Tag: pest management

A guide to keeping pests from destroying your home

A guide to keeping pests from destroying your homecredit

Your house is supposed to be your happy space and, let’s face it, it’s a little bit hard to be happy when pests are invading your home. Aside from the obvious (which is that pests are annoying and, quite frankly, horrific) there are also the issues of hygiene and safety to consider. Pests can carry all sorts of diseases which is something we all want to avoid in our houses. On top of that, pests can cause serious financial ruin because they often destroy homes. They can eat through your high-quality furniture, electrics and even damage the walls and foundations. If you want to know how to keep this from happening, you’ve come to the right place.

Wasps on a nest

Call exterminators

Just because you only recently realised that you have pests, doesn’t mean that they haven’t been around for quite a while. If you want to be safe, it’s always a good idea to call an exterminator out as soon as you notice the first signs of pests, so that you don’t allow the pests to destroy your house even further.

Aside from getting rid of the pests, exterminators may also be able to help you determine what caused it, as well as ways to prevent and deal with any future infestation should it ever happen again. Have a look at this Pest Control Company in Clearwater, FL to see how they can help you get rid of pests before they do severe damage.

Try DIY methods

As we’ve stated, calling out an exterminator is the ideal way to go. Unfortunately, that’s not always an option for everyone. If you’ve established that the pests haven’t done too much damage, you may be able to get rid of them by yourself. Many people choose to get rid of rodents on their own, so that they can release them back into their natural habitat instead of being killed. This is a good idea, but you must be very careful when doing this so that you don’t get bitten or contract a disease. You can learn more about home-made mousetraps here. Some people also attempt to create concoctions that they then spray on their furniture in the hopes that it will repel pests. It’s important to note that these methods aren’t always effective.

Cockroach

Determine the cause

To truly stop pests from destroying your home, you need to determine what caused the infestation in the first place. Having pests doesn’t necessarily mean your house is dirty – many people are incredibly vigilant in their cleanliness, and they still have pests. Sometimes, it’s just bad luck. However, there are times that something specific could be attracting pests to your house.

Once you’ve determined what is causing pests to destroy your home, you can start working on a solution. An example of this is the fact rotting or old food often attracts pests, so it’s a good idea to clean your refrigerator regularly and make sure that there’s nothing beyond its expiration date. Prevention is always better than the cure, as they say, and it’s no different when it comes to pests.

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Benefits of eco-friendly pest control services

Benefits of eco-friendly pest control servicescredit

Most home-owners and tenants out there have experienced pest infestations at one point or another and we all know just how frightening and annoying a pest infestation can be. Not to mention the potentially extreme health concerns pests can impose on our overall health; from allergies to more serious respiratory conditions.

With that said, whether you’re attempting to tackle a full-on infestation, or you’ve made eye contact with a roach while reaching for a midnight snack in the kitchen, some forms of pest control are inhumane and terrible for the environment.

For this reason, it’s generally best to always opt for eco-friendly pest control solutions which you can find at https://www.biotechtermiteandpest.com/. If you aren’t too sure why you should prioritise eco-friendly pest control solutions over tried & tested traditional methods, we’ve listed some of the top-rated benefits to help you make an informed decision.

Illustration of a dog & cat

Your pets will be safe

The poisons that are used to mitigate rats, mice, roaches and even termite infestations are not suitable for use around household pets. If you want to keep your pets safe from these poisons, eco-friendly solutions are your only option. Your pets could either consume the poison or eat a rodent or pest that has ingested the poison. Unfortunately, in both these scenarios, the results will likely be fatal for your pet.

Illustration of a stethoscope

Your everyday health

If you’re using dangerous commercial poisons to keep pests at bay or to get rid of an infestation from your home, you’ll be routinely inhaling these poisons in tiny doses. The poisons will negatively impact the air quality in and around your home. This can be detrimental to individuals with respiratory conditions, such as asthma and COPD, and allergies.

Illustration of a mouse trap

Avoid inhumane traps

Even though you don’t want pests residing in your home and causing expensive damage to your property, you also don’t want to harm these pests as they all serve crucial functions within the ecosystem and the world around us. As creepy as rats and mice can be, we shouldn’t kill them with inhumane traps. And when it comes to the more adorable range of rodents, such as raccoons and squirrels, there’s no doubt you’d prefer to use humane solutions to keep them out of your home.

Illustration of hands holding up green shoots

Protect the environment

The most prominent reason to rely on eco-friendly pest control solutions is to do your bit towards saving the planet. Killing certain pests will hinder the population, which can have adverse effects on everyone. And using harmful poisons can contribute to a larger carbon footprint and cause soil erosion, air pollution and other issues that we don’t want.

Instead of relying on the traditional means of controlling pests, eco-friendly solutions are safe, effective and harmless to the health of you, your family and your pets. Making a slight change to how you mitigate pests will have a more significant, positive impact on the environment, as every small step towards a more sustainable future count. Once you adopt eco-friendly pest control measures, you should also consider making other minor changes, such as switching to natural cleaning products, to consider the environment.

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What’s the average cost of pest control services?

What's the average cost of pest control services?credit

Pests invite themselves into homes that they consider appealing places for seeking refuge. These usually entail homes with agreeable heating or air conditioning (depending on the season), as well as ample and easy access to food. Pest control servicing keeps a home pest-free and comfortable to its residents by utilising professional-grade chemicals, sprays and pesticides.

There are many steps that households can and should take to reduce the risk of a pest infestation, but nothing beats the tried-and-true treatments offered by professionals like Moxie Pest Control, a Riverside pest control provider. Don’t skimp on your pest control treatment services. Invest in trained exterminators who, with the expertise they possess, can devise a pest control strategy designed to permanently ward off household pests.

To avoid feeling blind-sided by some pest control treatment services’ steep prices, you’ll need to gauge the average costs of these contractors. Read on for more information so that you can make an informed decision regarding your choice of pest control provider.

Pest control van

Benefits of professional pest control service

For optimal results, avoid DIY pest control. Typically, sprays and pesticides purchased at a home improvement store won’t completely resolve the issue. However, you can take several steps to reduce their presence in your home when you pair these DIY methods with commercial pest control treatments.

Remember, pests damage the structure of homes, carry diseases that they can transmit to humans and otherwise cause unease amongst your home’s residents. The potential damage varies from one type of pest to another. However, it’s safe to say that all pests cause worry and introduce an element of danger to a household. Potential problems you may experience in the face of infestation include allergic reactions, exacerbated asthma symptoms, the contraction of salmonella etc. To avoid these and other detrimental effects of household pests, do the following:

  • Tidy up mess around the home to avoid damage to belongings laying around
  • Dispose of any leftover food that may emit pest-attracting scents
  • Tightly seal any food containers to prevent pests that may feed on your pantry’s contents
  • Hire pest control services to eliminate odours and debris caused by lingering insects and rodents. These pest control experts can exterminate houseflies and cockroaches that can cause intestinal diseases, mosquitoes that can transmit malaria, and rats that carry Weil’s disease. Because these pests can transmit these diseases to humans, professional-grade treatment can grant home-owners much-needed peace of mind.

Variety of household pests

What’s the cost of pest control services?

The price of pest control can vary tremendously; factors like the pest control company you choose, the type of pests you’re treating, and the type of treatment will all influence service costs.

It’s important to note that professional services will always cost more money than DIY solutions. However, far better results accompany those additional costs. To prevent costly damage to your home, allocate the necessary time and resources for professional pest control treatment services.

Professional pest control companies have the necessary training to treat any pest that invades your home. Most providers also guarantee customer satisfaction. In the rare event the pest returns, they’ll provide treatment once again at no additional cost.

For optimal savings, look for discounts, promotions and special offers on the pest control company website and their social media pages. You can also flip through your local newspaper and other sources for savings opportunities. Deals attract new customers to a pest control company and they may offer a discount when you sign up for services.

Pest control stamp

Regular or one-time service

Pick from regular or one-time pest control services to treat the infestation and ensure lurking pests aren’t a recurring concern. Regular treatment services include visits from the exterminator every month, every three months, or bi-annually, depending on your selected schedule.

While you may incur higher costs initially, regular pest control service costs less than a one-time service in the long-run. Regular pest control services minimise the risk of re-infestation, so treating the property and eradicating nests and existing pests is easier for the hired team of experts each visit. One-time service costs more because the exterminators must assess the situation, find the nest and block pests from entering the home in one visit. With large gaps in between treatments, pests can successfully multiply and infiltrate your home once again.

Cockroach in house under magnifying glass illustration

General pest control vs speciality pest control

RiversidePest Control treats roaches, ants, earwigs and general pests that cause concern. Speciality treatment, however, targets mice, rats, bed bugs, termites, mosquitoes etc. General pest control service costs considerably less than speciality treatments since treating termites and other speciality-grade pests requires advanced treatment applications and increased amounts of time, which providers account for with these additional costs.

Quote for a pest control service

Request quotes

Pest control companies offer free quotes so you can compare costs with several different exterminators in your area. Once you narrow down your options, request quotes from the top contenders. Then, compare their estimates. The cost of service should be a determining factor when choosing the pest control company right for your needs. However, the more expensive pest control option won’t necessarily yield the best results, so don’t let price dictate your decision entirely.

Fumigator illustration

The average cost of pest control service

Expect to pay between $150-$900 for a one-time service. In most cases, households pay an average of $400 for a one-time service. Expect a price of around $150-$200 every six months for regular service. Because there are always exceptions to the rule, you may pay more or less than the amounts listed here for a pest control service. However, you can always guarantee that regular services will save you time and money compared to one-time services. To ensure a pest-free home year-round, research local pest control companies to find the most qualified firm equipped to tackle your home’s infestations.

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How to treat your pillows, sheets and mattress for lice

How to treat your pillows, sheets and mattress for licecredit

Lice (singular: louse) are wingless insects that live and lay their eggs (nits) in human hair. They can easily transfer from one person to another making them very contagious. Lice feed on human blood by sucking it from your scalp which makes your head feel itchy. They cling to hair strands and crawl down to the scalp whenever they need to feed.

A person can easily contract lice if they’re in close contact with someone who has lice in their hair, or by using their belongings such as hairbrush, towels, pillows or sheets. Although lice cannot survive without a human host for more than 24 hours, it doesn’t mean that it makes your belongings any safer.

If you’ve managed to get rid of lice in your hair, for instance, you need to make sure that your belongings – pillows, sheets, mattress etc where you lay your head down – are also lice-free.

Here are a few tips that can help you treat your affected pillows, sheets and mattress for a lice infestation:

Washing machine dial

Washing

Many people are under the false impression that merely washing your pillowcases or sheets will easily kill lice. It clearly isn’t true as you can thoroughly wash your hair many times but still don’t get rid of them unless you use an anti-lice shampoo. These tiny insects have six, strong claws which hold onto fabric or a strand of hair so tightly that simply washing is useless, even if it’s been through an extra-long cycle in the washing machine.

Lice can survive even if they’ve been immersed in the water for 8 hours. So it’s clearly established that lice aren’t killed simply by washing. Treating pillows and sheets for lice is quite tricky but luckily there’s a solution i.e. if your washing machine has a sanitise cycle. Lice can’t survive in temperatures above 55ºC/130°F for more than 5 minutes and the ‘boil wash’ cycle has a temperature of about 75ºC/165°F which will definitely kill lice and your belongings will be lice-free.

Tumble dryer with grey towel

Tumble-dryer

We understand that not every washing machine has a sanitise cycle but you can instead use a tumble-dryer. You can always kill lice by putting your pillowcases and sheets in the dryer. The average temperature in the dryer is 60ºC/135°F and as mentioned above, lice can’t survive in temperature above 55ºC/130°F.

So, after you’ve washed your bedding, put them in the tumble-dryer for a complete cycle, switching off the eco sensor mode. Your items will emerge dry and lice-free.

Vacuum cleaning a matttress

Vacuum cleaner

You can readily use a tumble-dryer or sanitise wash cycle as an anti-lice technique for pillowcases and sheets but it can’t be used for mattresses. It’s impossible to wash a mattress and then put it in a dryer. Many people might suggest anti-lice spray but remember that it’s highly toxic which means if you spray it on your mattress, you’ll be breathing in those chemicals for days.

Disinfect your mattress with the help of a vacuum cleaner. It sucks dirt and tiny particles from the most difficult of places and can draw out lice stuck to the fabric of your mattress.

Detergent with plastic scoop

Anti-lice laundry detergent

Another way to disinfect your bed linen is by using anti-lice laundry detergents. You simply can’t rely on a regular detergent to kill the lice but you can always use ones with special fragrances that lice hate. By using such scents, lice will be reluctant to reside in your bedding.

One such product is Launder Lice™. It contains tea tree and anise which lice don’t like. Bear in mind, this detergent won’t kill the lice, but it will definitely deter them from your bedding. You can spray it with natural essential oils such as eucalyptus and lavender to discourage lice.

Plastic bags in a woven cane laundry basket

Bag them up

There are some, often expensive, bedding materials that you can’t simply throw into the dryer or hot wash as they’ll be ruined. If any such items become infested with lice, there’s an alternative solution.

As mentioned at the beginning of this post, lice can’t survive for more than 24 hours without feeding. Just bag up affected sheets and pillowcases very tightly for two days in a hot environment. Make sure to pack them tightly in plastic bags, so that the lice can’t escape to infect something else. Furthermore, the high temperature will contribute to getting rid of the pests.

Eliminating lice from personal belongings such as bedding isn’t an easy job but we’ve given you a few initial tips. Use these to disinfect any affected bedding and keep them lice free.

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