Avoid these DIY Pest Control Myths

Pest Control is hard work. No matter how much you keep your house clean, or how much cheese you put on the mouse trap, it won’t help in eliminating or preventing house pests from entering your home and might even make things worse.

If you’re dealing with a house pest or two at home, don’t fall for these pest control myths you’ll get from friends and even the internet.

Call for pest control only when there's a major pest problem

There’s a reason pest control professionals are called professionals: they know how to deal with pests even before they can cause major issues. So never hesitate to call them when you spot a pest before they can do considerable damage to your home and family.

This is especially true for small, hard-to-spot pests like termites. Before you could feel they’re a problem in your home, they have already caused considerable damage to the structure of your house without you knowing it, and this can cause a lot of trouble even after you get rid of the termite infestation.

Generally, there are two types of hard-to-spot pests: the first kind are pests who hide inside tight spaces and blind spots (like cracks and crevices) and are too small for us to notice. Bed bugs and booklice are an example of this kind of hard-to-spot house pest.

The others are those who hide inside structures, doing structural damage that weaken your home and pose as a risk to you and your family. When you start to notice them inside your home, they have already done huge damage to your home’s structure like damaged wall, collapse ceiling, and crack structures. Carpenter ants and termites are good examples.

So, know when to call for pest control services is important to avoid further structural damages and/or financial implications.

Read also: What Do You Need to Know About Pest Prevention

Using natural remedies against pests

A quick search on the internet will give you a long list of natural remedies that you can use to control pests in your home. From using talcum powder on ants to using vinegar to eliminate termites, the list goes on.

While this might work in the beginning, these are just temporary. Once the effects of these natural remedies are gone, the pests will just return and invade your home again unless you get rid of the source.

Similarly, using repellent method against mosquitoes, like using lemongrass or commercial repellent spray, can only keep mosquitoes away for a while and does not resolve long term safety for you and your family.

Natural remedies found on the internet rarely work at all, and none of them are as long-lasting and helpful as pest control techniques from a trained pest-control specialists.

Afterall, contacting a professional might be the best way to prevent a pest infestation.

Clean homes and establishments are safe from pests

The common misconception is that clean homes and well-maintained establishments like classy hotels and restaurants are safe from bugs, while messy, un-maintained, and shabby places are more likely to be infested by all kinds of bugs and pests.

While cleaning may keep away some bugs, it does not mean that pests don’t infest clean homes and establishments. Small bugs, like bed bugs, travel via people’s luggage and clothes. They are small enough to go around unnoticed, giving them the advantage of infesting any establishment or home they enter, whether it is clean or not.

Rats also enter through cracks in the wall that cleaners don’t bother with, and travel away from sight, like under furniture or above drawers and cabinets. So they can move around clean spaces unnoticed.

You may also like: Spring Cleaning Tips to Keep Pests Away

Trapping and eliminating rats with cheese baits

This is one pest control myth that has become very famous throughout the years thanks to cartoons like Tom and Jerry. However, using cheese on a wooden mouse trap is not the best way to bait or get rid of a mouse.

Mice are usually drawn to nuts and seeds, so baiting them with cheese won’t be as effective. Using cereals, peanut butter, and other dry nuts might be a better choice when trying to bait mice at home.

Using a wooden mouse trap like in the cartoons also involves a lot of risk. One dangerous risk of using mouse traps is that little children and pets might trigger the trap and injure themselves. Another risk is disposing rats caught by mouse traps, since mice carry all sorts of diseases and parasites that can be transferred to you. Extra caution when handling a dead mouse is important.

When placing mouse traps, factors like where and how you place the trap, type of bait used, and amount of bait used all play an important part in the baiting process. Rodents are wary of new things, and they will try to avoid the traps. Professionals are trained to know these factors and would know how to monitor rodent activities to keep a rat infestation under control.

Racket zappers and UV light traps will solve your mosquito problem

Racket zappers and UV light indoor traps are tools often used to kill mosquitoes, often to the point that many think it is enough to eliminate mosquitoes and they don’t need to call for pest control.

These tools simply eliminate physical adult mosquitoes that are present; however it doesn’t control the population and breeding source. Use of racket zappers are also highly discouraged in Singapore because of its safety concerns.

As for UV light traps, it only addresses indoor mosquitoes due to its limited range. If you have an outdoor garden, these traps may not work as well. These quick fix methods are also not efficient in fully removing mosquitoes because mosquitoes need to be controlled from the larvae stage through mosquito breeding control techniques and adult stage (through fogging).

Using water as a pest flush out remedy

Some would use the water-flushing out remedy by splashing puddles of water on surfaces or areas with pest infestation in an effort to flush and drown the pests. One reason why this is not advisable though it is safe and toxic-free is that water and moisture attracts more pests for their survival. Particular termites that are highly dependent on water, wood materials with water exposure could result in termite infestation. Another reason is because some pests can survive under water conditions with good swimming or breathing capabilities and hence they can withstand the water-flushing remedy.

Contact a pest control professional

While many still believe that these pest-control myths work, you don’t need to learn things the hard way. These myths have been debunked by experts in the field who have studied these pests thoroughly and know better and more effective ways to get rid of them. So when you encounter a pest at home, leave the extermination to the pest-control experts.

Contact Rentokil to find out the various pest control methods and how an integrated pest control management programme can help you keep a pest infestation under control.

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