Methods of Home Pest Control – Self Methods and Expert Services
The pests infiltrated inside your home is the creepiest thing that could happen to anyone. They can damage your furniture, clothing and health. Fortunately, we have methods to scare away each of their types.
There is a myriad of pest control methods to choose from.
Methods
The methods for home pest control can be loosely grouped into six categories: Hygienic, Biological, Chemical, Physical, Fumigation, and Heat treatment.
The scale of the infestation and the type of pests you wanted to get rid of, will guide you to choose the best methods of pest control, from the list underneath.
Hygienic methods
Employing daily cleaning habits is of utmost importance for reducing the chances of an infestation. The idea is to make the place unfavorable for creepy crawlies and rodents so that they won’t get attracted for food, comfort or breeding.
- All surfaces must be cleaned after eating or cooking.
- The food scraps, crumbs, peels, etc. must preferably be sealed in a sandwich bag or paper before being disposed into the bin.
- Do not leave dirty dishes in the sink, especially overnight.
- Scrape off all the food from worktops, tables, floors, and cupboards.
- Regular cleaning schedule can lay off the stress of bulk cleaning.
- Food must be stored in airtight containers or zip lock bags.
- Keep bathrooms clean and as much dry as possible.
- Cover your windows and doors with fly screens.
- Seal all the cracks and holes on the walls and corners of windows and doors.
If you are living in or around Pennsylvania and you are moving to a new (or old) place which was inhabited for a long time, it is better to call experts from pest control service like Pointe Pest Control. They can effectively clean the long-standing pests with their professional equipment and cleaning products.
Even after taking all these hygienic measures, some pests can be more stubborn. For them, the rest of the methods can come into action.
Biological methods
Those who are not in favor of using harsh chemicals and pesticides on their furniture, walls, doors, and windows, biological methods would work best for them. This method utilizes the fact about the existence of food chain hierarchy in nature. Every living being is at a certain level in the food chain pyramid; living beings at the lower level of the pyramid being consumed by their higher-level counterparts.
This can be best explained with a help of an example. Gardeners use ladybugs to control or remove the aphid infestations. Or you can put bird feeders in the garden to welcome birds who will be happy to eat the insects, helping you with their eradication. Fostering a cat can scare away the rodents which are destructing your food and clothing.
A care must, however, be taken to not to introduce species which may overbreed and itself become a pest, instead of serving the purpose.
Physical methods
If you are ready to trap and kill the insects or rodent pests, the physical method is for you. Here is how you can pursue this method:
- Eliminate food & breeding grounds by keeping the most critical areas clean, dry and warm. The areas in the house which are far from reach and sight like areas under low lying tables, beds & sofas, back of the refrigerators, speakers, etc. are the most comfortable grounds for the pests. Clean these areas at least once a week.
- Another way is to use poison bait like rat kill tablets. Place them at the areas which show the signs of pests’ activity. Special care must be taken to avoid consumption of these poison baits by your children or pets.
- If you are not in favor of killing the pests, especially rodents, you can choose to use They can be used to trap rodents, birds, insects and other small animals. This method is sometimes too slow and needs continuous monitoring to see if pests are trapped. Also, some pests start to recognize the catch and become smart enough to dodge the traps.
Once trapped, there comes the issue of their safe disposal. Letting them loose in any area would increase their population at that place.
Fumigation
The infested area is filled with gaseous pesticides or fumigants to suffocate the pests. The process of fumigation is most suitable for controlling mosquitoes, bees in the hives and termites. Safety masks must be worn by operators and residents during the process and till the fumes vanish completely.
Heat Treatment
The heat treatment is a chemical-free method, effective against pest insects such as bed-bags and cockroaches. An equipment is used to target heat at the infected area that would destroy these pest insects along with their eggs and larvae.
All these methods have their own shortcomings. But you must choose one or even more than one to keep your home pest free and to safeguard the health of your family.