3 Ways to Pest-Proof Your Home

You might be surprised to learn that your home is being targeted for invasion. Every night when you shut out the lights and head to bed, glowing eyes peep out from the woods surrounding your home or past trash cans where tempting morsels are stored away. The creatures targeting your safe zone have no interest in the pleas you would likely make to keep them at bay. Instead, they want what you have—a safe place to nest, readily available meals, and room to grow a family. No matter how cute they might seem, wild animals belong in Nature. If you are not interested in making your home the most hospitable digs for a growing varmint population, consider these great ways to keep it pest free.

First of all, sealing holes and gaps in both your foundation and along the entire structure of your home is crucial. Rodents, raccoons and other critters find it simple to squeeze their bodies through any hole large enough to accommodate their heads. Careful inspection of the entire home exterior and subsequent patching will help to ensure they cannot even enter.

Next, construct a plan of action when it comes to pet feeding. Designate a specific time and place for feeding your pets, and dispose of any leftovers as soon as your pets are finished eating. Far too many pet owners have found themselves feeding a veritable zoo of wild animals who have literally been beckoned by the fragrance of domestic fare. Eliminating the temptation will help to curb your appeal to unwanted guests.

Finally, secure your perimeter logically and efficiently. Anywhere branches, bushes or other vegetation come too close to your house, trim back limbs to hinder easy travel from one plant to the next. Agile and brave, a wide range of pesky animals can make it from ground to roof in a matter of minutes. Once they have topped your house, they will quickly find entry where you might least expect it. Hard-to-see gaps beneath eaves, weak spots under loose shingles and chimneys provide easy access to resourceful pests.

Pest proofing your home is your first step to security from these likely invaders, but there are other options for critter elimination if all else fails. Qualified technicians are available to trap, remove and wild-release your pushy guests. Once they have been removed from the equation humanely, you and your family can rest more easily again. For more information on pest control services in Durham, please visit this website.

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What is Green Pest Control?

Green pest control has become increasingly popular as people continue to shy away from processed materials and attempt to lead natural and pesticide-free lives.

1. When Bug Spray Isn’t Enough

People generally tend to have few qualms about squashing bugs or spraying insects. In the heat of the moment, a shoe, window cleaner, rubbing alcohol, a newspaper, or anything handy is fair game as a weapon. While a can of grocery store bug spray may get rid of one insect, it may not dispose of an entire problem. Exterminators generally can find a solution to the problem, but they may employ harsh chemicals to get the job done. Green pest control offers efficient solutions that offer minimal environmental damage.

2. When Bug Spray Is Too Much

People remain concerned about the ancillary hazards that spray may have on the environment’s innocent bystanders. Pets, plants and the air that you breathe have all been rumored to be negatively affected by the strong sprays used by many exterminating agents.

3. Green Solutions

Call your local exterminator and inquire about non-chemical solutions. Be sure that your home is kept clean to minimize the dirty, dark hiding places that pests and rodents prefer. Inquire about glue traps and products with low levels of toxicity. Many companies that employ green pest control employ products that have a boric-acid base. These products are very poisonous to pests but when compared to traditional pesticides, pose a minimal threat to humans. Click here to learn more about residential pest control in Mountain View.

Once a Rat, Always a Rat

Most people see a rat and are more concerned with the extermination process than the species. While different rats have different specialties, they generally elicit the same response from people they encounter. 

Effective Termite Treatment

Termites are a menace to homes, furniture, and structures with wooden composition. When they move into a home, colonies can number in the millions. These groups can collectively digest a pound of wood daily. Often the extent of their destruction isn’t immediately discovered by homeowners. By the time he or she is aware, the damage is pervasive. In nature, this weakening process is useful for discarding rotting or fallen trees. These vandals do not discriminate between natural and man-made structures. Additionally, multiple colonies may co-exist within a home.

Get an Inspection

Even if you can see tell-tale signs of termite damage, it’s still a good idea to get a professional inspection. An expert can distinguish termite activity from that caused by carpenter ants, beetles, or other insects with an affinity for wood. Appropriate treatment may differ depending on the pest. A professional will be able to make a good assessment of the extent of the damage since the magnitude of the termite activity may not be visible.

Employ a Licensed Professional

A licensed professional can offer a warranty for extermination services provided. That warranty may cover follow-up treatments as well as additional maintenance due to evidence of a new colony. Knowledgeable professionals will also be able to determine which products will be effective and have the least amount of side effects. Fumigation spray may be the only option, but there may be other alternatives your pest control expert may use that can be equally potent and successful. Click here to learn more about effective termite treatment in Raleigh.

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Leave Bedbugs to the Professionals

There are many ways to tell if your environment is hosting bed bugs.Small (often linear) reddish bites may show up on exposed skin. Bedsheets may have brownish-red stains from crushed bug bodies. A room that is completely infested may have bugs in furniture, wall paper, electronic devices, or virtually any place with a crack or a crevice.

Your Eyes May Deceive You

Bites alone are not incontrovertible evidence of bedbug existence. Other insects leave bite marks that may look similar.  Their miniature size makes them easy to miss or mistake for something else.

Attempting to get rid of a bedbug problem by yourself may seem tempting, but you may not actually be aware of the degree of infestation. For this reason, it may be best to seek professional assistance in this endeavor. While you are focusing on the sterilization of one room, the infestation may be spreading to your living room, dining room, or neighbor’s house.  Increased travel and mobility over time has resulted in bed bugs no longer being confined to just dirty or dilapidated spaces.

You Don’t Know What You Don’t Know

Many of these insects have developed immunity to chemicals that were once effective. Products that are easily available to the consumer may no longer be successful in eliminating the infestation. Some of their fumes may also be toxic to humans. You don’t want to waste time using ineffective products,nor do you want to endanger pets, family members, or yourself with chemicals that are dangerous. Instead of treating bedbugs yourself, click here to access an exterminator service in Durham.