Some pests can be easily exterminated or discouraged from being inside your home with natural methods and common store-bought products. However, not every pest issue can be managed with DIY methods alone.
Here we’re helping you identify when a pest issue can be handled on your own and when to call the professionals to get involved.
When It’s Okay for DIY Pest Control
Tiny Sugar Ants
Do sugar ants invade your home in the spring or summer? Ants may not be a nuisance outside, but when they come inside and invade your kitchen counters, that’s when they need to go.
Natural DIY methods, gels, or ant homes may do the trick. However, if the ants continue to come marching and it’s difficult to kill the entire colony, call the professionals for reinforcement.
Seasonal Spiders
Spiders often enter homes in late summer and early fall seasons. While their presence is never appreciated inside, spiders help with pest control by eating roaches, earwigs, mosquitos, flies, and more.
When possible, set harmless spiders free rather than killing them. Place a water glass over a spider and slide a stiff piece of paper underneath. Toss them in your yard to handle unwanted pests outside.
Fruit Flies
Fruit flies are attracted to ripe fruits and vegetables and often breed quickly in drains, garbage disposals, trash, cleaning rags, and bottles or cans.
Natural methods with household products such as apple cider vinegar in a cup can do the trick. Cover the cup with plastic wrap and poke small holes in the plastic for the flies to enter. Fruit flies are attracted to the vinegar and get trapped inside. If you don’t have apple cider vinegar, try a few other home remedies.
When to Call for Professional Pest Control
Termites
Termites are one pest we never recommend handling with DIY methods. Termite colonies and infestations are difficult to spot and can cause damage to structures before the issue becomes known.
Call pest control professionals at the first sign of termites or termite mud colonies near your foundation. With specialized solutions and equipment, professionals can assess the situation and recommend treatment to eliminate the colony and keep them from coming back.
Bed Bugs
Bed bugs are difficult to exterminate and don’t die easily with DIY methods. Before an issue spreads throughout your home, call professionals at the first instant you spot bed bugs or discover small bites or welts on your skin after sleeping.
Wasps
Nothing ruins summer fun and backyard barbecues faster than large wasp nests. Entire wasp colonies may attack in force if they sense their colony is under attack. Call the professionals for wasp control to safely remove wasp nests to keep you and your family safe.
Any Infestation
There’s a difference between a few pesky insects or critters and a full-on infestation. If they’ve had time to breed and multiply, DIY methods may be too late. Call for professional pest control right away to keep a growing infestation from getting worse and causing further damage to your home or property.
Do you have a pest issue that’s difficult keep under control? Call the professionals at Inman-Murphy Termite & Pest Control for help.