There has been recent headline news about residents becoming sick, seriously ill or dying from using do it yourself pesticides for controlling bed bugs, as well as other pests around the home.
The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention published a new study which was over seven years across seven states, where 111 cases of acute illness were associated with insecticides. Of that study, 99% were the result of residents taking matters into their own hands and used do it yourself methods or were uncertified/unsupervised individuals with no indication of applicator certification.
I was with my partner on a termite treatment the other day and the property was crawling with acrobat ants. The residents of the property had used liquid What To Do After Pest Control Sprays ant bait which was dripping from the walls and windows trying to deter them, including the kitchen. When I say dripping, I’m not exaggerating.
So where is this article going? Please bear with me whilst I make one more point. A woman from North Carolina used eighteen cans of fogger to try and get rid of bed bugs. Unfortunately she died. Not because of the chemicals in the product but because the product was not applied in the correct way. Now all of these instances lead to causes of concern. There are more and more people in the news that are trying to save money and use do it yourself methods. But surely if you are putting your health at risk then is it really worth it? A trained professional is someone who is certified in the biology and control of pests as well as the application of the products to get rid of them. Additionally I believe that because of instances of do it yourself cases which have gone wrong, then the pest control industry gets a bad reputation because of it. So what should you do if you decide to go with a professional home pest control company, what things should you look out for?
I’d suggest that you always deal with a qualified and licensed pest management company. Ask to see the credentials of the pest control professional that comes to solve your pest problem. Make sure the exterminator has sufficient training and certifications and experience and check how many years experience they have.
Be wary of any companies that come knocking at your door without an appointment wanting to give you a free pest inspection. Unfortunately there are unscrupulous people in the world that try and take advantage of others. This is a scare tactic and a very unethical approach.
If you are entering into a contract with a pest control company, make sure you read the small print and anything that you don’t understand ask for clarification.
Find out if you get any kind of guarantee with the work that is being carried out.
Check to see if the pest control company has liability insurance and ask for clarification on what the insurance covers.
Get a recommendation. If you have a friend or family member who has used their Pest Control Bed Bugs services then this is a great way to see if they are a good company.
Beware of exterminators that may be offering bargains that sound too good to be true. They probably are.
When it comes to termite control, it’s a tricky one, and I wouldn’t recommend trying to exterminate termites on your own. If you think you have termites it’s best to leave that to a professional, as there could also be underlying damage that you don’t know about.
If you do decide to go down the do it yourself route, then please follow the instructions on the labelling of the product you are using very carefully. That may seem like stating the obvious, but if you are unsure then it’s probably best that you don’t try and tackle it on your own.