What is Pest Control?
Pest control is carried out to eliminate or manage unwanted creatures in domestic and commercial properties, including ants, cockroaches, bed bugs and rodents. Dealing with pests quickly and effectively is essential for preventing health issues and structural damage. Thankfully, pest control services are widely available, which means getting rid of pests in your home or on your business premises is usually simple and affordable.
What Are Pests?
Pests are organisms that spread disease, cause destruction or are otherwise a nuisance. When talking about pest control services, we refer to animals or insects. Pests can cause big problems, ranging from transmitting harmful diseases to damaging the structural system of your home. If you suspect there are pests on your property, you need to act as quickly as possible. A pest infestation won’t go away on its own and will simply get worse over time.
What Pests Might You Find In Your Home?
Common pests found in the home include ants, bed bugs, wasps, mice and rats. If you suspect that any of these creatures are present on your property, it’s best to enlist a professional pest control service straight away.
With millions of ants in a colony, they can be real pests if they find their way into your home. Some people think they’re harmless creatures, however, in some cases, they can cause serious damage. Whilst creating their nests, ant species like the carpenter ant can tunnel through wood, much like termites. Although the carpenter ants don’t actually eat the wood, their activity can still raise the risk of broken pillars and floor sheets. Pharoah ants aren’t known for causing structural damage to properties, however, they can transmit diseases, including E. coli, Salmonella and Staphylococcus.
A bed bug infestation can be deeply unpleasant. Whilst bed bugs aren’t known to spread disease, they can cause intense itchiness. Sometimes, this itching can lead to scratching which can increase the risk of a secondary skin infection occurring. Bed bugs tend to live on mattresses or bedding, although they can be found in various other locations, including old furniture, cars and buses. We recommend dealing with bed bugs as soon as you become aware of their presence. These pests can lay up to 500 eggs in just a couple of months, which means it won’t take long for an infestation to become severe.
The presence of rodents such as mice and rats in your home isn’t just unpleasant. These animals can cause major damage to your property attacking the walls and pipes and even potentially causing a fire to break up should they chew on electric wiring. They can damage your furniture by creating holes as they attempt to make a cosy nest within your home. Rodents can also spread various diseases, including Leptospirosis, Lassa Fever and Hantavirus.
Wasps and Bees
A wasp or bee nest on your property can be a serious hazard in some cases. Although it doesn’t always need to be removed, it’s recommended if it’s located close to your home or garden or is in a public space. Wasp and bee stings can be painful, but they can also be life-threatening to people with allergies since they may suffer an anaphylactic shock. If you do have a wasp or bee nest on your property, it’s best to contact pest control specialists who can inspect it and provide expert guidance regarding its removal. Don’t attempt to remove the next by yourself as this can be extremely dangerous.
What Are Some Pest Control Methods?
Various methods can be used to control pests on your property. Common examples include blocking up holes, windows or doorways, removing or destroying nests, setting traps to catch the pests and then removing them from an area, and using temperature control methods to kill the pests. Which method a pest control company will use will depend on the type of pest that you’re dealing with. A reputable firm will assess the problem carefully, carrying out a full survey to identify pest entry points and determine the extent of the infestation.
Insecticides are commonly used to kill insects such as ants and cockroaches. Most of them come as a spray or granules. Sprays are most effective for insects that fly or bite, such as fleas. Usually, they die within just a few minutes of being exposed to the insecticide spray. Granulated insecticides are best for killing ants and those that construct their nests in hard-to-reach areas. Since the poison in them is so fast-acting, insects tend to die shortly after ingesting it.
Rodenticides are extremely powerful pesticides. Commonly known as rat poison, they’re very effective against all mammals when they are swallowed. This includes rats, mice and squirrels. Since rat poison is highly toxic, it can pose a threat to pets such as dogs and cats. For this reason, many pest control companies opt to use baited trap boxes rather than poison pellets.
Fogging can be used to kill flying insects such as flies, flying ants and mosquitoes. A ULV fogging machine directs a pesticide spray into the area of infestation. One of the biggest benefits of using fogging for pest control is that it’s more eco-friendly than other methods. This is because it spreads a very small amount of insecticides. It’s odourless and doesn’t leave a lot of residues either, making it easier to clean.
Physical traps are commonly used for controlling pests in both homes and commercial premises. They’re often used to deal with mice, rats and birds and can range from flypaper to more complex baited traps. Your pest control company will place the traps in areas with the most pest activity. Although traps are a good method for controlling pests, they do need to be checked regularly so that creatures can be removed.
If you need pest control in Doncaster, look no further than Topline. This reputable pest control company can deal with infestations of all types on your domestic or commercial property.