When Should I Hire An Exterminator?
It always surprises me how the majority of the general public thinks they can rid their pest problems on their own. It’s probably because I am so close to the industry and frankly a little protective of my trade. But when you stop and think about it, compared to other home services, with pest control I bet a lot more people think they can do it themselves.
When your air conditioning is on the fritz, or your pipes are leaking, or you have a flickering light, most people will probably call their service company or start looking for one. On the contrary, I think a lot of people believe they can get some over-the-counter products from the hardware store or online and spray away their pest problems. The DIY pest control market is huge, with designated aisles in supermarkets and entire sections in home improvement stores. This coupled with the wealth of knowledge you can gain from a few hours online, you actually may be able to tackle the bugs on your own.
Yes I said it! You may have some success eliminating some types of pest problems all by yourself. Some pest problems can even be solved without the use of pesticides. For example, disposing of an old house plant can vacate those gnats from your house, or sealing gaps and openings and storing food in containers can prevent unwanted guests from crashing the party.
People call us for a variety of reasons:
When they just don’t want to deal with pests on their own, or when the problem is too overwhelming for self-treatment, or when the risk of infestation could cause serious damage to their home and even harm to themselves. It can be exhausting to determine which ‘over the counter’ DIY products to use, how much to apply, where to apply, and whether it will even be effective.
So to answer the question of when to call an exterminator I would say that it depends on the following factors: the type of pest, the extent of the problem, the location of the problem, and your tolerance level.
Some pests, like carpenter ants, termites, or rats, can do serious structural damage to your home. This kind of extermination is best left to professionals.
Many pests carry harmful pathogens and transmit disease such as roaches, rodents, ticks, mosquitoes, and flies. You probably need an expert with access to special products and techniques that not just eradicate these pests, but prevent future infestations from occurring.
The Main Reason to Hire an Exterminator
The main reason to hire an exterminator, or what we call ourselves, pest management professionals (it’s okay, you can call us Exterminators), is that we have the technical expertise professional grade products and equipment to actually locate and eliminate the source or sources of pest problems, leaving your house pest-free for the long-term.
That is not to say that you won’t kill bugs with store-bought chemicals, but you may only be attacking the symptom, not the source, of the problem. And you may also actually end up spending more money trying to solve on your own.
So if you are too grossed out or afraid, whatever your reason is, thanks for giving consideration to hiring a pest control professional, doesn’t even have to be us! It’s usually the best, safest and surest option.