DIY Exterminating – Is it Worth it?

If you’re a homeowner, you probably hate pests. Whether they’re roaches, ants, mice or bed bugs, you would want to get rid of them any way you can. However, sometimes the infestation is beyond your grasp and you need to hire a professional. While there are many products available that you can purchase and use to fight back against rodents and bugs, often these are not adequate. The following will help you determine whether you can handle the problem on your own or if you need to contact a professional exterminator.

Mice

If you have a mice problem you’ll probably notice their droppings first. These are small, black and rice-sized. They leave them behind wherever they go, so you should notice them easily. If you are experiencing this problem, the first thing to do is eliminate the points of entry. Look for small holes, even as small as a nickel, and stop them up with steel wool. Mice are a nuisance because they can carry diseases, tear through food packages, and sometime even gnaw through electric wiring. The latter may even require the services of an electrician to repair the damage.

To get rid of the mice on your own, purchase mouse traps. These are inexpensive and available at almost all hardware stores. There are two main kinds of mouse traps – snap traps and glue traps. Many people prefer the snap traps because they are more effective and cause the mouse less suffering, though some people prefer glue traps because they are less dangerous to people. Place the traps near walls where you’ve spotted the droppings, using peanut butter as bait. Alternatively, poisons are available as well but these can be dangerous to people, take weeks to be effective, and can leave you with a dead mouse stuck in some hard-to-reach corner of your home. The traps should work if you have a mouse or two, but if there is a real infestation and the mice return time after time, you should contact a professional.

Roaches

Roaches can be pesky, annoying creatures, crawling around your home and nibbling your food. Poisons are available as are spray-agents that kill or keep roaches away. If these are not sufficient, contact a professional pest control company. They’ll have the right chemicals and methods to keep roaches away from your home.

Bed Bugs

The country is currently facing a bed-bug epidemic. From New York to San Francisco, one if five Americans has experienced the biting, blood-sucking bug. Though the microscopic pests are almost invisible and have not been known to carry any diseases, they are still one of the most loathed bugs in the nation. In addition, they have grown immune to many pesticides and are extremely hard to get rid of. The solution, in the event of a bed bug infestation, is to contact the experts. With special steaming or fumigation treatments they can eradicate bed bugs from you home, once and for all.

There are many advantages to hiring a pest control service. Though they can cost a significant amount of money – they are worth it, and are often the only solution that will truly work. They can seal off points of entry, preventing the return of the pests, and they’ll make sure to completely eradicate whatever is infesting your home. They also offer routine, follow-up treatments or yearly contracts so your home will be bug free on a long-term basis. However, when choosing a pest control service, be sure to hire a reliable, preapproved company.