The insects, rodents, and other uninvited guests in your home are more than an uncomfortable nuisance. Roaches, mice, termites, ants, and a wide range of household pests pose potential health risks. They can cause all kinds of damage to the interior and exterior of your residential or commercial property. As people develop practical and creative ways to combat household pets, myths develop and circulate regarding pest control that has no basis in reality.
Misinformation can waste your time and effort in battling a pest problem. Basing the action on a pest control myth can also result in more costly damage or potential health risks to you and your family. When making decisions regarding pest control in your home, it is crucial to take the time to learn the truth about the safest and most effective ways to control current and future pest problems.
Dispelling 9 Pest Control Myths
People with pest problems want to believe everything they hear in hopes of ridding their homes of bugs or critters. Pest control myths are often rooted in the truth that has been altered and twisted over time. The following busts many of the most popular myths regarding pest control methods and practices:
1. Mice Love Cheese
Popular culture has helped to spread the myth that mice love cheese. While mice like and will eat cheese, other bait types attract and entice them far better. What mice do love is food with sugar. Peanut butter and dried fruit are likely more effective in mousetraps than cheese.
2. All Bees Sting Only Once
A female honeybee is unable to dislodge its barbed stinger after stinging someone. She will leave behind the stinger and part of its body, killing her. However, most other bees and wasps can safely remove their stingers and sting multimer times throughout their lives.
3. A Clean Home Will Not Attract Pests
Many household pests are known for showing up only when a bed, room, or home is not kept clean. Keeping a clean house and using disinfectants will help prevent large infestations and notify you of potential issues. However, bed bugs and other annoying and potentially harmful pests need only warmth and a bit of moisture to grow and prosper, regardless of how clean you keep your house.
4. Pets Will Keep Pests Away
Getting a cat or dog may help to keep mice, roaches, and other pests out of your sight, but that does not mean they are gone and can do no harm. There are plenty of spaces in your home your pets cannot access. Chasing pests under floors, between walls, and into air ducts will only mask problems and allow them to cause damage without being seen or detected.
5. Concrete Slab Homes Are Termite-Proof
Termites do not feed on concrete but can enter your home through the smallest cracks in the foundation to reach wood interiors. A concrete slab can make identifying a minor termite issue easier before it becomes a large and costly problem. Checking the property for spaces in the slab or bricks will help keep mulch from piling up, preventing you from seeing any early signs of termite activity.
6. Ultrasonic Sound Keeps Pests Away
Ultrasonic devices have become popular in recent years to implement the most eco-friendly, noninvasive form of pest control. Environmentally-conscious homeowners are led to believe the notion that ultrasonic frequencies will repel pests away from their homes. While pests do hear a range of sounds that we cannot, and some ultrasonic frequencies and these devices may work at first, they do not appear to be a long-term fix for ongoing pest problems. Some ultrasonic device users have also experienced interference with their telephone connections, burglar alarm systems, and hearing aids.
7. Roaches Survive Without Their Heads
Cockroaches can survive without their heads, but not for long. Blood does not circulate in their heads, and they breathe through holes spread out over their bodies, so they can continue to live for a short time without a head. Because roaches eat and drink using their heads, they will ultimately starve to death without their head, which can take days or weeks.
8. If You Do Not See Pests, They Are Not There
The survival of household pests depends on their ability to stay hidden from view. Insects, rodents, and other animals become deft at concealing themselves when people are around. Pests like carpenter ants and termites hide in your walls undetected without thorough, regular inspections by pest elimination professionals. Nocturnal insects like bed bugs and beetles will be active only at night when everyone is asleep.
9. Professional Pest Control is Useless and Harmful
This one hurts the most. Some of the chemicals professional pest control technicians use can harm humans and the environment when improperly applied or used. The danger and serious nature of pest control services make it even more important to put it in an experienced professional’s hands. Chemicals are used only by certified pest elimination specialists trained in the most effective, safe, and efficient techniques.
Contact All Green Today
All Green Pest Control & Lawn Care pest control professionals are trained, certified, and experienced in all residential and commercial pest elimination techniques. Our technicians can sort out facts and fiction regarding the behaviour of household pets and the most effective methods to control them.
To learn more about the wide range of pest control and lawn care services available from the respected industry leaders at All Green Pest Control & Lawn Care, contact a knowledgeable representative and get started today.