Pests Cause Damage to Property

A pest control service is a business that offers services to protect homes and businesses from insects, rodents, and other unwanted critters. Services may include prevention, inspections, baiting, trapping, and extermination. Residential Pest Control Whittier should have extensive experience with all aspects of pest management and follow industry best practices to ensure the safety of their customers. Pest control companies should be licensed and insured and be members of a national or state-level trade organization to demonstrate their industry knowledge.

Some pests can cause significant damage to plants, crops, animals, or structures. Others pose a health threat to humans or pets and can spread diseases, such as rabies, malaria, plague, salmonellosis, typhus, and leptospirosis. Pests can also transmit a number of diseases through their saliva, including HIV, herpes, influenza, and tuberculosis.

Pests can be prevented by cleaning up food spills and crumbs, making prompt plumbing repairs, and reducing moisture in crawl spaces and basements. Keeping garbage cans tightly-sealed and storing trash outdoors or in a tightly-fitted container reduces the opportunity for pests to gain access. Cracks and crevices around the house should be filled with caulk, and wood piles should be covered to prevent nesting.

Many pests are nocturnal and can hide during the day. They can be found in attics, cellars, closets, or behind walls. Some of them are stinging and biting pests such as spiders, fleas, ants, bed bugs, and mosquitoes which can cause itchiness, irritation, and poor sleep quality. Others are destructive such as termites, beetles, cockroaches, and rats which can chew electric wires leading to fire hazards.

Some pests are persistent and need constant monitoring. Others are sporadic and need only periodic treatment. Monitoring involves regularly checking a field, landscape, or building to identify and assess the numbers of pests and the damage they are causing. Proper identification is essential for planning the most effective management strategy. There are three types of pests: continuous – pests that are always present and need regular management; sporadic – pests that occur occasionally or intermittently; and potential – pests that may become a problem under certain conditions.

Pesticides are an important part of any pest control program. However, only a licensed pesticide applicator should handle and apply them. Only approved pesticides should be used, and the proper amount should be applied as directed on the label. Pesticides that are improperly stored, handled, or applied can be dangerous to people, pets, livestock, and the environment. Pesticides should be kept out of the reach of children and should never be stored where they can be accessed by children or pets.

Pest infestations can be difficult and time consuming to control. A pest control service should offer preventive measures to minimize the need for chemical control, and use only safe, environmentally sound chemicals when necessary. In addition, they should utilize integrated pest management strategies that reduce the need for chemical control by using non-chemical methods and increasing habitat complexity. They should also monitor and evaluate to ensure that once pests are controlled, they do not return.