From ants to termites, mice and bed bugs – no one likes uninvited pests entering their home. But when you discover a pest in your home, what’s your first reaction? It may be to grab a can of ant spray or leave traps with bait.
While some of these solutions can help, it may not treat the problem. Keep these six pest control mistakes homeowners make in mind the next time you find pests where they don’t belong.
1. Addressing the Problem, Not the Source
A mouse scurries across your basement floor. Sugar ants are marching across your kitchen counter.
Laying a few mice traps or spraying ants where you see them may address the problem. But the pest problem will continue unless you go straight to the source.
Visible signs of pests mean they’ve been there longer than you realize, and there’s probably more of them. When you find pests, make sure you treat the source, not just the problem.
2. Using Strong Chemical Pesticides
The stronger the pest control chemicals, the better. Right?
Wrong.
Harsh chemicals and pesticides can be harmful to you and especially harmful to small children or pets. Environmentally friendly and effective pest control solutions can safely eliminate pests without filling your home with dangerous chemicals.
3. Dirty House and Overgrown Yard
Wood piles next to your home, overgrown bushes touching your siding or windows, and dusty, dark corners are all places pests like to hide. All it takes is one tiny crack for pests to enter your home.
A clean environment inside and out keeps pests from making their home in the nooks and crannies of your home and yard.
4. Not Checking Under the Box Spring for Bed Bugs
Don’t wait until you get bitten to discover a bed bug problem. Bed bugs can be very difficult to exterminate without help.
Routinely check under your mattress and box spring for tiny, reddish-brown bugs. If you find a bed bug, there are likely more of them and growing. Call a professional exterminator at the first sign of bed bugs.
5. Not Understanding Pest’s Habits
You may not be familiar with the living, sleeping, eating, and fertility habits of any pest that enters your home. Yet, this information can help you understand the pest, find the cause, and eliminate the source.
You don’t have to become a pro at rodents and insects. Pest control professionals are trained and experienced in understanding pests and their habits.
6. Allowing Pests to Have Free Reign – Until It Becomes a Major Issue
Is a spider or two a big problem? Probably not. But what about when you find 10 or 15 spiders in your home? The same applies to ants, mice, termites, bed bugs, and more.
If you allow pests to reign freely in your home or on your property, the problem could quickly get out of hand making it harder to eliminate them. Call professional pest control experts before a small issue becomes a major one.
Are pests a problem in your Tennessee home, garage, RV, or boat? Call Inman-Murphy Termite & Pest Control today at 901-388-0852 or request a free estimate online to eliminate the source with safe, effective solutions.
