No one wants to think about a mouse or termite infestation taking over their home. The idea of waking up to a cockroach in the kitchen or a spider in your shower can make your skin crawl. While a pest infestation is likely to have you calling up the exterminator right away, preventative pest control allows you to be proactive rather than reactive and keep pests from making their way inside.
But how often should you consider pest control treatment? The fact is, pest control can be as frequent as monthly, quarterly, or simply once a year, based on your location and pests in your area. However, in California, we live with beautiful year-round weather, making pests a regular concern, so monthly or quarterly is often your best choice.
Key takeaways
- Understand what pest control and management is and what it includes.
- Determine how often pest control is recommended.
- Learn the benefits of a regular pest control and management program.
What is pest control?
If you have a pest infestation in your home, pest control involves the eradication and elimination of the offending pests. But simply killing or removing a specific pest, such as rodents or cockroaches, is only the beginning. For complete pest control and management, you want a treatment and maintenance schedule that addresses key factors, such as points of entry, that allow pests to invade your space in the first place. Pest control and management eliminate pests, seal potential points of entry, and address common risk factors for pest infestation. Pest control and management help to ensure your home is pest-free and remains that way.
How does pest control work?
Pest control and management begin with pest elimination. Whether you have spiders, rodents, or termites, a technician comes in to evaluate the property and eliminate the infestation. Once eliminated, the technician identifies any potential damage done by the pests and addresses any points of entry and risk factors, such as stacked wood or yard debris near the home that can attract pests. Together with you, the technician creates a regular pest management plan that can include regular spraying with insecticides or pesticides, the placement of deterrents, the setting of traps, or other management techniques designed to keep your home or business pest-free.
How often do you need pest control?
But what if you don’t currently have a pest infestation? Is regular pest control really necessary? The fact is just because you do not currently see signs of an infestation, pests may already be invading your home well before you see the signs. How often you need pest control and management will depend on a number of different factors such as the location of your home, a history of pest infestations, and the type of pests in your area.
Most pest control companies offer a wide range of pest control services. These services include different treatment options that offer different types of treatment options, such as annually, quarterly, monthly, and bi-monthly. The type of treatment plan you need will be determined based on the above factors. Oftentimes, the best plan for pest management involves more frequent outside measures while only needing to treat inside your home on occasion.
What is the best time of the year for pest control?
n Southern California, we enjoy beautiful weather year-round, making this area a target for regular pest problems and year-round pests. Pests often invade our homes and businesses looking for food, shelter, and water during the dryer months. While this beautiful weather is something we treasure, it also puts us at greater risk of pest infestations, making the need for regular pest control and management more important.
Benefits of routine pest control
Regular pest treatment and professional pest control services give you peace of mind. It allows you to live pest-free, with the worries of a pest infestation. Some key benefits of regular or monthly pest control programs include:
- The reduction and sealing off of potential entry points
- Keeping your home and yard free from pests
- Allows for early detection of potential infestations and addresses them before damage is done
- Keeps you and your family safe from bacteria and diseases often spread by pests
- Reduces the risk of structural damage to your home, often saving you thousands of dollars
How long does preventative pest control last?
When you have active pest activity, the pesticides and insecticides used to eliminate certain pests do not last forever. Even when used for preventative control, these chemicals only last a short time. For example, outdoor applications may only last for 60 days or less, especially during rainy seasons. The length of time treatment can last also depends on the type of pests involved. For example, pesticides used to treat flying insects, such as wasps, may only last for 30 days and, in the case of rodents, an infested neighborhood may require traps to be set on a weekly or bi-weekly schedule in order to keep them from entering your home or property.
Is pest control worth the money?
If you don’t see bugs or other pests in your home, is pest control and management really worth the extra money? The fact is a pest infestation can happen quickly and oftentimes not show signs until the pests have already caused damage or spread illness. While general pest control can address an infestation, it doesn’t solve pest concerns long-term. Having a professional pest management strategy in place allows the technician to detect early signs of a potential infestation and address the pests before they can cause damage. In the long run, a prevention plan is much cheaper than paying to eradicate a full-blown infestation, repair damage to your home, or pay for medical bills caused by the spread of diseases and bacteria.
Prevention gives you peace of mind
While it may seem unnecessary to choose pest management when you don’t have a current pest problem, the fact is that it is the perfect time to start integrated pest management. With the help of qualified technicians and a quality pest management strategy in place, you can feel comfortable that your home or business will remain pest-free for the long term.
Let us help keep you pest-free
At Arrest A Pest, our team of expert technicians knows the importance of a quality pest control and management strategy. Whether you currently have a pest problem or are simply trying to keep pests from invading your space, our technicians conduct a thorough property inspection that looks for signs of infestation, structural damage, potential points of entry, and common pests in your area in order to determine the best pest management strategy for you. To learn more, request an appointment today.
