General Pest Control

Pest control

No matter where we live, we all have to deal with pests at some point. It can be tempting to put off addressing the issue by telling ourselves it's only one roach, or that these things happen. We stay busy with so many other responsibilities that the last thing we want to do when we get home is think about things like pest control and prevention.

However, ignoring the problem of pests can cost us a lot of time and money in the long run.

Why nuisance pests get into homes

Nuisance pests usually come inside in search of shelter. Most of the time they’re content to stay outside, but if the weather gets too hot, too cold, too wet, or too dry, they may find their way inside in search of better accommodations

Nuisance pests generally find their way into your house through cracks in your foundation, gaps around your windows or doors, or holes in your siding that they can fit through. Once inside, they'll look for a suitable place to stay. Many of these pests prefer dark, moist areas, and you may find them in your basement or rooms with high humidity, like the bathroom.

Your best line of defense to prevent these pests from gaining access is to seal up their entry points found around the outside of your house. Reducing moisture around your foundation walls is also a good idea as it will prevent them from congregating there in the first place. Professional Pest service providers will assess your home and property and make recommendations on services and treatments that will stop and prevent insects from entering your home.

The easiest way to ensure year-round pest control is to sign a service contract with a quality pest control service provider. SimplyPest has pre-negotiated deals for recurring services, and the providers are well reviewed local experts. Options include services once per month, bi-monthly or once per quarter. Some service providers offer a warranty, which includes free services in between regularly scheduled service dates to eliminate any new pest issues.

Rodents

While it may be easy to dismiss "just one mouse," it pays to be diligent when dealing with rodents. Mice reach maturity in just six weeks, and a single female mouse can have up to ten litters a year. Rodents are not only a nuisance but can carry disease and bring fleas into your home. The obvious signs of mice may be sounds in the walls or attic, holes chewed in the baseboards, chewed up paper or fabric, or droppings behind appliances or in corners. If left untreated, these pests can create pathways for more and bigger rodents and can even cause electrical and flooding problems. It's possible to treat the problem on your own, but it may be necessary to hire a professional if the rodent population has become too large.

Cockroaches

One cockroach may not seem like a big problem, but it could make a big difference depending on when and where you see it. Roaches are nocturnal and like to stay in dark, damp places until they come out to forage for food at night. If you see a roach during the day, especially in a room other than the kitchen, then the problem you don't see could already be pretty serious. It's important to treat roach infestations because cockroaches can trigger asthma attacks and spread salmonella and E. coli.

Ants & Fleas

Ants and fleas may be small, but if left untreated will become big problems as well. Ants will identify food sources and leave a trail for other ants to follow to the source. Once they build a colony, there can be thousands of them. Carpenter ants, in particular, can do massive damage chewing through wood in your home causing potentially devastating structural damage. Just as there is never one ant, there is never just one flea. Fleas reproduce quickly and can spread eggs and larvae throughout your home. In short order, fleas will be in your bedding, carpet, clothes, and on your pets. Fleas can cause anemia in smaller animals and have been known to spread disease.

Spiders

Some spiders are harmless, others can be dangerous with venom more potent than a rattlesnake. One of the most well-known spider species is the Black Widow, usually pictured as a large black eight-legged ball with a red hourglass pattern on its belly. In truth, there are many species of black widows that exist around the world and have a variety of colors and patterns. The easiest ways to avoid being bitten is to wear gloves when rummaging through dark areas. Black widows are largely nocturnal and prefer to remain in the shadows. While you may not see spiders, if you are seeing webs inside or outside your house then you may have a problem.

Inside and Outside

It's prudent to pay attention to signs of pests in the yard as well as inside the home itself. While brown spots in the lawn may seem inconsequential, it could indicate an issue with sod webworms and grubs. The damage these insects do from feeding can be unsightly, but that isn't the only danger they pose; there's also the problem of the natural predators they can attract to your property. Moles and skunks will dig up your lawn to find and eat these pests, and rather than that being any help to you, simply introduces a larger and smellier problem. It also turns a well-manicured lawn into a pock-marked mess. No one really wants to deal with pests, but most issues of pest infestation can be handled relatively easily and inexpensively if treated early, before the pests have repopulated and caused extensive damage. In terms of time, money, health, and sanity, it truly pays to address the issue of pests - and not ignore it.

Year-round pest control should be a budgeted monthly expense so that you can protect your home, and the family members that live within it. By addressing the issue of pests throughout the year, it is possible to quickly detect any infestation and correct the damage, instead of letting the problem fester for months or years until the scope of the damage has been recognized.