Why Stick to ‘Outside Only’ Pest Control Before An Infestation?

Cockroaches, fleas and ticks, and mosquitos are some of the common pests we see in homes in the southern states. Right away when we think of these pests, we think about pest control spraying each month to keep them away from our homes. Why stick to outside only pest control? Until there is an infestation in the home, spraying monthly won’t help and you need to focus on the outside.

Let’s take a look at why.

Types of Pests

There are many kinds of pests that are seen in homes throughout the south. One of those is the Cockroach.

Cockroach

Cockroaches are the dirties pests there are. They love sewers, garbage bins, and cesspools. This pest loves to feed on food that is rotten or not, trash, and decomposing animals to name a few. Along the way, they pick up bacteria and viruses which they can transmit to humans.

These can show their ugly head in the forms of cholera, food poisoning, salmonella, and typhoid fever. Additionally, they can transmit their diseases through droppings, saliva, vomit, and urine. Unfortunately, they are resistant to pesticides and reproduce quickly, sometimes giving birth to 300-400 babies!

How to Keep Them Away

You can keep these pests away by making sure you keep areas in the home clean. They love dirty places so cleaning is a must.

Fleas and Ticks

Fleas and ticks can be picked up in the yard so it is important to have a pest control service take care of them. Pets and humans run through yards and the fleas and ticks like to attach themselves to both. Once they have attached themselves, it can be difficult to get rid of them. Stopping them in the yard with outside-only pest control will help prevent them from becoming a problem in the home.

How to Keep Them Away

Discuss with your Veterinarian if a collar or other preventative is a good idea for your animal.

Mosquitos

Mosquitos love the darker times of the evening, especially when it is hot and humid. Humans and pets are susceptible to mosquito bites when outdoors. In areas where there are a lot of mosquitos, often spraying will be done from above by a helicopter or other transport to keep the mosquitos at bay.

Mosquitos also can carry West Nile Virus or Zika Virus, which can affect humans and animals. Thus, making it more of a reason to keep these pests under control with a visit from your local pest control service.

How to Keep Them Away

Wearing repellent is a good idea when you are outdoors between dusk and dawn. Also, don’t keep standing water in the yard or in a bird feeder, as this attracts mosquitoes. Additionally, your local pest control company can tell you how to keep them out of the yard. If they are out of the yard, then you have less chance of bringing them inside the home.

How Often For Pest Control?

Effective pest prevention starts with taking care of the exterior of the home. Doing this in the spring is a goal so that when the summer months come, there are no pests making their way inside and entering your home. External pest control can be done one time, monthly, or even quarterly depending on the recommendation from the pest control company.

This is a way to be proactive and keep the problem away before it can become a pest problem in the home. The treatment by a pest control technician is to attack and keep the pests away before they move indoors. When doing this, you can hope to get the situation under control before there is a pest infestation.

If there is a pest infestation, then starting on monthly pest control (or what the pest control company recommends) inside the home is important. This is because you now have an issue in the home and the pest control will be effective. The technician will know how to take care of the infestation. Before the infestation was there, he/she would not have known the plan to get rid of the pest as it varies with the type of pest for the proper course of action.

What Can the Homeowner Do?

While you have your outside-only pest control service for the exterior of the home, there are some things that you the homeowner can also do inside and outside the home. Those are:

1. Trim trees and brush away from the home – This is so rodents and insects don’t use it to get into the home.
2. Plants – If you have plants that attract specific pests, consider removing them and planting ones that won’t have this issue.
3. Clean out gutters- Gutters filled with leaves will lead to roaches and you don’t want them making a home in the gutters. This will lead to them making their way inside the home.
4. Fix excess moisture areas – Having excess moisture will attract ants. This will cause more problems as they will then move into the home.
5. Prevent insect entry – This is done by having proper door sweeps, tight-fitting window screens, and caulking the foundation.
6. Plumbing – Openings in the drainage lines and sewer vents are sealed or screened.
7. Food in the home – Put food away and keep it in containers that also have tight-fitting lids.
8. Trash removed from home – Take the trash out on a regular basis.
9. Reduce the clutter in the home – Cardboard boxes attract silverfish and other insects. Getting rid of these can help make your home on its way to pest free.

Recommended Maintenance

Now that you know about pest control outside the home until there is an infestation inside the home, let’s take a look at some other areas.

One of those is roaches in the kitchen cabinets. Roaches like food on countertops and in the cabinets. If you find them, you can try to take care of them yourself with borax, bay leaves, soap and water spray, and egg shells to name a few.

Another area is silverfish. Silverfish are a nuisance in the home and can attach themselves to clothing. You can kill silverfish eggs in the washing machine by washing at the highest temperature that the material allows. You will know you have silverfish if you see them, but also clothes have yellow spots or holes, as well as droppings in drawers or in closets.

Lastly, you may see ants in your home and wonder where they are coming from. Check the walls in the evenings and if you hear them or knock on a solid wall and it is hollow, you have ants. There are some DIY remedies that might work but contacting a professional if you see a lot of ants is recommended.

When To Call A Professional?

Preventative pest control on the outside of the home is important. Your local pest control company can give you a report that tells you their plan and what their pest control includes. You want effective pest control and time is money. Hiring a company to take care of this for you is important and they have the tools needed to help.

Conclusion

Pest control is important to have year-round for the exterior of your home. This will hopefully keep an infestation from happening inside the home. Remember, it doesn’t make sense to have a monthly treatment inside the home unless there is an issue. Finding a reputable company like All South Pest Control is important. Let them come out and inspect your property and prepare a report for you. They have various plans and can steer you in the right direction.

If you are looking for the best recommendations for various treatments, then you will want to call All South Pest Control Services. All South Pest Control will be able to determine if you need basic pest service needs in McDonough, GA, and the surrounding areas.