Can I Handle Pest Control On My Own?

Do you want to take on the task of pest control on your own? Surely it can’t be that hard, right? We’ve gone through the main reasons why you shouldn’t handle pest management on your own.

 

Can I Handle Pest Control On My Own?

Here are some of the risks you face if you try to handle pest control on your own:

If you are considering doing your own pest control, think again. Here are a few reasons why you shouldn’t do your own pest control and rather call a professional. 

Dangerous Pesticides: The main risk that comes with doing your own pest control is the use of over-the-counter pesticides. It is dangerous to handle and store pesticides in your home. Here are a few of the risks you face when handling or storing pesticides.

Inhaling Toxic Fumes: If you work with pesticides without a face mask, you will inhale the toxic fumes of the pesticides. Pesticides are dangerous to your health if inhaled. Even pesticides that are labeled “safe” can be toxic if you are exposed to the gases for an extended period.

Ingesting Pesticides: When you handle pesticides incorrectly, you risk the pesticide encountering your hands or surfaces on which you prepare food on. This increases your chances of ingesting the pesticides when you transfer them to your food. Alternatively, if your pesticides are stored in an accessible area, you risk your children or pets consuming these hazardous substances.

Skin Exposure:  Handling pesticides without adequate protection, such as gloves, long clothing, and goggles, places you at risk of the pesticide encountering your skin and causing injuries.

Exploding Pesticides:  Certain pesticides are highly flammable and if they are stored incorrectly, you risk them exploding and causing a household fire.

 

Read also: Why is Commercial Pest Control Important?

 

1. DIY Pest Control Is Not Accurate

There are numerous suggestions on how to effectively eradicate pests from your home with DIY methods or solutions. These are a couple of DIY pest control methods we have seen people try.

• Termites: Place a mixture of borax and water in a spray bottle and spray this liquid directly onto the wood.
• Ants:  Place piles of coffee grounds around your home to deter ants.
• Fruit Flies:  A bowl of water and apple cider vinegar will keep fruit flies away from your kitchen.

Here is the problem. Sometimes DIY pest control methods work, but most of the time they do not. This is because most of the information available online is not from accredited sources.

 

2. Over-the-counter Pesticides Might Not Work

When you arrive at the shops, you will be overwhelmed by the wide range of pesticides to choose from. You will need to sift through different brands and types of pesticides to hopefully find one that works for your specific pest problem.

Most of the time you will arrive home, and the pesticide will be ineffective at killing your specific pest or providing a long-term solution.

Many pests have also become immune to generic, over-the-counter pesticides. You risk wasting your time and money when driving to the shops and purchasing over-the-counter pesticides for your home.

 

Read also: What To Know About Saela Pest Control (Review)

 

3. Not A Long-Term Solution

Killing a single bird, ant, or wasp does not offer a long-term solution to a pest problem. Most of the time, you need to find the source of the pest problem to effectively eradicate the pests and prevent a pest infestation in your home.

To find a long-term solution, you may not know that you need to locate the source of the pests. Finding the source of the pests can be tricky too.

Pest control companies are therefore critical as they will know the signs, entryways, and type of nests to look for when it comes to providing a long-term solution to your specific pest problem.

 

4. Waste Your Time

Most of the time, doing your own pest control is simply a waste of your time. Whether it is using ineffective over-the-counter pesticides or failed DIY pest control methods, you would have spent time researching, purchasing, and performing these pest control methods. If they do not work, then you may have a larger pest infestation to deal with on top of the time you have wasted.

 

Read also: 6 Easy Ways To Have A Pest-free Home

 

5. Kill Beneficial Bugs

You may not agree with us, but not every creepy crawly is a pest. Here is a quick list of a few beneficial bugs for your home or the surrounding environment.

• Bees.
• Ladybugs.
• Praying Mantises.
• Tachinid Fly.

When you do your own pest control, you risk exterminating all the insects in your home or garden space. Pest control companies know that they should only eradicate bugs that are harmful or dangerous to your health.

 

6. Can Become Expensive

Trying different over-the-counter pesticides and DIY pest control methods can quickly add up. Not only will you still be facing a pest problem, but you will also have to sacrifice your weekend plans.

This is because you have blown your budget on ineffective pest control methods. Pest control companies will offer effective solutions that are worth the cost.

 

Even Though You Should Not Do Your Own Pest Control, Why Do People Still Avoid Hiring a Pest Control Company?

We explore some of the reasons why people still choose to avoid hiring a pest control company despite the dangers and disappointments associated with DIY pest control.

Expensive:

Pest problems tend to pop up out of the blue, and often dealing with a pest infestation is not something people incorporate into their monthly budgets. Seeing a pest in your home can equate to seeing huge money signs scuttling around your floor. Many people, therefore, opt for DIY pest solutions to avoid the high costs of hiring a pest control company.

Luckily, there are affordable pest control companies. Find out the pest control companies in your area and ask for their rates so that you can compare and find one which suits your monthly budget.

Unnecessary:

With Google making it easy to quickly research the appropriate methods for how to deal with a wasp or rodent infestation, many people feel that hiring a pest control company is unnecessary.

Unfortunately, most of the online information about pest control is inaccurate. Hiring a pest control company is never unnecessary when it comes to handling a pest problem efficiently and effectively.

Disruptive:

Many people do not think it is necessary to call a pest control company when they spot one cockroach or one rat. Hiring a pest control company will require contacting a company, setting aside time to meet with them, and ultimately having a disruption to your day.

When one pest turns into a major infestation, as they often do, your life will be seriously disrupted. Avoid the worst-case scenario of having to move out of your home for a few days. Instead, contact a pest control company, in the beginning, to nip the pest problem in the bud.

Bad Experiences:

This may not be your first encounter with a rat in the attic or a bird nesting under your veranda awning. Seeing the pest brings you awful flashbacks of a previous pest control company who were extremely expensive and did not adequately solve your pest problem.

This terrible experience has forced you to take matters into your own hands and avoid pest control companies for good.

There are pest control companies that are unprofessional, inexperienced, and have high rates for their lack of quality service. But not every pest control company is like this. We recommend finding a pest control company in your area that has reviews so that you can assess other customer experiences and choose one that is well-recommended.

Unaware of the Risks of DIY Pest Control:

Many people simply decide to do their own pest control because they are unaware of the risks or costs involved. As you have seen, there are many reasons why DIY pest control is not recommended.

Pest control companies are professional experts in pest control. An experienced pest control company will take all the hassle, worries, and time out of your pest eradication.

About The Author