of the pests in your home and teach you how to prevent that from happening again. It’s common for pest control to make repairs that have let them in and give you options for moving forward more safely.
6. Disposal of Extra Chemicals
One of the biggest do your own pest control problems is the cleanup and disposal afterward.
In order for pest control to be effective, it generally means using strong chemicals. And chances are fairly high that you won’t need that exact amount of chemicals in the container.
So then when you’re done with the treatment you have to figure out what to do with those chemicals.
There are only a few options; keep the chemicals or dispose of them. But because they are toxic and a safety hazard, there are very specific procedures that must be followed to get rid of them safely.
Improper disposal can have very serious consequences for the environment, people who come in contact with them, or the storage solutions. Disposing of chemicals is a major safety hazard that should be taken very seriously.
Reasons to Avoid “Do Your Own” Pest Control
Any type of pest in your home is generally a problem that you want to get taken care of as quickly as possible. You want to feel comfortable and safe in your home, which is very hard to do with bugs or rodents.
While attempting to do your own pest control sounds like an easy way to save a few dollars, it’s not always the best idea and can have serious negative side effects.
Pest control is something that you want to get done correctly as quickly and efficiently as possible. If you have a pest problem and are ready to get it taken care of, contact us today for a quote!