Having pests in your home is more than just an inconvenience. Pests can cause filth, disease and damage your home’s structure. They can also gnaw on wiring, creating a fire hazard for the family.

A proactive approach to Colonial Pest Control is essential. This includes preventative services and routine inspections.

Preventative Services

There’s a lot that goes into maintaining a home. Utilities, structural maintenance, appliance upkeep, landscaping, and pest control are just a few of the things that need to be kept up with to keep a building at its best and protect the people and pets that live there. Unlike reactive pest control, which deals with an infestation after it has occurred, preventative services work to keep an infestation from ever occurring in the first place by eliminating conditions that attract pests and reducing the need for chemical treatments.

Regularly scheduled preventative pest control can be a valuable asset to homeowners. A service will help them maintain a clean space, eliminate food sources and water sources for pests, seal cracks and gaps, and reduce the need for pesticides. A preventative pest control company will also give the homeowner specific tips and suggestions for ways to maintain these practices between visits, which makes the service even more valuable.

It may seem like a no-brainer to schedule pest control services when there is an infestation on hand, but it’s equally important to schedule preventative pest control services when there are no signs of infestation or unwanted guests. Not only does the practice protect the structure and value of a home or business, but it also prevents diseases that are carried by pests such as cockroaches, rats, and mosquitoes from entering living spaces, causing illnesses in people and their pets.

A professional residential pest control company will offer a variety of services and packages to suit the needs of their clients, from basic quarterly or monthly treatments to year-round services. The most popular preventative pest control service for residential homes is the Intensive Service Plan, which offers four preventative services each year. Three of these are exterior maintenance treatments and the fourth is a winter service that will be geared towards rodents and other pests that live inside a home or structure.

The Intensive Service Plan is a great way to ensure that your home or business will be protected from the pests and other invaders that can cause so much damage and stress. It will save you time, money, and the headaches that come with dealing with an infestation after it has already begun.

Routine Inspections

One of the primary purposes of pest inspections is to catch problems early. This helps prevent the need for extensive pest control treatments and property damage. In addition, it reduces the risk of health hazards for your family, as pests like rodents and insects are often carriers of diseases and allergens that can affect people.

The inspection process is conducted by trained and certified professionals who understand the behavior of pests, how they infiltrate homes, and what signs to look for. Inspectors will examine the interior and exterior of your home, looking at typical “hot spots” such as kitchens, basements, and garages as well as crawl spaces and attics. They will also focus on the outdoor elements, including exterior walls, roofs, gutters, and foundations as well as vegetation and landscaping.

During the inspection, pest control professionals will identify any conditions that make a home more likely to attract pests, such as dirt and debris around the foundation or overgrown shrubbery. They will also inspect for signs of infestation, such as droppings or chew marks on food containers and furniture and abrasions from gnawed surfaces. Inspectors will then work to remove conditions that draw pests, such as clogged gutters or overflowing trash cans, and seal any gaps or cracks in the structure that could allow them to enter.

A pest inspection can be an important part of the homebuying process, and it’s usually the responsibility of either the seller or the buyer to assume the cost. It’s a small price to pay to ensure that the most valuable asset you own—your house—is protected from pests that can cause significant damage and compromise the safety of your loved ones.

Routine pest inspections can also help prevent fires that may be caused by pests, such as rats and mice. These rodents are notorious for chewing through electrical wires and gas lines, which can cause serious fire damage or even lead to death. In many cases, these fires are attributed to unattended or ignored pest activity that wasn’t addressed by homeowners or sellers in time. By keeping the home clean, sealing any cracks or crevices that might allow pests to enter, and removing weeds and other debris, you can greatly reduce your risk of an unavoidable fire.

Termite Treatments

Termites are among the most destructive insects in the country. These tiny pests tunnel through wood-based structures and cause an estimated $30 billion in damage to homes and crops annually. Professional pest control companies can help protect properties from the threat of termite infestations using a variety of treatments, including liquids and baits.

A reputable pest control company will start by conducting an inspection of the property, noting any signs of termites and the location of colonies in the soil. This information is used to create a customized treatment plan for the home. Several treatment options are available, with monitoring stations, liquid treatments, and direct wood treatments offering different levels of protection.

Liquid termiticides are sprayed directly onto infested areas of the house and into the soil around the home to kill existing termites and prevent future infestations. These products are odorless, non-toxic, and highly effective, and they are safe to use in homes with children and pets. They also require little to no maintenance after application, although they must be applied regularly to remain effective.

Other termite treatments involve setting up bait stations with slow-acting poison that termites consume and then take back to their colony. This approach can be a bit more expensive than liquid treatments, and it may take longer to fully affect termites. However, it is one of the most effective methods for eradicating and protecting against drywood and subterranean termites.

A more intensive approach is to remove the whole termite colony with a fumigation process. During this procedure, the family must leave the home for several days while it is under fumigation. This option is more costly than a spot fumigation, but it is the only method that eradicates all types of termites.

For properties that are at high risk for termite infestations, a pest control company will install barrier treatments in the ground and on the perimeter of the structure. These solutions use a mixture of specialized chemicals to form a protective barrier around the home. Some are designed to be mixed with soil, while others are applied directly to the foundation and masonry structures.

Bed Bug Treatments

Bed bugs can be very difficult to eradicate once they invade. Severe infestations require professional pest control services at first, and then follow-up treatment to keep them away for good. Bed bug eggs can take weeks to hatch, so it is very important to call a pest control expert as soon as you find any evidence of the pests in your home.

There are a number of non-chemical ways to prevent a bed bug infestation, including vacuuming regularly and removing excess clutter. In addition, a mattress and box spring encasement is available to prevent bed bugs from invading your bedding.

However, once an infestation of bed bugs is established, a residential pest control company can offer several different treatment options to eradiate them and protect your home. Chemical treatment uses contact and residual insecticides to ensure that all stages of a bed bug’s life cycle are eliminated. It also helps to prevent future bed bug outbreaks by providing residual chemicals that act as a barrier against the pests.

The most common form of a chemical treatment is to use a contact insecticide, such as Transport Mikron, to treat the infested mattresses and box springs. This product can be applied to tufts, seams, and folds of infested mattresses, as well as to the interior of mattress frames or headboards. Using an aerosol application, this product can also be used in furniture to treat upholstered areas where the pests have resided.

Residual chemicals can also be used in the cracks and crevices of the home to help prevent the spread of bed bugs. These sprays can be used to treat baseboards, loose plaster, behind picture and mirror frames, underneath floor coverings, in closets and cabinets, and in other places where the pests can hide.

A second option for a chemical treatment is to use a dust to provide long-term protection against the pests. This method requires careful preparation, as the dust must be carefully applied to infested areas and in cracks and crevices that are out of reach of a contact insecticide. This treatment may not be appropriate for homes with children, pets or people who have sensitivities to chemical residues.