If you suspect that your home has a pest infestation of any sort, it's good to address this problem as quickly as possible, as infestations often get worse and more difficult to correct the longer you allow them to go on. It's also good to leave this work to a professional pest management service, as they can address the infestation properly and without harm to you, your children or your pets. This will also ensure that you don't make some common mistakes when trying to treat an infestation at home; note a few of those mistakes here so you handle pests in your home properly and safely.
Baits and traps in the wrong place
If you use baits and traps, you want to ensure you place them where they're likely to attract the pests, and not just where they're convenient for you. For example, you might set a mousetrap near the kitchen door so you can easily access it. However, mice might not make their way across the kitchen to the entryway door, preferring to scurry along the baseboards. In turn, that trap will do very little to attract a mouse. A professional will know where to set baits and traps so that they easily attract the pests and are then very effective at killing them.
Overusing poisons
Poisons that address pests are often safe for humans and pets, but only if used in certain amounts. Spraying aerosol poisons too often throughout the day can easily pollute the air in your home. Powder poisons may also become airborne if you use too much and spread them too thickly along baseboards. These powders can then be inhaled by you, your children, and your pets. Don't assume that the more poison you use, the faster you'll address the infestation, but instead use them as directed and in proper amounts so that you and your family are safe.
Not knowing the pest in your home
It's very easy to assume what type of bug is in your home when you see one scurrying along the floor, or to assume that droppings, black streaks along walls, holes in the wall and other such signs of a pest infestation are from one type of pest, when they really indicate something else. Not knowing what those signs indicate about the actual pests that are in your home and not identifying those pests properly before you decide on a treatment option can mean wasting time and money on poisons and traps that don't work and which only allow the infestation to get worse.
Share22 August 2017
Hello, my name is Mandi, and although I own a number of pets including my dog, two ferrets and a guinea pig, I am utterly afraid of all non-pet creatures in my house. I hold the guinea pigs as I watch TV, and I sleep with my dog, but the idea of a mouse running through the walls makes me incredibly uncomfortable and tense. Since pests are such a trigger issue for me, I have spent a lot of time researching them. I have learned how to get rid of them, but more importantly, how to get rid of them without bothering or putting my pets in danger. If you are trying to balance the wanted and the unwanted creatures in your home, I hope these posts help!
